Billiard Cue

What Do You Pay For a Cue?

Interesting...and is a very valid question.  Of course not all cues are created equal, I agree the shape is the same.  Like bicycle, what's the difference between a $300 bike and $2500 bike? They look pretty much the same bike to me. BUT...if you scrutinize each component, what materials were used, the brand, etc...you'd be surprised.  This is similar to billiard cue, what do you pay for it? Here are some major things that have huge impact on the cue pricing:

Intricacy of design - I'm talking about the real stuff, the inlays, points, and  ring work and not the paint work or overlays. The more complex the design the, more expensive a billiard cue can get.  Here's another tip: the more points, the more money...want more? Ok...on the ring, the fancier, the more money.  Check the picture to the left ( butt sleeve section), one is twice more expensive than the other...you know which one?

Materials - Basically the type of materials used for all aspect of the billiard cue from bumper to tip.  Let's talk about the main component, the wood,  this is where most of your money goes. The more exotic the wood is used, the more expensive, pink ivory wood is far more expensive than hard rock maple wood used for shaft.  Therefore, you'll see pink ivory wood as inlays and points.  There are hundreds of species of exotic wood, which by the way, most of them arise from diseases on woods.  Like the birds-eye maple, it's not a species of maple, but a disease on a regular maple tree ,and when a nice stain or varnish is applied on it, it looks elegant.  No need to know all of them, and I am not going to talk about it because it's going to take up a the whole page.  The important is you got the point.  But, here's a couple,  cocobolo wood (like the one on the picture ) you'd see this on expensive stick...let's put it this way...if a billiard cue uses some sort of exotic wood the price goes up.  Hard rock maple is what commonly used on lower-end stick.  Now, the titanium, fiber glass, and other composite materials, machine can make this, so they don't get too expensive.  Besides there's must be one type of material or a couple to choose from so they're not too exciting.  But don't get me wrong, they're sturdy, so if you are one of those guys who smash their billiard cues on the table when they get frustrated...you may want to think about getting one of this =)

Brand  - Because it entails quality, a well respected brand earns their reputation through the good quality and workmanship of their products and warranty.