It's long, thin & you poke balls into holes with it. And I need one quick
December 20, 2011 2:57 PM Subscribe
Where can I find a 3 piece Snooker Cue (similar to a Pool Cue but thinner and longer) that will deliver before Dec. 27th and is not that expensive?
A friend of a friend wants me to buy them a Snooker Cue. I don't play Snooker, I barely play pool, so I don't know what to get or where to get it on such short notice (I am flying to see them after Christmas).
Also, since I have to pack it, I'm guessing a 3 piece or 4 piece would be best. I don't want an inferior product but ideally would like to pay less than $75 US all told, shipping, case, everything.
I'm located in the South East US but all the snooker cue dealers I find on Google are either really expensive or in the UK. Help!
A friend of a friend wants me to buy them a Snooker Cue. I don't play Snooker, I barely play pool, so I don't know what to get or where to get it on such short notice (I am flying to see them after Christmas).
Also, since I have to pack it, I'm guessing a 3 piece or 4 piece would be best. I don't want an inferior product but ideally would like to pay less than $75 US all told, shipping, case, everything.
I'm located in the South East US but all the snooker cue dealers I find on Google are either really expensive or in the UK. Help!
Amateur US snooker player here, and (assuming your local pool & billiards supply can't help you) I have no idea how you are going to get a snooker cue that's any good before Dec. 27. They are a hard item to find in the US, and the selection is generally limited if you can find them at all. Snooker is more popular in Canada, so you might try looking for a Canadian source, but (IMO) if you want a top quality cue I think you need to consider ordering from the UK and waiting for it to arrive.
Ah...just re-read your post and saw your budget. Um...you are being a good friend, but IMO it's going to be tough to impossible to pull this off in the time frame and budget you posted. Honestly, if your friend takes the game seriously, the best thing you could do would be to give him or her a gift certificate for the amount you want to spend on this gift, and they can apply that + their own funds towards the purchase of a quality cue. Even using a loose definition of "quality", I think a decent cue is going to be $200 or more.
A couple of years ago I took the plunge and ordered a very nice multiple piece snooker cue directly from Craftsman Cues in the UK. This was not a fancy cue, just one that was very good, straight, and well made cue. The cue and the service I received were exceptional, and I would not hesitate to recommend them or their cues.
A final thought: for someone who takes their game seriously, it is far more important to have the right cue than to simply have any cue. It's very much like ordering a custom made musical instrument, in that each player wants something slightly different. For example, I like a 19oz cue with the weight biased towards the rear, whereas my friend prefers a lighter 17oz cue with a more neutral weight bias. The nice thing about ordering my cue directly from Craftsman was that I was able to specify the exact weight I wanted, how I wanted that weight biased, the length, the tip diameter, what sort of joint I wanted, if I wanted an additional joint in the butt end of the cue (a helpful feature for screwing in an extension), etc. I have been very pleased with the resulting cue, and I expect to use this cue for as long as I am able to play the game. I think the importance of getting the right cue vs. simply getting whatever you can find in a hurry is worth considering, especially since this may be the only snooker cue your friend ever owns.
posted by mosk at 4:47 PM on December 20, 2011
Ah...just re-read your post and saw your budget. Um...you are being a good friend, but IMO it's going to be tough to impossible to pull this off in the time frame and budget you posted. Honestly, if your friend takes the game seriously, the best thing you could do would be to give him or her a gift certificate for the amount you want to spend on this gift, and they can apply that + their own funds towards the purchase of a quality cue. Even using a loose definition of "quality", I think a decent cue is going to be $200 or more.
A couple of years ago I took the plunge and ordered a very nice multiple piece snooker cue directly from Craftsman Cues in the UK. This was not a fancy cue, just one that was very good, straight, and well made cue. The cue and the service I received were exceptional, and I would not hesitate to recommend them or their cues.
A final thought: for someone who takes their game seriously, it is far more important to have the right cue than to simply have any cue. It's very much like ordering a custom made musical instrument, in that each player wants something slightly different. For example, I like a 19oz cue with the weight biased towards the rear, whereas my friend prefers a lighter 17oz cue with a more neutral weight bias. The nice thing about ordering my cue directly from Craftsman was that I was able to specify the exact weight I wanted, how I wanted that weight biased, the length, the tip diameter, what sort of joint I wanted, if I wanted an additional joint in the butt end of the cue (a helpful feature for screwing in an extension), etc. I have been very pleased with the resulting cue, and I expect to use this cue for as long as I am able to play the game. I think the importance of getting the right cue vs. simply getting whatever you can find in a hurry is worth considering, especially since this may be the only snooker cue your friend ever owns.
posted by mosk at 4:47 PM on December 20, 2011
You might find a used Snooker Cue at a local pool hall that also sells cue, if you have one of those around. I'd probably call the pool halls in the surrounding area, ask if they have a snooker table and see if they can point you to a local purveyor. You could also call around the city you're traveling, that way you don't have to worry about checking it for your flight (no pool cues in carry-ons.)
However, I also second everything Mosk said. Even if you do happen to find one, your budget is going to be abused.
posted by Jacob G at 6:21 PM on December 20, 2011
However, I also second everything Mosk said. Even if you do happen to find one, your budget is going to be abused.
posted by Jacob G at 6:21 PM on December 20, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by essexjan at 4:13 PM on December 20, 2011