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Cues -
Pool and Snooker Cues
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 Snooker and Pool Cues: Protecting Your Investment
You have finally decided on the cue that you want, it feels right, looks great and plays like a dream. But for the money you have spent how are you now going to adequately protect it? The first port of call is almost certainly going to be a cue case. However, with so much on offer in today’s marketplace what do you opt for?
Budget Soft Cases
For under $10 you can buy a budget soft case. These cases usually only fit a two piece centre-jointed cue and offer minimal protection. They are usually made of plastic and have a very thin layer of foam by way of protection. These cases are ideal for the casual player or for someone that does not really worry about the state of their cue.
They are really only designed for carrying a cue from place to place and should not be used as full protection for your cue.
Padded Soft Cases
These usually cost in the region of $15. These cases offer slightly more protection than the budget versions and are designed with padding in mind. At this level you can also get a version for three quarter jointed cues as well as versions that will hold an extension.
Standard Attache (Box) Cases
For around the same price as a padded soft case you can buy an attaché case. These cases are designed to give a lot more protection to your cue and come in a variety of sizes for cues of all types.
The design of the case will protect your cue from knocks, bumps and even the odd drop, while it is stored. However, they do have a tendency to split at the sides as they are usually only made of a heavy-duty cardboard material with a leatherette or plastic finish. These can be bulky to carry but will protect your cue much more effectively than a soft case.
Aluminium Attache Cases
This type of case provides the best protection available. Soft padded foam interiors prevent the sections of your cue from knocking together whilst in transit. The exterior is made from aluminium, which is very light but also extremely strong and robust. However, for this type of protection expect to pay up to $70.
An aluminium case will protect your cue whilst in storage from all manner of knocks and bumps.
When it comes to purchasing a cue case, have a look to see which type of case suits you best. Find one that really suits your needs. If you are a casual player with a relatively cheap cue then a £60 aluminium case is probably too much, on the other hand, if you have spent over $200 on a cue then only spending a fiver on a cue case is a false economy.
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Cues -
Pool and Snooker Cues
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 1. Learn about splicing
The butt timber is spliced (joined) onto the ash shaft and this is done in one of two ways - by machine or by hand. The two methods produce cues of very different appearance.
Machine-splicing is less expensive than hand-splicing but is a very effective way of adding the butt timber to the shaft. The butt timber (usually ebony) is cut to provide four points, which are glued into four slots machined into the shaft timber. The finished cue has a distinctive four point pattern where the butt meets the shaft.
Hand-splicing is the traditional method developed by Peradon for splicing the butt timber to the shaft. The shaft has two flats planed on opposite sides of the butt end. The hardwood butt timber is glued to these flats. The cue is then rotated through 90 degrees and two further flats are planed and two more pieces of butt timber glued into place. The cue is then shaped to produce the distinctive four rounded point pattern where the butt meets the shaft.
The appearance of both machine and hand-spliced cues can be enhanced with additional exotic wood splices or coloured veneers.
2. Look for matching grain
You can always tell the quality of a snooker cue based on whether the grain of the wood matches across the joint. Having a cue with matching grain affords the user a more consistent and fluid feel to every stroke. A cue that is constructed in this manner will also have a more even balance and the weight will be distributed more evenly.
3. Looks do not equal feel
This is such an obvious statement but it is very true. The most expensive cue in a range is generally expensive because of the materials that have been used. Another factor is the actual number of staff hours that it takes to produce each individual cue. By purchasing a top of the range cue you are not getting a higher performance model but just a cue that is more aesthetically pleasing. You can get the same performance out of a cheaper, plainer looking cue if you have a limited budget.
It is important that you only take this as advice, you might personally find the top of the range cue suits you best.
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