Before buying a billiard table you need to...
Billiard room1.Find out what type of game he prefers: Russian pyramid (most likely it is the most popular game in Russia), pool, snooker or carom. 2. Decide on the table size. It depends on the type of game (see 1) and the area of the room. 3. Estimate the dimensions of the proposed billiard room. The minimum size of the room is calculated using the formula: table plus 1.6-meter walkway on each side (but more is better). 4. Estimate the load-bearing capacity of the ceiling. It must withstand the serious weight of the billiard table: on average 450 kg for pool and 1,100 kg for pyramid. 5. Prepare the floor. It must be level, ideally concrete screed plus carpet. In a room with plank floors (especially in old buildings), the balls react to the movement of people around the table. Players for money often use this method to defeat their opponent. It is enough to stomp in the right place so that the opponent's ball strays from the intended path. Therefore, in country houses, billiards are best installed in basements or in separate pavilions. Peter I brought billiards to Russia. Following his example, many nobles began to install tables in their estates. In terms of quality, they were far from modern ones. Their soft, non-springy sides could not reflect the balls. Short, heavy cues were more like hammers. The surface of the table was uneven and not rigid enough. You can admire Peter I's table in the Chinese Palace of the Oranienbaum State Museum-Reserve.
The most necessary things
Table, lamps, 2 cues, cue holder, set of balls(for Russian pyramid and pool - 16 balls with numbers; for snooker - 22 balls without numbers), ball rest, chalk, chalk holders, brush, gloves and bridge («mother-in-law») - it is used as a support for the cue when hitting a distant or hard-to-reach ball.
Price list
Middle class.A quality set for Russian pyramid will cost $12,000-15,000. Including the table - $8,000-10,000. Lighting - not less than $2,000. Two cues, balls and a stand - $2,000. High-class (made to order). The cost of complete equipment - from $45,000. Including the table - from $25,000, the upper limit is not limited. Manufacturing time - three months.
Installation of a billiard table
Assembly and installation of a billiard tableThe labor intensity is comparable to tuning a grand piano. Here you will need the help of professionals. To ensure that the table surface is absolutely horizontal, the craftsmen use a metrostroy flask (this perfectly centered thin-walled vessel begins to roll along the table, even if the difference in height is equal to the thickness of a sheet of paper). A team of fitters - this is something that, according to the manufacturers, there is no point in saving on. How much they asked for, that much should be given. A professional team of three people today charges from $300. They will assemble the table from 8 hours to 2 days, simultaneously correcting design flaws, if any. And remember! It is highly undesirable to move the table yourself - you can knock down the adjustment.
Light
Number of lampshades on special pendantsThe lighting depends on the size of the table. The lamps are hung at a height of 90-100 cm from the playing field (so that the player does not hit them with his head or cue). It is very important that the light falls not only on the middle, but also on the corners of the playing field, as well as on the pockets. The ideal lighting is such that the ball does not cast a shadow anywhere on the table. Keep in mind that during the game, the windows in the room should be tightly curtained - extraneous light sources interfere with assessing the game situation. In addition, direct sunlight causes premature aging and fading of the cloth. Experts believe that if we are not talking about a professional tournament, then the light can be almost any. The main thing is that its flow is uniform and directed vertically downwards.
Balls
In the old days, billiard balls were made from tuskmammoth or elephant (the bones were pre-dried for at least a year). Today, finding something like this on the market is as rare as meeting a live mammoth on the street. In most cases, the balls are made of plastic and resin. Unlike their bone predecessors, they are perfectly centered and can withstand heavy loads (up to 5 tons). The Saluc brand (Belgium) enjoys undisputed authority. Professionals recognize only it. These balls are made of composite material. In composition, it is close to that from which the "snow-white smiles" of Hollywood stars are cast. A set of professional Super-Aramith Pro-Cup balls from Saluc costs $300. A set of Aramith from the budget lines Premium or Premier is $150-250. Balls from Taiwan and China are widely represented on our market. They are much cheaper than Belgian ones and much worse. When choosing, you should first of all evaluate the strength and resistance of the ball to high temperatures. After all, it is subjected to considerable loads. Having received a blow, it accelerates from 0 to 30 km / h in a split second. Due to friction, the temperature between the ball and the table covering reaches 250 ° C. Thus, the resistance of the ball to burn spots guarantees minimal wear of both the ball itself and the expensive cloth. Another important quality of the ball is elasticity. It determines the force of its rebound from the table, which directly affects the course of events. The size of the balls depends on the game. In the Russian pyramid, their diameter is 68 mm. In pool - 57.2 mm. In snooker - 52.4 mm. Ball care The surface of the billiard ball should be well polished, free of scratches, cracks, chalk and dust. There are many products on the market for ball care. During competitions, after each game, they are wiped with woolen cloth. If a ball gets a chip, it should be removed immediately, as restoring the damaged cushions and replacing the cloth will cost more. After the game, the balls should be put on the shelves.
Choosing a cue
1. The choice of cue depends on the type of game.In Russian pyramid its length is on average 1.60 m, in pool, snooker and carom - from 1.40 m to 1.50 m. These dimensions, by the way, dictate the minimum size of the room where it is planned to install billiards. The larger and heavier the balls, the longer the cue is needed, and therefore, a larger indent from the table to the wall will be required. 2. Wooden or carbon fiber cue? This matter, according to experts, is purely individual. If we are talking about wood, the cheapest material is famine (analogous to pine), followed by maple, Canadian maple (specially treated), ash, hornbeam and, finally, the most valuable species: ebony and mahogany, sandalwood, rosewood. Now a large number of cues with a shaft (the upper part of the cue) covered with a fiberglass film have appeared. 3. Cues can be one-piece, two-piece, three-piece (compact, easy to transport). 4. Custom-made cue. The stakes are high in this game. The cost of a collectible cue is not limited to $30,000. Experts believe that the price of a decent cue starts at $300, on average ranging from $500 to $2,000. Anything higher is a question of the buyer's ambitions and the conscience of the manufacturers. When choosing a cue, the main thing is to feel whether it fits in your hand or not. Professionals advise trying several and choosing the most comfortable one. For the Russian pyramid, a cue weighing 600-660 grams is considered optimal, but ultimately its weight and size depend on the player's height and build. The world of billiards is surrounded by legends and myths. Cues of Stalin, Gagarin, Brezhnev and other famous people periodically appear on the market. The average price of such rarities is $20,000, but it is quite difficult to verify their authenticity, so you have to rely only on the authority and integrity of the seller. Be vigilant!
Cue stickers
In 1827, the Frenchman Mengo invented the roundleather tip for the cue and revolutionized the history of billiards. The leather tip made it possible to perform complex shots. From now on, the ball could rotate, move in all directions, jump over other balls, suddenly stop and roll back. Such virtuoso play caused real admiration of the spectators. Professionals say that the quality of the game depends on the tip more than on the cue - it is impossible to play with a good cue without a tip, but with a good tip you can even play with a mop. They choose for themselves the optimal shape and material of this small part for years and carefully monitor its condition. Tips are made of deer skin (special alcohol tanning) or buffalo (not too elastic and not soft).
Chalk
The choice of chalk depends on the hardness of the sticker.Chalk holders can be rubber, magnetic, or in the form of leather pouches. Decorators advise buying chalk to match the color of the cloth (so that crumbs that fall on it are not visible).
Table
There are three most common typesbilliard tables: for Russian pyramid, pool and snooker. Pocketless tables for carom are also produced. Tables are usually measured in English feet all over the world. The minimum size is 5 feet, the maximum is 12 feet. A real Russian table was between 11 feet and 12 feet. But this has long been forgotten, and now a 12-foot table (3.6 m x 1.8 m) is used for pyramid.
- Photo 1. Pool table, buffalo leather, Lamborghini, Formitalia, Formitalia boutique.
- Photo 2. Billiard table for pool Bolero, walnut, varnish, leather, Tresserra, "Gempico Design Gallery".
- Photo 3.A 9-foot snooker table in a house near Moscow. The table is made of Vavona wood and Karelian birch, inlaid with gold leaf. The same materials are used in the interior decoration. Design and production by AB Effe BB.
Expert advice:«To distinguish a quality table from a cheap one», you just need to push it with your hip. If it wobbles, you have a low-quality product from a Chinese manufacturer. Good tables are made of solid wood. Under the cloth of each of them lies a stone slab. Ideally, it is made of ardesia (a natural stone of the slate family). It is even better if its manufacturer is an Italian company. Ardesia slabs retain their parameters almost forever. Their analogues made of composite materials lose their geometric characteristics in about a year. Another important component is the rubber used in the decoration of the cushions. Its quality determines whether the player will be able to predict the trajectory of the ricocheted ball. When buying a table, you should immediately buy a protective cover or lid.
Cloth
Cloth is made of wool and nylon and comes in all typescolors. But be prepared for the fact that after the very first game, burn marks will appear on it (they are left by the ball flying at great speed). These spots do not affect the quality of the game. Experts recommend cloth of the Belgian brand Iwan Simonis (not to be confused with the Chinese fake Iwan Simonith) and the Spanish company Gorina. Good material can withstand 6 months of intensive use in a club and 5-10 years in private homes. The cloth should be cleaned with a special brush and in no case with a vacuum cleaner. Where to buy: Billiard salon on Nizhnyaya Maslovka, st. Nizhnyaya Maslovka, 6, t.: 685 1919, 685 7708. Shops “Pyramid”, Sporthit shopping center, Skolkovskoye sh., 31, 3rd floor, t.: 746 0468; Shopping center Chas Rik, 87th km of the Moscow Ring Road, 2nd fl., t.: 580 2252, 580 2251. EFFE Company, t.: 502 6589, 743 7614. Gempico Design Gallery, st. B. Gruzinskaya, 42, tel.: 254 9960, 254 9963Boutique Formitalia, TD Crocus City Mall, 66th km of the Moscow Ring Road, 2nd floor, tel.: 228 1221.The editors would like to thank Alexey Kuznetsov, director of the company «Effe» (manufacturer of exclusive billiards), for his assistance in preparing this material. Illustrations: Denis Shibanov
