Help Needed Choosing table cloth
3/16/2009 8:15:34 AM
Help Needed Choosing table cloth
After many years away from billiards I have bought a used table to put in my home. I found a 7 or 8 year old Olhausen Sheraton (OIS and Accu-Fast cushions) that had sat neglected and unused. I am having it moved to my home this coming Saturday by a mover who claims 15 years experience setting up tables. He will be recovering the table, and I need help choosing a cloth. I say cloth, rather than felt, because I think it might be best to buy a worsted wool cloth rather than a standard felt cover. Some factors to consider: I am not an 'expert' shooter, but I want a cloth that will last and shoot true. The mover was going to purchase an Arcade (22 oz) felt. I went to the web site he said he gets his 'felts' from and found they also carry Mali brand, and for $8 more I could get one advertised as 75/25 wool/nylon. I called the web site (cuesight) and the man told me the Mali they carried was 70% wool, rather than 75. I think it was advertised as a 21 oz. felt. I have read a bit about Billiard table felts and cloths. Like I said, I am not a great shooter, but I don't want a cheap cloth/felt interfering with my game. My wife and I both shoot, as do members of both our families. I expect the table to get a fair amount of use. I do not plan to shell out big bucks for a Simonis, but might spring for a Sterling that I have found for $136. Please give me your advice. Will a middle-of-the road Mali do, or will I be happier in the long run springing for a worsted wool. Is Sterling a good choice or are there others I might want to consider? I have to get the cloth to my home by this Saturday, so time is not on my side. Any suggestions for websites that offer quick delivery options I am in NC) will help, too. Thanks for your help!
Help Needed Choosing table cloth
Replies & Comments
Mitch Alsup on 3/16/2009 3:00:45 PM
"I do not plan to shell out big bucks for a Simonis, but might spring for a Sterling that I have found for $136. Please give me your advice."
I, personally, and this is only an opinion; you should spring for the Simonis. 860 for smaller tables (7,8) 760 for larger tables. The reason I say this is that a few years down the road when you do upgrade to Simonis, you will kick yourself for not having done so the first time.
RackEm8 on 3/17/2009 6:43:20 AMMitch - thanks for the reply. I guess if my table was a Louis XIV Olhausen or some such table, I'd feel it would need a Simonis. I'm having trouble convincing my other half that putting out $100 over what I can get a Sterling or a Velocity Pro is worth the investment. Then, again, you got me thinking how I might, indeed, end up kicking myself further on down the road. I have to order one today in order to get it on time. I'm still indecisive and looking for a better price than $214 for a Simonis. BTW, my table is an 8 foot. Any reason to get the 760 versus the 860? They are both the same price.
Speed. You don't want the smaller table to be so fast that you can make 7-8-rail shots (without hitting really hard, and using good technique).
If everyone wanted really fast speed cloth, we would be playing on billiards cloth (which is really fast).
- RackEm8 on 3/17/2009 12:36:21 PM
One more question, Mitch. I just got off the phone with someone who suggested I consider Milliken Super Pro. It is about $40 less than the Simonis. I was told it lasts longer than the Simonis, based on a test done on 2 tables in a fairly local billiard hall. It is 70% Merino Wool, and worsted. Fabrics are treated with a spillguard before woven. Woven in England by Milliken. I found a video clip on youtube featuring a poolhall owner in Charlotte touting the Milliken Super Pro. It's down to the wire. It's either the 860 or the Milliken. Thanks for your input!
Have never heard of Miliken (except the race driver and his father the engineer--who write auto racing books). Therefore I am not qualified to make any judgements one way or the other on S vs M.
- RackEm8 on 3/20/2009 5:20:14 PM
Milliken SuperPro Makes Pro Billiard Tournament Debut July 18, 2008 Milliken SuperPro Makes Pro Billiard Tournament Debut Playing on Milliken SuperPro pool cloth for the first time in a major billiards tournament proved to be a success at the 2008 Generationpool.com 9-ball Championships. The event airs nationally on ESPN Saturday July 19 starting at noon. Former Mosconi Cup player Jeremy Jones won $15,000 in taking the men’s title with China’s number one Xiaoting Pan collecting $15,000 for her victory in the women’s event. Many players reported to US distributor Sterling Gaming their confidence in the cloth. Jeremy Jones said recently in an interview on Runout Radio, “ The Milliken played great. The cloth was more to my liking, and did not take as long as some other cloths to break in.” The company is now hoping to expand its influence in the US pool market. Sterling Gaming is the exclusive supplier of Milliken SuperPro in the US. Spokesman Matt Carter said: “After such a great response from some of the top players in the world of pool, many pool room owners and home table owners are incredibly excited about recovering their table with Milliken SuperPro.” Milliken takes its first steps into Canada in August when it sponsors the 2008 Canadian Cue Sports Championships featuring Milliken SuperPro in Toronto hosted by the Canadian Billiards Snooker Association. Mitch - FYI - Sterling Gaming imports it from England where Milliken makes it. BTW, I went with the S-860. My table will be here tomorrow. Can't wait to break the first rack!
Help Needed Choosing table cloth
- Title: Help Needed Choosing table cloth
- Author: RackEm8
- Published: 3/16/2009 8:15:34 AM
