Discover the evolution of snooker cues; the fascinating journey of the snooker cue through time from its humble beginnings to the modern-day.
The snooker cue stick has a rich and fascinating history that dates back to the 19th century. Over the years, the snooker cue has undergone significant changes in design, materials, and construction to become the accessary that it is today.
History Of The Snooker Cue
The history of the snooker cue dates back to 1807 when Francois Mingaud created the first cue using pieces of leather from old harness to attach to the cue tips, improving contact with the balls.
Since then, snooker cues have continued to evolve in terms of composition, material, and splice, incorporating modern technologies to improve weight, slide, tip, and handling.
Today, high-quality pool cues and billiards cues have also been developed using the original concepts that were used to create top-quality snooker cues.
Snooker itself was given its name in 1875 by Colonel Sir Neville Chamberlain while serving in the army. The game was played in the Officers’ Mess at Jubbulpore, India, where gambling games such as Pyramids, Life Pool, and Black Pool were popular.
In Black Pool, fifteen reds and a black were used, with yellow, green, and pink added later, and blue and brown introduced years afterward, creating the foundations of snooker as it is played today.
The First Cue Makers
Peradon, established in 1885 by Leopold George Peradon, pioneered manufacturing snooker cues. Peradon, whose father was a skilled maker of church furniture, began his cue-making journey with plain ash cues and gradually progressed to more complex designs such as one point, two point and eventually four point hand-spliced cues.
Over time, Peradon introduced the solid butted four point machine spliced cue, which later became the standard butt type. Even today, Peradon continues to manufacture a wide variety of snooker cues, pool cues and billiards cues suitable for all levels of skill.
Modern Snooker Cues
Today, there are a wide variety of snooker cues available, ranging from traditional wooden cues to high-tech carbon fiber and graphite cues that are usually lighter and more durable.
Manufacturers of snooker cues, such as Riley, Buffalo, Orca, Cue Craft, and Craftsmen, are now producing a vast range of high-performance snooker cues, pool cues, and billiards cues, making the competition in the industry more intense.
The popularity of cue sports continues to gain momentum, with more attention to detail on today’s cues. In the next few years, we can expect to see more advanced, high-quality and customizable cues.
📖 Related: Anatomy of a Snooker Cue
The evolution of the snooker cue has been a long and fascinating journey, driven by the need for greater accuracy, control, and power. From the simple wooden sticks of the past to the advanced carbon fiber cues of today, the snooker cue has become an essential tool for any serious snooker player.
