Good morning Hawkeye, I will try to answer your question.
Points are a part of the design factor built into cues. Some cues have points above the wrap area (were the cue is gripped) in the cues forearm.
Some cues have points have in the cues butt, which is the area below the cues wrap.
Some cues have points both above and below the cues wrap.
There are three basic types of point construction used to day.
1. Decal points: These points are nothing more than a sticker or decal that is applied to the cue before the finish is applied. This form of points are the cheapest and only found on the lowest of quality cues.
2. CNC inlayed points: These points are made using a Computer Generated and Operated Milling machine. These points are designed and implemented with a computer program.
This technique allows for very exacting standards that are exactly repeatable, which would be nearly impossible by hand.
This process is widely used today, and in most cases can be identified by the point design having rounded ends.
The points made using this technique are call inlayed points, because the points are inlayed into pockets in the cues forearm that were cut out by the computer driven milling machine.
3. Spliced / V-cut points: This technique accomplishes the same point design as CNC Inlay, however it is completed by hand, and by an experienced craftsman.
These techniques can be much more wasteful of materials, however this is the age old way points were applied as decorations to cues forearm or butt throughout the history of billiards / pool.
The technique can be identified in most cases by having razor sharp points, that may or may not be perfectly even due to the fact that they are cut and inlayed by hand. CNC inlayed points will always be perfectly even, because the points in the forearm are cut by a computer.
A cues points are the actual wood in the points design. The colored lines around these points are called Veneers and while they make-up the over all design they are actually an addition that is attached to the cues points as decoration.
In most cases V-cut or spliced points on a cue will cost more money than other types of construction depending on materials used during the construction process.
These points are the most time consuming to make, and this form of construction is truly an expression of the finest cue making skills available today.
Please do not be confused by the Asian import cues that are being imported today. These cues are also made with hand made points, but not to the standard or quality that I am outlining above.
The value of points in a cue is directly based on who made the points, the materials used in the points construction, and how finely executed the points are.
Finely executed points will have very tight veneers with no gaps or glue lines. They will also be almost, if not perfectly even, whether there are three, four, six or even eight points on the cue.
There will also be no gap where the point itself touches the first veneer, and where each veneer touches the veneer above it.
This is craftsmanship and for this type of work you are expected to pay a big price.
I hope I have cleared up some of your questions on this matter, I have been brief however, because of the time it would take to fully explain this topic.
You can however, find other reference material if you want more information concerning this subject by doing an on line search using the construction techniques I have outlined above.
Have a great day
