Robin Cues: The Lincolnshire Cue Maker Snooker Players Swear By

Robin Cook runs Robin Cues from Carlby, a small village near Stamford in Lincolnshire, England — and despite operating well outside the spotlight enjoyed by some of the bigger-name English cue makers, he's built one of the most loyal followings of any independent snooker cue maker. Cook has been making, repairing and altering snooker, billiards and pool cues for over 30 years, working entirely to individual customer specification from carefully selected timbers.

What Players Say

Robin Cook's reputation has largely been built on word of mouth through snooker forums, where owners consistently single out the evenness of his splicing and the quality of finish on the butt. Customers have described receiving cues finished in ebony with walnut, olive wood, or cocobolo splicing, built to exact specifications on shaft length, weight, tip size and joint style (one-piece and three-quarter joints are both common requests). One recurring theme in player reviews is turnaround: cues are typically completed in a matter of weeks once an order is placed, and Cook has been noted for replying to customer queries personally.

A Notable Collaboration

Robin Cues has also worked alongside Coutts Cues on a limited-edition run of just ten individually numbered snooker cues, combining both makers' techniques — each hand-planed over a period of at least a year, finished in oil rather than lacquer, and supplied with a matching mini-butt and extension.

Getting in Touch

Robin Cook works on an individual, appointment-style basis rather than running a large e-commerce operation, which is part of what's kept his cues feeling genuinely bespoke. Enquiries are best made directly by email at robin@robincues.co.uk.

This article is part of Snooker 247's ongoing series profiling the world's independent snooker cue makers. Browse the full Independent Cue Makers directory for more.