Differences between modern day and antique snooker cue

[poolqjunkie]

I would like to ask what d you think are the differences between a modern day snooker cue and the antique ones mad eint he ode days such as the Tom Newman, Burwat...etc. I can see how the splicing technique could have been more fancy and so on with cues we see nowadays, but aside from that, what are the differences in terms of construction, playability, dimension, and so on?

Thank you.

[ADR147]

these are generalisations and there are of course exceptions but....

modern cues are thinner - butts around 29mm, tips about 9.5mm, antique cues have tips of 11mm ish and butts from 30-34mm - antique cues are normally much more whippy and tend to be lighter from 15oz-17.5oz whereas most modern cues are 18oz +

[bongo]

Better Quality! (Maybe?)

[poolqjunkie]

As always, ADR147, thank you for your valuable insight and information.
Were these older cues mostly built for billiard play, thus their difference in spec in general?
When you say whippy, are you saying they have a thinner or longer taper on the shaft, even though the tip size is generally thicker.

[ADR147]

depends on the age of the cue - billiards was the number one game well into the C20 so most older cues are in fact billiard cues. there is no reason i can think of why the older cues should be whippier but i know they are - try 100 uper for that info maybe? or i could ask a specialist.

[trevs1]

Billiard cues are 'generally' a little more springy than snooker cues due to the fact that they often have a more slender taper, coupled with an often larger ferrule/tip size.

If you look at an early billiard cue, you'll see it has a taper which appears more like a pro taper on an American 9 ball cue, whereby the shaft appears to get thicker only very slightly down perhaps the top 20" or so of the shaft. Another factor in making 'older' cues more springy/whippy is that the shaft timbers tend to get softer with age.

[ADR147]

Another factor in making 'older' cues more springy/whippy is that the shaft timbers tend to get softer with age.

i thought this might be the case but i am not entirely sure why?

[MikeWooldridge]

imo, the sole reason is fat butt, skinny shaft, fat head.

cannot agree at all with the 'soft with age' theory. in fact i reckon it's the opposite cos the wood becomes 'harder' as it shrinks inwards and becomes it's 'final' size. i.e. the density increases.

easy to appreciate if you exaggarate all the sizes in your mind: something big at the bottom with something very thin in the middle, with a big thing on top. it's gonna wobble isn't it?

bit like my missus.....

p.s. that's not true....

[poolqjunkie]

Thank you Mike and Trevor.
Do you think older cues are generally more butt heavy?

[trevs1]

Older cues are not particularly butt heavy no, though some are this way.

Some very old billiard cues had practically no weight at all to them, being maybe 15ish ounces. These would have had no weight added, and so would not be noticeably butt heavy.

To clarify my point about age and softness.....

Modern cue shafts are made from kiln dried timber, which by todays levels means a moisture content of about 6% - 8%. This is much much much drier than any living room or bedroom would be, so if anything, as the cue gets older, it will also likely pick up a few degrees of moisture in service. It's a fact that timber gets softer when it holds more moisture, and with very old cues, there's often an excess of moisture in them, right through the timber. Modern cues on the other hand have not had such exposure to the same conditions and moisture levels over time, and due to that, remain stiffer for longer.

Obviously, this does not apply to EVERY cue in exsistence, but many many old cues are like this.