Pool Table Slate Facts - The Hard Flat Truth
There is no better
playing surface for a pool table than slate and no other pool table manufacturer
knows more about slate than Brunswick.
The Rock
Slate is a fine
grained rock made from clay, mica, quartz, and other trace minerals. Since
slate is a natural stone it is very stable which makes it an excellent choice
for the exacting tolerances required for pool tables.
Purple?
Slate is found in a
lot of different countries around the world. While Italy has been the
major supplier of pool table slate for the last 60 years, slate is also mined in
the United States, Brazil, Korea, China, Spain and Wales. Depending on the
make up of the different elements slate can be grey, black, red, green and even
purple. The quality of slate is not measured by the color but by how flat
and smooth it can be machined.
Italian
Italian slate is
quarried from vast underground mines. Heavy machinery cuts the slate into
various sizes which are wrapped in plastic to keep the slate moist until it is
brought to the surface. The slabs of slate are cut, machined, cured,
and dried before they are shipped.
Italian slate is
softer than Italian stone and is quite flexible. Care must be taken to
store Italian slate properly and not bend or break it.
Over the years the
price of Italian slate has steadily increased. With today's global
economy, other sources of fine grained slate are now available.
Brazilian
Brazilian slate,
mined from open pits, is as hard as Italian stone. The hardness makes
Brazilian slate more difficult to machine but it also makes the slate less
sensitive to abuse. It does not bend or break easily and is easy to store.
Because of it's hardness Brazilian slate is subjected to complex gauging and
surfacing operations which produces a very flat surface.
Thicker is Better
With slate, the
thicker the better. Because 1" slate is thicker and heavier than 3/4" it
will be stronger and play better. This is due to the fact that it will
vibrate less. The pool ball will retain more of it's energy with less
vibration, which results in a faster, truer, shot. Also, framed slate,
will vibrate less than unframed or bare slate which also makes the table play
better.
Quality
Brunswick uses only
the finest quality slate from Brazilian and Italian sources. The precise
art of machining and curing is stringently monitored by Brunswick professionals.
In fact, slate for Brunswick's tables go through 14 different quality checks and
is 100% checked for flatness.
Every piece of
Brunswick slate is certified to offer exceptional playability and comes with a
Lifetime Warranty.
At Billiards Plus, we
use only Brunswick Certified slate on all our beautiful, Brunswick pool tables.
That way you know that you are getting the best out of every shot.
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