wood suggestions for handle

spliced

spliced

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I am planning to have a merry widow cue made with an uncored, solid East Indian rosewood forearm and butt sleeve and a phenolic joint, steel pin. I have not decided on a maker yet.

I'd like to hear from some cuemakers about your preferred wood for the handle area with this setup. Appearance doesn't matter, as it will be wrapped with irish linen. I am looking for a harder hit with a decent amount of feedback and a loud tone when striking the ball. Target weight for the butt is 15oz with 4oz shafts. Prefer a cue that is neutrally balanced, not butt heavy or front heavy.

Basically, I am wondering if I should stick with hard maple, or if I should look at another wood type to give me the hit I am looking for.

Thanks for any replies!
 
I'm not a cue maker, but I like the color black with rosewood. What color Irish linen to you plan to use.

I had a rosewood cue made for me by Richard Black, back in 1981, and it had a black pig skin wrap. The black contrasted well with the rosewood.
 
Purpleheart or bocote handle .
Just 13" long and extend the bottom with maple . That will knock some weight at the bottom.
No metal in the A-joint. You can use the ppleheart or bocote for tenon and threads. No added weight in the middle that way.
And those two will make the EI ping more than maple ( unless you find a really dense maple of course ).
If you really want a good ping, madagascar rosewood gives the EI Rosewood the 7-out.
But, it takes a long time to season one.
 
Current EI Rose is generally LIGHTER than Maple.
You may want to reconsider the metal-less A-jnt.
PH was my choice also but I'd take it to the bumper.
Sleeve the butt, then cap.
 
Thanks for the responses! The cue will have a white w/ green spec linen wrap and will have a metal screw at the A joint. Sounds like the top two favorites are purpleheart and bocote. Any other suggestions?
 
I personally would use a granadillo handle. Heavy, hard, stable, inexpensive, and pingy. A metal stud in the "A" joint will leave the cue very close to target weight while giving a slight forward balance, even if the builder chooses lighter weight shafts.
 
spliced said:
I am planning to have a merry widow cue made with an uncored, solid East Indian rosewood forearm and butt sleeve and a phenolic joint, steel pin. I have not decided on a maker yet.

I'd like to hear from some cuemakers about your preferred wood for the handle area with this setup.
Thanks for any replies!
Click to expand...

Correct me if I'm wrong but it sounds like what you're describing is not a merry widow
 
Type79 said:
Correct me if I'm wrong but it sounds like what you're describing is not a merry widow
Click to expand...

Why not? Merry widow, plain jane, all a semantics game. Some folks think a merry widow means having a solid wood butt, and while that may have been the case at some point in the past, nowadays a merry widow & plain jane are two in the same. I suppose it could be nit picked & argued but for what purpose? Build two of the cues he described except make one from solid rosewood. Once completed nobody would know which is which because they'd look identical.
 
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