Looking to purchase a hand made snooker cue out of the UK. Anybody have any concerns or experience with cues warping coming from overseas?
Importing snooker cue from the UK (warping concerns?)
- Thread starter buffalofloyd
- Start date
Would love to purchase a 1pc but it's just not manageable, so I will be opting for a 3/4 2pc cue. Thanks for the reply. I have read some people voicing concerns about this on some snooker forums and thought I'd pose the question here. I think you are right and if the cue is made properly from a reputable maker, this concern should be very small, but I thought I'd ask anyway.
I had a cue built by Mike Wooldridge some 7 or so years ago, ebony and ash, 3/4 cue. Finest workmanship I have ever seen in any cue. Damn thing played like shit with pool balls, just too skinny for the size and weight of american pool balls, and borderline for american snooker balls too honestly. I ended up selling it to a member here from Canada. But, though expensive to ship, shipping certainly didn't affect the quality.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I definitely don't plan to use this for regular pool. Fortunately, my room has a legit 12ft snooker table but all the house snooker cues are Dufferin and completely warped and hit like trash.
Looking to pick up either a Ton Praram or Maximus cue as I've heard and read very good things about both makers. I have a wanted ad listed here but no bites so far, as I expected with snooker being such a niche game around these parts. It is lots of fun though
Its good to ask. I'm sure you will get contrasting opinions. Assuming its Ash or Maple for the shaft, both woods can change a little after the cue is shipped, that can happen regardless of where it is made. I have played very well with cues that are not perfectly straight. I feel that it is more of a mental thing as long as the cue is not completely dog legged. Snooker cues are generally smaller diameter so it would not be crazy to see a cue warp a bit naturally. Thinking that a long thin piece of turned wood will be perfect and will stay perfect is not realistic.
I bet it will play fine, even if it changes slightly.
This does raise another question. Because of the taper differences in the shaft and the butt, rolling them together is not the ideal way to determine straightness, correct? You need to roll them individually? Gentleman across the pond, a well known seller of cues, told me that if together the tip will never hit the felt because of this, which I guess makes sense when I think about it, which I did not before I asked the question.
So those cues would have come from Thailand, sent to the UK, then potentially go to you in the US. I had a cue that arrived and didn't appear to be 100% straight. It was only in transit for 2 days within the UK but the weather was cold. I hanged it on a cue hanger for a couple of days and it has been straight ever since.Looking to pick up either a Ton Praram or Maximus cue as I've heard and read very good things about both makers. I have a wanted ad listed here but no bites so far, as I expected with snooker being such a niche game around these parts. It is lots of fun though
I would definitely order one of these as I've read good things. Unfortunately for me I don't feel like waiting a year or more to get one. I'm just getting into the game but want a nice reliable handmade cue.I have a 3/4 John Parris snooker cue made for me. Was shipped here with zero problems. Perfect cue
Best snooker cue IMO
It’s not a big deal to ship a cue international. Mine came in a aluminum case
Best
Fatboy
Here’s the link:
Home Page
www.parriscues.com
Have been looking and corresponding with a gentleman at Green Baize in the UK, he has been quite helpful and accommodating. Does anyone have an opinion on his cues specifically, maybe in comparison to the Thai makers I mentioned like Praram or Maximus?
I waited a few months as I recall, there are many good cue makers in the UK. Get a piece of ash with 6 chevrons on it or more if possible.
John Morra played with my cue a few times on a 13’ steel block Riley table at my house. Running out the lineup almost every attempt. He said “wow this is a powerful cue”. I never could get the hang of that cue like he did. But I had played pool over 2.5 years with a American cue. He was trained properly by his dad from day one.
Best
Fatboy
Greg M
Active member
The best way to determine whether a snooker cue or an English pool cue is warped is to sight it like a rifle and look down the shaft as you rotate it. I tried rolling my snooker cue on an English pool table before, and it gave me a false positive that it was warped.
Thank you, this seems to be the concensus way to do it.
Yep, it was Stu. He has been very nice and accommodating so far
Greg M
Active member
Fantastic. Hope you end up finding one you like! As long as the cue is well-made and protected in transit, I wouldn't worry too much about warpage.u
Yep, it was Stu. He has been very nice and accommodating so far
Thank you! I'm just going back and forth on whether or not I want to go with the more common ash shaft or what I'm used to, which is a maple shaft. Decisions!
Greg M
Active member
I prefer ash, since it's what I'm used to. Never owned any maple cue myself, but I really do like the look of them, especially if it's a very white maple.
BallerI have a 3/4 John Parris snooker cue made for me. Was shipped here with zero problems. Perfect cue
Best snooker cue IMO
It’s not a big deal to ship a cue international. Mine came in a aluminum case
Best
Fatboy
Here’s the link:
Home Page