Lisa:
Not just the very sharp mould-lines (where the liquid polystyrene "leaks out a bit" from where the two pieces of the mould meet), but the polystyrene plastic itself is also a problem. Yes, that's true -- you can sand those sharp mould-lines down, but another problem that I found with those cheapie Chinese knock-offs is that the polystyrene plastic itself "squeaks" against the wood shaft when you're stroking the cue through/over it. Lots of friction there, and yet another point of "concerned maintenance."
I personally like either leather bridges (like the
Tiger Corona), or my new favorite, the
London Bridge. The plastic used in the London Bridge is a heavy phenolic, not polystyrene. In fact, if you look close, you can see some kind of weave embedded in it (or at lease a weave pattern -- very noticeable). It also fits very nicely in the "cap" of a large cue case (e.g. 3x6 or 4x8), sitting on top of the cues with the rubber cylinder of the London Bridge pointing down into the case, resting in the space between the cue butts and shafts. This way, it takes no space in your cue case pockets.
And, it's more accurate, too. When using the London Bridge, instead of your cue shaft resting in a wide "U" slot with a rounded bottom (where it can wobble around from side to side), the London Bridge's slots are "V" shaped with a more-pointed bottom -- just like the "V" channel your hand makes when doing an open bridge. The cue shaft is held more stable and kept more accurate.
-Sean
Tiger Corona bridge:
London Bridge:
