Is pool table felt different than regular felt? What us a good price for it? Is it easy to refelt?

Question

I am looking in to buying a pool table and might need to refelt. can someone tell me what a good price for vfelt is and maybe where to get it? Is it different than regular felt? Is it easy to refelt? I would appreciate any info you can give me.

Answer 1

I dont know why they even call it felt.

I would suggest Simonis Or Brunswick cloth then Hire a pro to do it At least the first time  Just to see how they take the table apart and they have the exp. to do it Usually under $200

Answer 2

The price will vary depending on where you are and what table size.  I live south of Chicago and the Simonis warehouse is in Gurnee, IL which is north of Chicago I just purchased 4 Cloths(Simonis 860) 3 for 7' Valley Tables and 1 for a 7' Diamond Smart Table.  Total cost for me being so close was $457.10 C.O.D. so about 115 per with delivery.  

If you have never put a cloth on a table or helped someone do it then I would not suggest trying it alone.  Especially a used table that most likely will not be single slate.  A friend of mine told me that most home table are a real pain to re-cloth because the companies that make them don't figure they'd get re-clothed more than once if ever, due to home play being interesting for a few months and the table eventually being used for laundry or other storage.  Any way, if you have someone come out and help you I would pay no more than 200 for the one table and make sure they re-cloth the rails and repair any damaged rails(it is common for the glue or rubber cement used to attach the rubber to the wood part of the rail to come undone due to time and people sitting on the rails).  

P.S. Do not get any stain resisters.  Simonis cloth is so tightly woven it naturally resists most stains, also any chemical treatment may reduce accuracy and predictability for your shots.

Phone for Simonis is 1-800-SIMONIS ask for Felice.

Answer 3

I do this for living and have for fifteen years.  I guaranty it will cost more than $200 to recover your table.  These are the things to think about when recovering a table:

What type of player are you.  There are different types of cloth.  Standard cloth is about $40 per yard and you need 3 1/8 for a 8' table.  It is a cotton/nylon blend and there are two levels of thickness, 16oz and 22oz cloth.  The thicker cloth will hold up longer, so for most family tables this is the way to go.  To have some one do the job you are looking at $400sh.   Speed felt is what pros would play on and is a must for the serious player.  Made of wool, similar to a men's suit, if is much smoother and allows for greater accuracy and cue ball control.  Unfortunately it is twice the price per yard, and the total is now in the $600 range.  Iwan Simmonis is the most popular brand, but there are a few other companies that make speed felt, such as Champion and Hainsworth.    There is also a type of speed felt that has a stain repellent applied to the thread before it is woven to provide a level of stain protection high than that of and after market spray on repellent.  Its called Accuguard and is sold through Olhausen dealers.  Again the price goes up, around $750.  Small price to pay if you are prone to accidents around your table.

Keep this in mind when buying used tables.  Sometimes the cost of a new table( with a warranty and new cues and accessories) is only a little more than paying to move and recover a used one.  You definitely  want someone who knows what they are doing working on your table.  If its not perfect, the table won't play right.  There are alto of little tricks to recovering and leveling a table the right way.

If the table you are looking at is in good shape and the price is right, then go for it.  A quality table will hold up for decades, if its taken care of.  Hope this helps.