Dufferin Billiards Cues
Dufferin Billiards Cues
Bumper Styles
Dufco Bumper: The Dufco bumper has a unique style created by Dufferin Cue. It is very durable and allows for easy replacement because it is attached via a small screw. This bumper also provides unmatched protection to the cue butt.
Mushroom Chamfered Bumper: Any cue with a chamfered bumper also has a chamfered butt, meaning the last few inches of one side of the butt (as well as the bumper) is flat instead of round. This is a classic tradition prior to the advent of the rest handles, where the cue was used instead of the rest handle. The flat part of the cue allowed a player to lay the whole cue on the table and slide the cue to hit a ball that could not be reached.
Mushroom Bumper: The mushroom bumper is a classic style and is of a very durable nature. It protects the cue on the butt end and is also replaceable.
Chamfer
The chamfer or flat area on the butt of a snooker cue is a styling throwback. Prior to the advent of rest handles when a player was unable to stroke the shot in the normal fashion, he could simply put the flattened part of the cue along with one hand, thus making the shot using the butt of the cue.
Ferrules
Brass Ferrule: A smaller diameter tip (10mm) requires a stronger ferrule to withstand the rigours of rough play. Brass is much stronger than our Vulcanized fibre ferrules. Brass ferrules also better withstand moist climates (Britain, Far East, etc.)
Fibre Ferrules: “Vulcanized” ferrules are fired under high temperatures to provide a durable, hard, crack-resistant product, excellent for use as cue ferrules. Fibre ferrules hold glue very well.
Ivorine Ferrule: This ferrule is made of a material called Ivorine. It resists chalk from attaching to the ferrule therefore reducing the amount of chalk stains often seen on white ferrules. Ivorine is also more moisture resistant than our normal Fibre ferrule.
Bakelite Ferrule: Dufferin uses a bakelite material for the ferrule in its jump/break cues to give the solid hit required for high impact situations. Bakelite Phenolic is a hard, dense, shatter-proof material made by applying heat and pressure to layers of glass cloth impregnated with synthetic resin.
Finishes
Antique Ash: The antique finish is a matte finish imparting a more traditional, early billiards experience look. This finish has a great “feel” appeal and harkens back to the early billiards days in the British Isles. All Ash and Ash Antique cues are supplied with 10mm brass ferrules in keeping with the snooker tradition. The ash is hand stained and hand rubbed with oil to create the unique matte finish. Does not require UV finish.
Ultra Violet Finish (UV): Years of pioneer work went into the development of this specialized state-of-the-art finishing process. The solution used has a high percentage of solids therefore reducing the excessive use of thinners. The imported photo initiators in the solution permit virtually instant curing and an ultra high gloss finish. The UV finish is more chip, moisture and soil resistant than a conventional lacquer finish.
Snooker vs. Pool Cues
How do I know what tip size to choose?
Suggested guidelines for a snooker cue:
- 10mm tips are the international standard and 11mm could be offered as an alternative. These smaller tip sizes allow the players to finesse the lighter and smaller balls.
- Most snooker players prefer the soft Elk Master tips. These tips allow for better cue ball control due to the leather being softer.
- European players seem to be using more ash cues. These cues have a traditional look and feel.
- Some players prefer the hit of the trophy & glider joints. (These joints allow for a smoother transfer of energy between the butt and joint.)
- 16 to18 ounces are the normal weight range for a snooker cue.
Suggested guideline for a pool cue:
- 12.5 to 13mm tips are preferred by most pool players.
- Most pool players prefer the hard Le Pro tips. These tips tend to hold their shape longer when playing with heavier balls.
- The preferred shaft stock is hard rock maple. These maple shafts play smoother allowing the shaft to slip through the fingers with little resistance.
- Advanced players prefer the semi to pro-tapered shafts. These shafts do not have the “V-ing” action found in snooker cues.
- One-inch ferrules are preferred due to the fact that they look better & usually don’t have the chalk marks on the shafts as found on shafts with smaller ferrules.
- 18 to 21 ounces are the normal weight for pool cues.
Joint Styles
Aluminum Joint: Known as the Dufferin Signature joint, our polished aluminum joint has stood the test of time (over two decades of successful use.) The aluminum for this joint has a density similar to wood.
Brass Joint: Used in our Antique Ash style cues to provide the traditional British look, the Brass joint has a single outer brass joint ring. The male brass pin has a pilot to prevent cross threading and the sturdy brass female will allow years of durable play.
Glider Joint: A special joint with a black polycarbonate joint ring, housing a brass male and aluminum female joint sections. Effectively reduces vibration during hit. This is accomplished by wood to wood contact inside the joint and the use of a telescopic wood pilot. This joint also has a semi threaded male section that allows quicker assembly.
Hidden Joint : The same as the Target joint, except without any outer joint ring, thus termed “hidden”.
Target Joint: Simplest of cue joining technology, offering excellent function. The flat face of this joint allows maximum wood to wood contact. Aluminum female section with brass male section.
Stainless Steel Joint: The Dufferin Stainless Steel Joint is designed after our famous Glider Joint and offers a firmer, solid hit.
Accu-Loc Joint: A quick release joint for precise alignment and solid feel that allows adaptation of other high-tech shafts to a Dufferin Cue.
Uni-Loc® Joint: A patented quick release joint for precise alignment and solid feel that allows adaptation of other high-tech shafts to a Dufferin Cue. The revolutionary Uni-Loc® joint provides the only one-turn quick-release on the market for the most precise alignment. It even pulls the shaft to the butt with 360 degrees of equal pressure.
Kiln Drying
Dufferin offers high quality kiln drying to provide cue stock at a moisture content to 6.5%.
Taper - Three Kinds
- English – perfect cone shape to provide a stiffer, more deflection-free shaft for the discerning snooker player requiring superior control over the larger 12’ snooker table.
- Pro Taper – top 12”-14” are close to parallel allowing the pool player with his closed bridging technique, a smoother stroke.
- Dufferin Taper – a modified English snooker taper for the player requiring more shaft flex.
Tip & Tip Size
Tip Size: Tip size typically dictates the style of cue. A 10mm tip is used on snooker cues. An 11mm tips is used primarily on modified snooker cues. Where a 12.5mm tip is used for pool cues.
Elk Master Tip: A chromed, tanned elk hide tip with a compression factor, ideal as a technical complement to the non compressing brass ferrule.
Le Pro Tip: An oak-tanned, water buffalo hide tip with great chalk and shape holding characteristics.
Tiger ICEBREAKER Tip: The ICEBREAKER® Phenolic/Leather Cue Tip is a technologically advanced tip used in Dufferin’s jump/break cue. Tiger Products challenged itself in creating a jump/break cue tip that makes it easier for the user to execute close – quarters aerial jump shots and execute an iceberg shattering break shot. All of this without sacrificing accurate cue ball control and avoiding the dreaded miscue. Following three years of tireless research and development, Tiger Products created the definitive jump/break cue tip of the future! This hybrid cue tip utilizes an ultra hard laminated leather core, with a leather contact surface, allowing for greater chalk adhesion and the phenolic jacket restricts cue tip expansion upon impact. So, all the power you put in to your stroke transfers immediately and accurately to the cue ball without cause for miscue. The result is: increased break shot speeds and “light as a feather” jump shots! Manufactured with the VACULAM™ process, this copyrighted Tiger technology has produced an incredibly powerful tip!
Weight & Balance
Balance: All Dufferin Cues are naturally weighted to provide the ultimate balance and control. We do not use any artificial weighting techniques; each cue is solid hardwood throughout, creating a natural hit and feel that only solid wood can provide. Some Dufferin cues utilize a Weight Bolt System to allow fine tuning of the cues from its natural 19 ounce weight to heavier configuration.
Weighting: Cue weights are measured in ounces. For snooker and modified snooker the weight range is usually 16-19oz. For pool cues the weight range is 18-21oz. Personal preference typically dictates weight choice for each individual player.
Wood Types
Angico: This is a Brazilian hardwood used primarily in cue butts. It is typically a reddish brown in colour, with pleasing grains.
Bocote: This exotic hardwood is from South America and is a medium to dark brown hue, similar to the colour of tobacco. Used specifically for cue butts.
Birdseye Maple: Birdseye is a rare growth pattern anomaly affecting the grain of regular maple. It is never used in shafts, but occasionally used for decorative purposes in butts.
Canadian Hard Rock Maple: This wood has helped to make Dufferin Cues famous throughout the world. Our Great Lakes Region Maple is unsurpassed in quality anywhere on the planet. A vast majority of our cue shafts are made from this maple and even some of our butts use maple to complement a hardwood.
Cocobolo: This exotic hardwood is from Central America and is a beautiful deep red in color. It is primarily used in cue butts.
Ebony: This classic black exotic hardwood is found in many of our 2 piece cues. Its high density allows for a slim butt and a high weight. It is found primarily in Africa and it can occasionally have slight brown grains.
Fiddle Back Maple: This is another rare growth pattern in maple, much different from Birdseye, where esthetically pleasing short horizontal lines can be seen on the maple. Like Birdseye, this maple is never used in shafts, but occasionally used on butts for decorative purposes.
Goncalo Alves: This is another exotic hardwood found in South America. It is used in the butts of our 1 and 2 piece cues, and is light brown to dark brown in colour.
Morado: This exotic hardwood can be found primarily in South America. It is a rosewood and chocolate brown in colour.
Purpleheart: This is a beautiful exotic hardwood. It is found in South America and is purple to purple-brown in colour. It can be found on our 1 and 2 piece cue butts.
Ramin: This is an extremely low-density wood and therefore very light in weight. It is used for rest handles and long cues to allow the user to remove it from the playing surface quickly. It is found in South East Asia and is sandy blonde in colour.
