Inlays: The Cue Design
If you are looking to buy a cue or want to have your current cue repaired, it is important to know each part and it's importance to help you decide the cue or cue part that is best for you. In this section, you will find extensive information about each part of a cue.
This section features:
Tips | Ferrules | Shafts | Joints
Inlays | Wraps | Weight
Decorations or inlays on a cue showcase a player’s unique style – and can highlight his or her quirks.
Inlays are slivers of ornamental material affixed to the butt end of the cue. Some are mere thousandths of an inch thick. Popular inlay materials include black ebony, mother of pearl, bone ivory and abalone. Often arranged in geometric designs, the inlays can bring the price of the cue up tremendously.
A cue maker might spend anywhere from five minutes to three months creating a single inlay. Some of the most intricate (and expensive) inlays feature scrimshawing, a pattern carved into the material. Typically, the cue maker draws the design for the inlay and a mechanical device called a panagraph duplicates that design. Inlays are then affixed to the cue with wood glue or epoxy. Beware of stray glue or gaps between the inlay and the wood. To test for quality, put a finger on the tip of one inlay and spin the cue around to make sure the other inlays line up.
Inlay Materials
Inlays vary in shape and size and one material can be inlaid into another. Inlay materials include:
- Wood | ebony, holly, purple heart, cocobolo, amboyna burl, thuya burl, snake wood, maple, Brazilian cherry, tulip wood, etc.
- Metal | Sterling silver, silver, gold, white gold, brass & platinum , etc.
- Stone | Turquoise, black onyx, jade, malachite, mycarta , etc.
- Shell | Mother of Pearl, abalone, coral , etc.
- Ivory & Bone | Elephant, ancient wooly mammoth, elkhorn, buckhorn & camel bone , etc.
Inlays are laid in one or more of three ways: Hand carved, panagraph or CNC Machine. Inlays are usually one of the last things done before the cue is finished. If a player has a specific design, some custom cue makers welcome the player to create the design themselves for an additional fee. If you do, remember some cue makers do some things others cannot or will not do regarding design.
Learn how to maintain your cue in our Cue Maintenance & Repair article or find a custom cue maker in our Pool & Billiard Directory.