by elliott west
Without a great cue a snooker player might as well walk away from the sport and so many seek their fortunes with the cue maker John Parris. Parris Cues based in Forest Hill in South East London has been making handmade cues for the last 25 years. The workshop builds custom-made snooker, pool cues and cases. Snooker cues are made of either ash or maple wood and are manufactured using a painstaking process that shows the true craft of the gradual building of the cue itself. No snooker cue is the same and many a player has been bereft in their career when their cue has been damaged or lost in transit. Choosing a cue is like going to a sweet shop where there are so many variations to choose from. Personal preference can be between the two different types of wood and whether you want a one, two or three piece cue.
Many a time I have watched a match on television and a player’s shot inflicts damage to the cue’s tip. It may fall off or a chunk of the the tip splits as the player has misjudged the power used in the shot choice. Rather like a tyre puncture this can be a fatal blow for the person involved and so emergency surgery has to be applied to the tip with either it having to be sanded down with sandpaper or the tip literally having to be removed and a new tip glued on in its place. Most players opt for a 9.5 millimetre tip but you do get players like Peter Ebdon that literally has one the size of fruit pastille. Having a cue is a very special experience and it really does allow you to stamp your personality on a match. A combination of mindset and the construction of the cue itself, makes you able to take shot choices that would not be possible if you put it down and picked up another cue.
Rather like going to a tailor, the personal experience of going to John’s workshop means that you can hand pick what you want in a cue, a conversation is had and it may that your old cue has lost its mojo or that it is too old and damaged to keep using. Most players will use a cue longe than owning a specific car or maybe a marriage. Parris eases that worry when you come to his workplace and settles your mind, giving you options when you purchase a new one. The guarantee is that it will be custom built, handcrafted and made by craftsmen who pour their love and joy for cue sports and personal creativity back into the cue in question. Of course not everyone wants a new cue and so John also provides care for someone’s cue including repairs and modifications. When you visit his shop, it looks tiny but walking through the door you are greeted in to an Aladdin’s cave. A Parris cue is unique and when you see that metal plate with his name on the butt, you know are carrying a Rolls Royce piece of equipment.
Snooker is like an extension of your arm and John has produced cues for the very best in the snooker world. Players like Steve Davis, Ronnie O’Sullivan and Shaun Murphy have all graced his workshop and John can often be seen backstage at the Alexandra Palace, York or Sheffield, providing his expertise and advice to those players at the tournament. A brand is something reliable and does what it says on the tin and with John Parris you get these guaranteed and more besides with a wonderful aftercare service for your cue purchase.
