Barringer Cues Are Built Rock Solid With A 'Hit' Second To None Please Note: We are always adding and updating this page so check back often.. This page is probably more information than the average player needs to know but we offer it here for your consumption. What you do with it is up to you. It may even improve your game by knowing how and why different components react and play. Playing pool is really a factor of mind over matter and with many of us who don't have minds, it really doesn't matter. :-) So, with all that in mind, we do hope that you enjoy reading this. We recommend that you get your favourite beverage at this time. Someone once said, "an educated consumer is our best customer". We believe that to be true and as such we offer you the following information. The Basics... Barringer Cues brings with him over 25 year’s experience building fine custom handcrafted cues as well as doing repairs. Building precision billiard instruments requires a great deal of woodworking, machinery, engineering and pool playing experience -- he has the experience in all areas. Barringer feels that to truly build a fine cue, one has to have the knowledge of playing the game and he most certainly excels in that field. Through the years he has listened to and experimented with hundreds and hundreds of ideas and incorporated many into his finished products of today. No cue leaves Barringer's shop until it is complete in every detail and it must pass the most demanding test of all -- each cue must pass the playability test when he takes each new cue and plays a few games of nine ball. The cue must perform perfectly. Tradition... No, this is not a story about Fiddler on the Roof. That was a great play. Oh, we've gone off the topic. Although most 'new' cuemakers (post 1990) have gravitated toward CNC designed cues, Barringer has steadfastly remained with a traditional design and look. The reason perhaps is being old fashioned but this is his preference and the preference of many players today. CNC design is relatively simple once computers are programmed. You design a pattern, program it in a computer and then the computer cuts the design into the cue automatically each and every time. Some custom cue makers are now using this 'production cue' method. This allows for steady and consistent designs with little chance for error since the computer is doing the actual cutting. Traditional cues are always in demand and highly prized by their owners, collectible and have a strong history dating back many, many years. While highly designed and inlayed CNC cues show beautifully, a traditional cue still commands the respect they deserve among these modern CNC cues of today. Making forearms with points and veneers is much more complicated and difficult. It requires much more precision since the actual cue builder is doing the cutting, aligning and matching as well as laying it perfectly in the slots using special glues. Also, having all the proper equipment for doing quality craftsmanship is essential as in the case of pressing together all the veneers. Our veneer press assures consistent, flat and properly sealed veneers for perfection. One slip or slight miscut and the points will run off and/or the veneers will not align properly. Perhaps this is why many 'new' cue makers choose CNC today. The fact remains that it is much more labor intensive creating a traditional cue using this method. Quite frankly and in this writer's humble opinion, CNC is relatively simple compared to executing perfect points and veneers. There is something to be said about a perfectly executed long point with a few veneers that are also perfectly executed. This is all done by hand and creating perfectly executed points and veneers requires craftsmanship and dedication of the highest caliber. One slight error and the cue is firewood; at least according to Barringer. The Long Splice Method... Where to begin on this topic. It all goes back a long time to early Brunswick cues (TitlistCues) and also two men named Burton Spain and Gus Szamboti who supplied most of the early cue makers such as George Balabushka. And, that my friends is a whole other story which we will reserve for another article. In any event, long spliced cues are made from two pieces of wood. As an example, we'll use bocote and maple. To sum it all up and not get too technical, "V" grooves are cut into both woods and then hand fit together (fingered) and turned round. This forms a standard house cue look of perhaps bocote points with a maple front (forearm). And yes, veneers may be installed for that traditional look that we have all come to love. Many believe that the long splice method of building a cue makes for a more solid and better hitting cue. This method does away with the step and need of joining the forearm of a cue to the handle. However, when properly done, this joint is every bit as good as the long splice method. Also, the joint allows for more control over the weight and balance of a cue as well. There are obviously pros and cons to both methods. There are in all probability over 250 custom cue builders out there today in the United States. Out of this group, there is probably less than10% that has the ability and technique of building these labor-intensive cues. At Barringer Custom Handcrafted Cues, we build some of our cues using the long splice method. Our Full Spliced and Road Cues are made using this method (more models coming soon). Currently, we produce six models; Bocote, Cocobolo, Macassar Ebony, Gabon ebony Rosewood and Purpleheart. These woods are unquestionably the best for making these cues. There are other woods that are equally as good and we are experimenting with them. The ebony's and cocobolo basically produce a similar hitting cue. Rosewood makes for a softer hitting cue and bocote is somewhere in between. Producing these cues is very labor intensive and time consuming. With so many possible combinations of woods and veneers available today, where does one draw the line and produce a generic line? The only way it can be done is with mass production and a standard line. We like to build cues one at a time and to a players specifications. Making long spliced cues to each customers specifications will be extremely time consuming. We do not know if the market will bear the prices we would need to generate in order to warrant the production of these cues. We are currently looking into the feasibility of once again making higher end designs available. We are one of about maybe a handful of cue builders making this method of cue construction available today -- we're doing it now with a limited line. The Wood... Every Barringer Custom Handcrafted Cue is crafted from the finest exotic and/or domestic woods all of which have been aged for years; some for as long as 20 years. The wood is incrementally reduced over a period of months. His shafts, for example require over 10 individual cuts before putting on the final 'Barringer Pro Taper'. The wood is placed aside to rest anywhere from a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks (and sometimes months) between cuts. So, as you can see, each shaft can take up to one year before it ever becomes a finished product. Of course, through the years he has amassed a sizeable holding of back stock which allows him to produce cues on a daily basis. The waiting period is quite lengthy but reservations are being accepted. The Joint Collar & Joint Pin... Barringer builds a cue with either a phenolic of ivory joint collar. Ther joint pin is either a 3/8-11 or his exclusive Composite BarrinJoint Pin™. It is a specially designed material exclusive to Barringer Custom Handcrafted Cues; strong as steel but has the characteristics of wood. For the actual joint collar, he prefers Ivory or phenolic. His custom joint pins coupled with his collar combination gives the cue an incredible hit and feel like no other -- the feel of an all wood one piece cue assuming you like that hard solid hit feeling. He can achieve a softer hit utilizing different tips and ferrules combinations. This in part is what makes a Barringer Cue a true custom cue. The Joint Pin; Specifically G10... There are two types of G10 pins. The most common being the flat laminated sheet material turned round. The much more elusive and costly is the rolled G10. Most, if not all cue makers who use G10 are using the flat sheet material turned round; some with knowledge and most without. Additionally, many people, in all probability do not even know that there are two types. However, due to this writing, now everyone will know. Flat sheet turned round is the most readily available and least expensive. At Barringer Cues we use the rolled G10 which is many times more costly. Now you have a question and say, why? Well, picture a flat laminated shaft. The same principal may hold true for flat sheet turned round G10. Depending how you hold the cue may impact the way the cue hits. We believe this to be true. As such, we are probably the only cue makers using the more costly rolled Black G10 pins in our cues. Also, to our knowledge, we are the only cue makers who are able to offer the black G10 pin. Most all other cue makers are using the green G10. And that’s our 2¢. And, we do not sell the black G10 material to anyone so please don’t ask. NOTE.... About Genuine Rolled Black G10... It has come to our attention that some cue makers are dying the green sheet flat stock, turned round G10 with black dye to resemble our genuine rolled black G10. How do you know if you are getting genuine black rolled G10? Please read on........ Many cue makers have asked us where to get black rolled G10 and we do not divulge that information. To date, and to our knowledge, we are the only cue makers offering genuine rolled black G10. Genuine rolled black G10 offers an outstanding hit unlike anything else. Other than that.... Barringer Cues is the only source for genuine rolled black G10 pins. The Fine Points... All joint collars, butt sleeves and butt caps are threaded, screwed and glued on for a superior fit and lasting value. This is a standard feature to all Barringer Custom Handcrafted Cues. Craftsmanship such as this is what makes a Barringer Cue far superior to production cues and many other custom cues. We take the time to do it the right way, the way it should be done. Limited Edition And One-Of-A-Kind Cues... Barringer Cues is in no hurry and produces each cue from scratch, one at a time. YES, one at a time as he does not work on 10 cues at the same time. He devotes all his expertise to building one cue at a time -- your cue. Each cue is made with love and devotion to perfection. You will be kept advised during every step of the crafting process. If you're fortunate enough to reside in the area, he will ask you to visit and have a look at your new cue for feel (weight and balance) and looks to make sure he is building you the cue of your dreams. Ring Work... At Barringer Custom Handcrafted Cues we build every piece in every cue right here in our modern shop. Every ring which you see on every Barringer Custom Cue are made right from scratch using the finest materials and woods. We have many designs and are constantly adding new ones. The variety is vast or we will even make up custom ones as per your specifications if you so desire. You can view the procedures for making these rings where we show them in various stages of completion. The Shaft... Among cue builders, there is probably no subject that has more different opinions than the shaft of a cue. Laminated, growth rings, hard maple, white in colour are among the topics commonly discussed. Where to begin.... the beginning is probably a good place, so let's start out with the wood itself. First, we obtain all our quality maple from suppliers either in Canada or the northern peninsula in upper Michigan. This is where the best quality maple is harvested. Sources are few and far between and finding the right supplier is often a daunting task for all cue builders. We have exceptional sources of supply who we purchase large quantities from and have it trucked in to us right here in Florida. Only years of doing business and loyalty achieve a steady flow of this quality. We then sort through it and separate it into various grades. The low grades are sold off quickly. We retain only the highest grades for our supply in making shafts as well as sales to other cue builders. Growth rings are a controversial subject. Some say the more growth rings a shaft has, will produce a more solid hit, weigh more and will be denser. Well, we do agree to a certain extent, however we have dowels with fewer growth rings that weigh the same as those with many more rings. Our top grade shafts have 18-25 rings per inch which is very tight (almost unheard of today) and highly sought after by other cue builders. Other shafts have between 12-15, 8-12 (which is the usual amount most cue builders are able to obtain unless they are in the 'know') and then there are those with 6-10 or so rings per inch. We have dowels with 6-8 rings that weigh the same as our dowels with 20 rings. So, the density to weight theory doesn't necessarily hold water. When you can obtain quality wood such as ours, the amount of growth rings to weight ratio is non existent. However, in lower grade maple and maple from places other than the two mentioned above, perhaps there is a direct correlation between weight and rings. White! Everyone wants white shafts. When did this phenomenon begin? Probably somewhere in the 1980's and many say that a prominent production cue maker started the darn thing. Prior to that, straight grained, straight spine, high growth rings and off white were always acceptable. This author has never seen a Balabushka with a white shaft and this author has owned one. There is nothing wrong with an off-white shaft with the previous characteristics. They are every bit as good as the 'white' ones and personally we believe they are actually better. The difference in colour is nominal. We provide the finest shafts with high growth rings, straight spine and straight grained. Every Barringer Pro Taper Shaft will weigh at least 4oz. Weight, there's another factor in high demand. Most cue builders of today are complaining that they cannot get shafts to weigh in at 4 - 4.3 oz (prior to ring, ferrule and tip work) anymore due to the quality of the wood these days. Most shafts today weigh in at 3.6 - 3.8 which is still acceptable. As previously stated, all Barringer Pro Taper Shafts weigh at least 4oz. The taper is another important factor. A cue that is not dense has a long taper and fewer growth rings, will in all likelihood be a little whippy. A pro-taper should be anywhere from 8" to 12" and then gradually increase in size to the joint whereby creating a parabolic curve. With the right combination of wood and taper, it will create a 'hit' that is solid and consistent. Laminated shafts -- today's modern marvel. How do these perform? Well, you either love them or hate them. It depends on what you like and what you are use to and whether or not you can teach an old dog new tricks. However, some have to get use to the laminated shaft as they do not have to compensate for deflection and squirt. Some get right into their usual game immediately. Now, there are two topics that need to be further explained in more detail but not here. Basically, the squirt and deflection are the inconsistency created in the 'hit' by the contact between the tip and cue ball. Depending on your stroke will determine the amount of squirt and deflection as well as the qualities of the shaft wood. Many players are compensating for this and don't even know it. Overall, all Barringer Pro-Taper shafts are of the highest quality and consistency and offer exceptional cue ball control. We do not supply aftermarket laminated shafts on any of our cues. Ferrules... With each Barringer Custom Handcrafted Cue, you have your choice of ferrule. You can choose from Ivory, Ivorine, Melamine, Aegis or Micarta. Each offer a different hit and feel. Not sure which to choose? Well, all we need to know is the type of game you play and the 'hit' you prefer and we'll select the right ferrule for your particular play. For example, not all ivory ferrules are the same. There are differences as some will produce a 'soft' hit and some will produce a 'hard' hit. Depending where the ferrule is cut from on the tusk determines the type of hit. Many cue makers do not know this little known fact -- we do. Also, how the ferrule is installed makes a difference too. All Barringer ferrules are threaded and glued on. Some are solid capped and some are not. All this makes a difference. The glue that is used is a factor too. A cue builder must know the best possible choice and ferrule/tip combination for you. A cue builders years of experience will produce the proper choice for you and only years of experience enable a cue builder to know that there are differences and what those differences are. The Tip... Probably the most important part of a cue (along with the ferrule) can make or break the finest cues. The 'hit' and feel of the tip combined with the proper ferrule will offer you the best possible 'hit' combination. Not only will the tip play an important part in the 'hit' of your cue but the glue that is used will play an important part as well. Yes, the glue! We use the proper glue to achieve your desired 'hit' as well as being strong enough to not 'pop off' during a break shot or an important game. Additionally, each tip in a box will offer a slightly different 'hit' and some are just thrown away. It's up to the cue builder to make those important choices. Not all tips are created equal and with today's choices the combinations are endless as well as confusing for the player. At Barringer Custom Handcrafted Cues, we manufacture of our own laminated tip. This offers us much more quality control and consistency in one of the most important parts of a cue. Inlays & Craftsmanship... At Barringer Custom Handcrafted Cues, you will not find any CNC machines. All inlays are done by hand with a pantograph, set of X-Acto's knives and a Dremel tool. You will find points that come to an actual point with absolutely no rounded corners. This step alone requires custom sanding and cutting to make certain each inlay fits the pocket precisely. While CNC machines can produce intricate curved or filigreed inlays, these production cues can not be considered a true custom handcrafted cue. Afterall, the cue maker sets the machine and the machine does the rest; moments later the cue is done. Set it up for the next one and you have two alike; do it once more and you have three. A so-called custom cue made in this manner can have hundreds of clones and therefore it is a production cue. At Barringer Custom Handcrafted Cues, you can expect a One-of-a-Kind Gem with the hit, feel and looks like no other. To Wrap Or Not To Wrap --- that's a good question... This is an interesting subject and one we enjoy talking about. First, this is nothing more than a matter of preference -- well almost. We've all gotten accustomed to cues with Irish Linen Wraps or leather wraps. This is in part mostly because all production cue makers make most of their cues with Irish Linen wraps. So, basically we take these items as-is off the shelf for sheer lack of choice. And, because of that most everyone likes the feel and hit of the cue. However, many professional players and just all around good players prefer the feel of an all natural wood handle; us included. The 'wraps' do nothing except hide the natural beauty of the wood beneath it assuming of course that there is some exotic wood there in the first place. At Barringer Custom Handcrafted Cues, we prefer the hit and feel of an all natural cue. And quite frankly, there is nothing more beautiful than an all-wood handle made from highly figured curly maple. It makes for a magnificent looking cue. Additionally, you get the all natural feel of the 'hit' as opposed to a buffered feel that the wraps produce. We believe as many others do that a wood handle is the better choice for players who are serious about their game. Of course, you have your choice or wraps or no wrap with all our fine cues. Balance & Weight... Please see Joe's Diatribe In Addition… In addition to all the careful steps of building a fine cue, Barringer treats all his cues with a special stabilization and wood preservation process to withstand climatic changes. Their stabilization process reduces shrinking of the wood in dry areas and it reduces swelling in humid areas. Building a cue in Florida as he does is quite different than building a cue in Arizona. As such, his cues can be shipped all over the world with the same stability and consistency in each area. Many cue makers do not take such precautions. He has seen many cues built in drier areas become stressed out when the end user resides in Michigan and visa-versa. The Finish... We are currently working on this section. Caring For Your New Cue... Just wiping down your cue with a barely damp cloth will be fine and all that should be used. If you fell the need to wax your cue, go right ahead. All Barringer Cues are 100% cured prior to shipping. We do not send out our cues until the finish has cured 100% which is essential prior to waxing. The only way to control the need of the new owner to prematurely wax his/her new cue is to allow it to cure in our shop. Your new cue is finished and let to stand for at least 30 days before we do our final sanding and polishing. In this way you are assured of the stability of your new cue. Never leave your cue in climatic extremes. The best way to ruin a cue is to leave it in the car. Never leave your cue in a car trunk or the car for that matter. Take it with you wherever you go. We cannot stress this enough. Leaving it overnight in a car and then taking it into a warm home can and will cause damage. Yes, just one night. So, please remember and care for your cue as you would any fine piece of furniture. When storing it at home, it's best in a vertical position. Use a hard case if available. Tube cases are good but be sure the tube that the shaft is resting in is perfectly straight. Otherwise, it may warp the cue if left to stand for long periods of time. Let your cue breathe occasionally. Exercise good common sense with your cue as you would with your everyday life. Every new Barringer Custom Handcrafted Cue is accompanied by a do's and don't information sheetlet. It's information you probably already know but we like to supply it anyway. :-) Proper Equipment... Of course, most cue builders have sufficient equipment to build quality cues with consistency. At Barringer's we display some of that equipment which reveals many of our procedures as well. We have no secrets and help other cue builders almost daily. However, all the photos in the world and conversations cannot replace the hands-on experience and knowledge that we possess. And, then there is the technique of proper execution which is a whole other matter. :-) Our shop boasts mostly modern equipment that is partially displayed in our Shop Tour area. Please take a few minutes to view these page for an insight into the equipment that is necessary to build a true custom cue. While our shop is small in comparison to many production cue manufacturers, it does serve us well. We are constantly reinvesting, upgrading, improving and purchasing new equipment. Our dedication to precision and quality is paramount and the up-to-date equipment with the latest features is of the utmost importance. Resale, Guarantee & Terms... Buying any Barringer Custom Handcrafted Cue, Sneaky Pete or Road Cue is a sound financial decision and excellent method to improve your overall game of billiards. Every Barringer Custom Handcrafted Cue is built one at a time, the right way to the highest standards and tolerances to withstand the test of time. Every cue performs accurately and superbly with the precision and craftsmanship that is synonymous with a Barringer Cue. Additionally, each cue is further backed up by our resale guarantee, tradition and rock solid construction. If properly maintained and cared for, your Barringer Custom Cue will offer you a lifetime of billiard play and enjoyment not to mention a likelihood of increase in value and guaranteed resale. Overall…. At Barringer Custom Handcrafted Cues, we strive for an all-natural cue using only wood in every step of the construction process. Each foreign material (phonelic, metal rings, etc.) used in any cue allows for a different hit and feel depending on the placement. Keep it natural is his motto. Of course, he can engineer a cue stick using most any material of your choosing in building one of his fine cues. Simply email us for further assistance. In Closing…. We would like to thank you for taking the time to read this page and we do hope that you found it useful and enjoyable reading. We hope it assists you in purchasing a cue, offers you a better understanding of the dynamics of a cue and its components. If you have any comments, concerns or questions please feel free to email us as we'd love to hear from you. Perhaps, if we receive enough input, it will motivate us to write additional articles. Thank you and happy pool playing. :-) |
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