Glass Cues – by Andy Hunter June 2017
There are three different glass cues that I know of.
The earliest glass cue was made in the late 1920s to early 1930s. This was a time when cue makers were experimenting with other materials than wood. Thurston were one of the companies that were doing this. These early cue had a wire running inside the full length of the cue for strength, the glass had a yellow/green tinge to it.
The spiral pattern is in fact the wire in the glass
They realised early on that they could not be used with a tip put straight onto the end so they made a spring loaded tip. These cues used to weigh between 40 to 50 ounces.
An Australian player who suffered from Parkinson’s disease found that the weight helped his game, Peter Ainsworth may be the best person to find the name of this player as it is his area of expertise. These cues were made for playing but they did not take off, they are extremely rare.
The second ones were made in the late 1960s to 1970s. These were made as presentation cues and not designed to be played with. They were presented to pubs and clubs and from what I gather were presented by the breweries. They are not as rare as the earlier cues but are difficult to get a hold of especially in their original presentation case as shown in the picture.
The third glass cue I know of is the Embassy which was a presentation cue presented at the world championships in 2004. This is modern for me, I don’t know if a few were made or just the one. This cue was recently for sale on ebay (June 2017) .
All of these cues are collectable.
©2017 Andy Hunter
Pictures Andy Hunter and Martin Chesworth (www.chesworthcues.com)for the Embassy Cue
+++++++++++++++++++++++
. © E.A. Clare & Son Ltd. 2018. © Peter N. Clare 2026
Reproduction of this article allowed only with the permission from E.A. Clare & Son Ltd.
Please do not hesitate to ask should need any advice on snooker, billiards or pool or wish to make a purchase. Thurston has the most comprehensive range of Snooker, Pool & Billiard accessories available. Visit our e-shop – www.thurston.co.uk
email – thurston@eaclare.co.uk or Phone – 0151 482 2700
The Snooker Heritage Collection is free to enter BUT as the rooms are just part of a working office and factory a Guide is required. So please make an appointment giving at least 72 hours notice. The maximum number that can be shown round is limited to four. To access the Collection is up two flights of stairs To make an appointment phone 0151 482 2700
