Question
My name is Evgeni Govedarov and I want to ask a couple of questions related to one of your snooker cues. I am particularly looking at this one https://www.snookercues.com/product/arlington-butt-jointed-snooker-cue-cue-extensions-case-deal/. From what I know the butt-joined cue is more stable than the middle-joined one. Can you give me some more insight about this? And I want to ask how big is the case of the butt-joined Arlington compared to the middle-joined Arlington cue. Also, I was wondering if the cue will be a bit too short for me because I am around 180cm tall and from what I read it might be a bit short. Can you give me some more information about ration if you have any availabe? And last but not least I live in the Netherlands and I was wondering what is the delivery going to cost and if you can give me an estimation of how long it might take to arrive.
Best Regards,
Evgeni Govedarov
Answer
Hi Evgeni, thank you for your e-mail, I will try to answer all your questions.
Firstly on the stability of a 2pc mid-joint cue as opposed to a ¾ butt jointed cue. You have heard this somewhere so perhaps that is the opinion of some players and cue suppliers but it is not the opinion of ours. Many years ago when jointed cues were first introduced there were some problems with joints coming loose but we have been in this business for over 30 years and generally speaking this problem is now almost none existent. Better joints have been designed (wooden joints were once very popular) and many different types of glue have since been developed. In fact I often tell my customers that the glue is stronger than the wood itself. There may be some truth that in the event of an accident such as the cue being dropped on the floor, the joint would be the area which would most likely get damaged. Obviously a bigger joint may be able to sustain a bigger impact, but make no mistake, any cue that takes a sharp impact could possibly be damaged so the best course of action is prevention by looking after your cue and keeping the cue and your equipment in a good protective cue case when not in use.
It is worth also noting that the Americans have always favoured 2pc (mid-joint) cues for American 9 ball pool. Granted, the shafts are thicker but we have supplied some customers in the USA and Canada and know they take their pool quite seriously so I do not think they would use a cue in a format that was less stable. To sum up I would say that each player has to buy a cue that suits their own individual needs in playing ability and convenience in transit. Another reason some butt jointed cues are preferred is because in some tight playing venues (particularly in pool) removing the butt sometimes helps in tight places. We have actually developed Telescopic cues which are useful in those situations.
Regarding cue length, it has long been considered as a good guide for the correct cue length that the tip of the cue should reach the players shoulder. Of-course player heights vary considerably but unless you get one custom made (which is expensive) then you will almost certainly have to settle for a standard cue length which is 57 to 58 inches long. You are about the same height as I am, and either of those lengths should be okay for you. I do have some other models which may be just over 58 inches, but they might be much more expensive then the Arlington model you are looking at.
The good news is that we deliver all over the world. In recent weeks we have sent to Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Latvia and Cyprus as well as many other countries. I can only calculate postage costs when I know exactly what products you are buying as cost is based on weight and box size and there could be a difference in cost between the 2pc model and the butt-jointed model. I would also require your full address including any post codes in order to get the best quotes. Delivery time would be based on the carrier used, and that could be from a couple of days to a week.
I hope this helps, but please contact me for any further assistance.