Every cue game is played on tables which are usually known as billiard table or billiards table.
The playing surface of a billiard table is made with sharply cut slate plates. Since slate plates are sedimentary rock structure and polishing these to achieve a very unique smoothness is very easy compared to other materials which maybe the secret behind the popularity of slate pools. Traditional billiard pools were made on single slate slabs but these days, it can be split into 2 or more slabs to ensure easy transportation of the raw products that is used in billiard table making.
There are various countries that export slate in large scale and some of them include China, India and Italy. However, Italian slates are the most favorite and the most expensive ones among the three. There are some manufacturers who still make single slab billiards tables which are usually pricier that the tables that are made with multiple slabs. However, it is very difficult to find single slab tables these days and even if you find one, the price will be very high compared to the tables that have multiple slabs.
The main issue with multiple slab billiards tables is that it requires more craftsmanship to align the tables properly.
When you purchase a billiards table, you can check these things to make sure that the table is of high quality.
Check the Surface Area - If you are purchasing a table, check its surface area. Most of the good tables will have a surface area that is larger than the playing area to provide better stability to the frame and legs.
Check the Framing to ensure complete protection for the slate slabs, good billiards tables use wooden frame or frames made up of other materials. Wooden frames are a bit pricy but bring elegance to your billiards table.
However, slate slabs are not the only material that is used to make billiards table but there are other materials such as honeycomb boards, fiber boards and glass boards. The problem with such materials is that except glass boards, fiber and honeycomb boards fail to maintain the accuracy of the table and can get worn out quickly compared to slate tables. There is a patented glass technology used in billiards tables but it is pricier than the traditional slate tables.
The Frame
A table's quality is highly associated with its frame and weight. Most of the good billiards tables use a surface made up of top quality wooden planks to align the table properly and support it firmly.
When you purchase a table, ask the shopkeeper about the weight of the pool table and inspect if the table's legs are sufficient to support that weight. Most of the tables come with 6 or 8 legs based on the pool's slab weight. You don't want to buy a heavy slab with poor leg support that can break down at any time and this is why it is important to make sure the leg count of your billiards table.
The Cloth
This is another important part of cue tables that determine the quality of product. There are natural cloths as well as synthetic cloths using to make a cue table's surface and the most used natural fiber is wool while the synthetic fiber is nylon.
You can check the weaving pattern of the cloth and the glued parts near the rail to check the quality of the material used. If the table is made up of poor materials on surface, it is not going to last longer. It is important to make sure that your billiards table is of high quality because it is not possible to transport your table frequently and you need to avoid repairs as much as possible due to this.
Table Cabinet
The table cabinet usually varies based on the product's quality level. There are steel cabinets, wooden cabinets and even plastic laminated cabinets. Steel cabinets are widely used on commercial billiards tables while wooden cabinets can be found on most of the supreme quality tables. However, laminated cabinets are used on low priced tables and the quality of these cabinets may not as good as wooden or steel cabinets.
However, some plastic cabinets ensure decent durability for the price you have to spend for it.
Drop Pockets
Commercial billiards use sophisticated drop pocket mechanism but most of the private billiard pools will have net pockets from which the player should pick up the balls.
Drop pockets will be usually weaved on Nylon but in the case of commercial billiards tables, there is a facility called ball return. Every ball that falls into pocket will be redirected to the ball return by using simple principles of gravity. This helps players not to pick the ball each time when it falls into pocket.
Cushions
Most of the cue table cushions are made up of hard rubber which can be used easily to glue with the rail.
Canvas will be glued firmly to this cushion rubber to avoid canvas from bouncing. Since both rail and cushion is covered with same cloth material, it may not visible but a cushion is the directly exposed portion towards a billiard table's playing surface while rail do not have any sort of direct exposure. Cushions absorb shock from balls and provide the rail with protection.
Rail
Rail is made in hardwood and other synthetic materials but top quality pool tables use only wooden rails. Wooden rails are also associated with aristocracy and if you are planning to keep your billiards table in the living room, there is no doubt that you should consider purchasing only a table with wooden rail.
There are carved rails that can add style to your cue table and if the rail is made up of exotic woods, that can add price to the table. A cue table is the largest investment in any cue games and there is no harm in investing for a good table because it can stay with you for generations.
