One of the main differences between English pool tables and American pool tables is the type of cloth that is used on the playing surface. There are a few differences between the different pool tables which we will go through in another article but today I am going to take you through the different types of cloth for each of the different pool tables.
Firstly, there are two main types of pool table cloths used. The first being specifically designed for English pool tables which can be called english cloth, wool cloth, napped cloth or smart. The main characteristics of this type of cloth is it has a nap or pile to it similar to a carpet. It is the same as snooker table cloth, plays more slowly and is designed for 6ft and 7ft pool tables.
The second type is designed for American pool tables. This cloth we typically call speed cloth or worsted cloth. It plays significantly faster than it’s English counterpart and is designed for tables that are 8ft and larger. That being said, it is not that unusual to find speed cloth on 7ft pool tables as sometimes players of English pool prefer a faster game. Speed cloth is becoming more fashionable than English cloth in the UK, with customers wanting the thrill of a fast paced game.
Manufacturers:
There are four main manufacturers we work with that weave cloth for both English and American pool tables and I am going to discuss each of them now with a little bit about their cloth and what makes them different.
Strachan (pronounced straun) - WSP textiles, formerly part of Milliken have been making pool cloth in Stroud for over 100 years. The Strachan brand of cloth is almost synonymous with snooker however they do make some exceptional cloth for English pool tables. 6811 tournament cloth is a very common choice and can be found on all Supreme Pool tables and DPT Pool tables.
Pros: Good quality cloth
Cons: Very limited colour availability.
Hainsworth have been making cloth since 1783 and are one of the oldest companies in the UK. They developed and manufactured the first English pool table cloth in the 1970’s and continue to be at the forefront of English pool cloth manufacturing. Their English cloth has the brand name of either Club or Smart cloth. Club comes in 4 different colours being red, burgundy, blue and green. Whereas Smart comes in 23 different colours both made from the finest merino wool. It is exceptional cloth and extremely popular for our home customers who want the finest cloth in more unusual colours. They also manufacture cloth for American pool tables which comes under the brand name of Elite Pro which comes in 20 different colours.
Pros: Huge range of colours
Cons: Can be a surcharge on some manufactures pool tables
Gorina have been manufacturing cloths for pool tables since 1835 just outside of Barcelona. The brand, Gornia Granito balsalt has been designed solely for American pool tables. It is one of the fastest cloths we sell with a very tight weave. The cloth is shaven, pressed and polished to eliminate ‘piling’. It is 88% worsted and 12% nylon. Worsted means that only the longest cloth fibres are selected to give it a superior weave and durability.
Pros: One of the finest Speed Cloth manufacturers in the world, lots of colours available, Fast.
Cons: We are only able to offer this as an option on a few of our pool tables. For example Etrusco Pool tables and Bilhares Carrinho Pool tables
Iwan Simonis is renowned for being the most famous and best quality pool and billiard table cloth manufacturer in the world. Iwan Simonis has been manufacturing cloth for pool tables since 1769 in Belgium and since then has become the world leader in it’s field. Simonis specialises in speed cloth, for American pool tables. The most popular brand of Simonis cloth we sell is Simonis 760 - The Original Worsted Blend available in 15 colours and the slightly slower Simonis 860 available in 27 colours. It is exceptionally long lasting cloth and is by far the most sought after cloth for American pool players the world over.
Pros: The finest pool cloth manufacturer. More colours available than any other manufacturer of cloth. Long lasting.
Cons: Only available on our luxury range of pool tables.
I hope you have found this guide useful. If you would like any advice on pool table cloth or would like to see any samples please give the team a call and we will be only too happy to help.
Written By: Michelle Beresford