Brunswick Table Similar to 20th Century Model

3/2/2021 11:53:55 AM

Brunswick Table Similar to 20th Century Model

I’m having trouble identifying the Brunswick table I purchased. It’s a 10’ model. Attached is a picture of the Brunswick Balke Collender plaque. Note it is a Canadian made table.

Below, is an advertisement from Brunswick for the “20th Century” model of table which I thought I was purchasing. I believe the 20th century model was manufactured from 1936 to 1950?

My table has the same characteristic chrome pocket covers. However, you will see from the picture that it does not have the same legs! The 20th Century model legs are rounded on the outside corner, and has a double strip of chrome to match the pocket covers. The legs on my table are completely square. I am so do not know what the steel wrapping the legs are for? It was done after building because they are very crude, and simply nailed at various point to hold this in place.

I have seen another table like mine. Which looks like the “20th Century’ model , but also has the square legs and ugly piece of steel wrapping the leg.

I have started by reconditioning the pockets. All the leather was bone dry and starting to crumble. After reconditioning the leather, I had to replace some stitches as the original thread had rotted, I restrained to finished leather at the top of the pocket and remaisturinzed it as well.

I want to polish up the chrome pocket covers and move on to do the same to the legs, which is when I realized this table was different.

One other characteristic, it seems to have 1 1/4” slate in 5 pieces. The 20th century had 1” slate.....

Can anyone identify what table this is? Perhaps it is a variant of 20th Century made for pool halls, with thicker slate and and the steel is to protect the legs?

I’d also really love to know the models years of production, and how I can find out the year of this table.

user1614619611

Brunswick Table Similar to 20th Century Model

Replies & Comments

billiardsforum on 3/2/2021 12:59:20 PM
As mentioned in my last reply:
- It could be a Frankenstein build - that is - built from parts that came from various pool table models. This was quite common (especially with pool tables coming from bars and pool halls that have closed up). Sometimes you can tell if the parts have different numbers stamped on them. Not always though.
- Regarding the trim at the bottom of the legs - I'm 99% sure those were added at some point. They don't match the style of the metallic trim commonly seen on the 21st century pool table legs. I often pool tables where custom trim was added to hide the original leg bottoms in cases where they were damaged from things like water from mops, other abuse, etc (again, especially common from tables coming from bars, pool halls, and other commercial or public uses.
Older pool tables like this can be troublesome as it was common for folks to do their own work on them. Some do it to the point where the pool table becomes unrecognizable as it's original model.

We have yet to see photos of your entire table (as I believe you are in the middle of working on it). That would help too.

user1614619611 on 3/3/2021 2:34:51 AM
I’ve attached a picture of the whole snooker table, but like you said, it is not yet assembled. I bought this table to play on rather than to restore. The rails are at the shop where they are having the cloth replaced, and having new cushions put on.

I thought that the answer was that it is a Frankenstein table, but I’ve seen a picture of another that I’ll attach below. It's a similar table at 12-foot instead of my 10-foot table.

The slate is really thick I think! It looks to be about 1 3/4"!

The size of the slate is larger than a 5' x 10', but smaller than a 6' x 12'...

It measures 66 1/4" x 128' 1/2". That's 5' 1/4" x 10' 1/4"

Obviously the rails must mount so that the outside of the rail can have a mounting pint to the side of the pool table. The rails look to be a normal length.

The cloth for a 10' x 5' is nowhere near large enough for this snooker table. A 6' x 12' sheet is now on order which will have to be cut down to fit.

The company that disassembled, moved, and is reassembling the snooker table said that they have never seen anything like it. The installer called a fellow pool table tech in Toronto, ON, and he has seen and heard of these. He does not know the official name, but he calls them over-sized Brunswick tables.

Please remember that these tables were built in Canada, and that mine, and the fellow selling his, are both from Ottawa (a city of just under 1 million people).

Any more ideas? Anyone?

Brunswick Table Similar to 20th Century Model

Title: Brunswick Table Similar to 20th Century Model
Author: user1614619611 (Mike Murphy)
Published: 3/2/2021 11:53:55 AM