Professional Billiard Equipment
Professional
equipment for billiards has come a long way in the last two hundred
years. Originally, billiards was played on tables with wooden surfaces
covered with a coarse fabric, with wooden balls, struck by blocks of
wood attached to wooden poles (called a mace). Today, tables are constructed
so well they can support thousand-pound slate surfaces that are covered
with the very finest worsted wool the world has to offer. Furthermore,
the balls are made from cast phenolic and are the most perfectly round
spheres ever used for any sport. Maces have been replaced by cue sticks
that have been scientifically studied to produce the best craftsmanship
and "hit." |
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The
table at left is a top-of-the-line eurpoean made carom table. Three
brothers oversee the business and help build this famous table that
bears their family name of Verhoeven. As far as professional tables
go, the Verhoeven
is the most recognizeable of all tables as so many international tournaments
are played upon these great structures. The slates are heated to control
the humidity content of the cloth which can adversely affect the playing
conditions. With this technology, players can travel to different regions
and trust that playing conditions will be consistent, which is why these
tables are prefered by the best players. |
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These tables are regulation sized at 5' by 10' for match play, but are also available in many different styles for the billiard room or home decor. The construction of these tables ensures the flattest playing conditions and most consistent angles for the descerning players. |
| Even the finest tables require an equally fine worsted wool fabric with which to cover the slate bed and rubber cushions. Today, the finest worsteds are being produced in Spain by the Gorina family who has been in textiles for five hundred years, and incorporated in 1837! This long family tradition has produced fabrics that not only adorn the world's best billiard tables,but which are also used in some of the finest hand-made clothing on earth, including Brioni. |
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The cloth is made to such exacting measures that, stretched over a good slate, ensures the flattest playing surface of any game. The fabric contains 90% worsted wool and only 10% nylon. Each roll goes through a quality control regimin by an independent source that guarantees that every piece of Granito M by the Gorina family is flawless. This particular billiard fabric was chosen for all three billiard disciplines (pool, snooker, and billiards) of the 1991 World Games held in Akita, Japan- the closest thing to the Olympics in which billiards has participated.
When it comes to billiard fabric, there are two main concerns- playability for the players, and longevity for the room owner. Gorina delivers on both accounts leaving players happy with the conditions while offering durability for cost effectiveness for the billiard room proprieter. If considering new billiard fabric for your tables, don't hesitate to choose the finest fabric the world has to offer, for any billiard game. Gorina makes a wide range of fabric products to suit your particular situation. Visit them at: www.granitocloth.com |
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Playing on top quality tables, with the flattest playing surface known to man, the billiard balls must perform equally as well. Belgian-made Aramith Billiard Balls by SALUC are held to the highest standars of quality and precision. Aramith balls are made from phenolic that is manufactured on-site as SALUC has built a chemical plant that allows them oversight of every component of the manufacturing process. They are also high impact resistant with a five ton breaking point, and are the ultimate in balance. The special surface of these balls and the material used makes these balls last five times longer than other balls. Aramith balls are made to such a high standard that it is estiamted that 80% of billiard players world wide use Aramith Balls! Their web site has some fascinating information about billiard balls that every player on earth should read about- check it out! |
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When
you have the perfect table, cloth, and balls, the mastery of the game
is left to the individual player. The tool of the player is the cue
stick. Without a cue that can deliver the intentions of the player,
the game is lost to the imagination. Who better to produce a quality
cue than Mr. 100 himself! Raymond Ceulemans, the greatest 3 cushion
billiard player to have ever played the game is overseeing production
of a line of cues to his specifications. These cues have the player
in mind and are built for quality in both the hit and in aesthetics.
Purchasing a Ceulemans Cue guarantees that you have the right tool in
your hands to do the job right on the table, every time. Check out Mr.
Ceulemans's web site for his cues and other wonderful products. |
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www.3cushion.com © Copyright 2004, Deno J. Andrews