Table cloth: woolen, worsted and when to replace it.

Woolen vs worsted

Dr. Dave Alciatore explains that both main cloth types are wool with a small share of nylon. The difference is the yarn.

• Woolen (napped) cloth is spun from long and short fibers twisted into a fuzzy yarn. That gives it a nap, which must run from the head of the table to the foot, and it needs regular brushing in one direction.
• Worsted cloth is spun from combed yarn with the short fibers removed. The weave is tighter, there is no nap, and it costs more to make.

Dr. Dave lists practical differences: worsted has an anti-pill finish, stays flat, and holds chalk on its surface where it can be cleaned off, while woolen cloth pills over time and hides dust that can work down toward the slate. He dates worsted pool cloth to the 1990s and nylon blends to the early 1950s.

Is worsted always faster?

Sources disagree. Dr. Dave says woolen plays slower and speeds up as its short fibers wear off, while worsted is fast from the start with no break-in. Pool Table Portfolio argues that speed depends on the particular cloth model rather than the woolen or worsted category, and that worsted does not automatically outlast every woolen cloth.

Cloth to avoid

Dr. Dave calls Teflon-coated cloth a bad idea because balls slide instead of rolling, and calls the polyester-blend "felt" on many low-end non-slate tables low quality. Wikipedia notes that bar tables often use thicker, slower woolen cloth and gives typical cloth weights of 21 to 24 oz, with some 19 oz options.

What the WPA requires

For tournament tables, the WPA specification calls for cloth of at least 85% combed worsted wool and no more than 15% nylon, and prefers 100% wool.

Simonis pool cloth

These are Iwan Simonis's published figures:

Black Label Billiards gives the 760 as 22 oz/yd and the 860 as 27 oz/yd, which lines up with the metric weights. Simonis says its cloth uses worsted thread with a high thread count and a dense weave that resists moisture and dirt; that is the maker's claim.

Comparing the two sources yourself: against the WPA minimum of 85% wool, the 860 (90%) and 920 (85%) meet the threshold, while the 760 and 860 HR (70%) fall below it. Neither Simonis nor the WPA reproduction makes that comparison; it is simple arithmetic on their figures.

760 vs 860: speed and use

Black Label says the 760 runs about 10% faster than the 860 and calls it the fastest cloth from the mill, and Pool Table Portfolio agrees the 860 is the slower of the two. On who each is for, the sources split: Simonis positions the 760 for high-traffic tables, while Black Label recommends the 760 for home and finesse play and the 860 for busy halls. Black Label also gives commercial life estimates for each, but those come from a single retailer and could not be confirmed elsewhere, so we leave them out.

Colors

Black Label says the 760 comes in 20 or more colors and the 860 in 30 or more. The swatches on Simonis's own page show about 25 and 26. Both lines include Tournament Blue and Simonis Green. Dr. Dave says worsted cloth in general comes in 25 or more colors.

Snooker and carom cloth

Simonis's figures for the Strachan range, made in England in traditional olive green:

• No. 10 Championship: 100% new wool, 931 g/m (30 oz/yd), the official cloth of World Snooker.
• 6811 Tournament: 30 oz/yd (931 g/m) or 32 oz/yd (992 g/m). Simonis calls it the world's most popular snooker cloth.
• Superfine: 25 oz/yd, used by the IBSF and EBSA. 6811 New Club: 28 oz/yd.

Snooker cloth traditionally has a nap running from the baulk end to the top end. Carom cloth goes the other way: Wikipedia describes carom baize as 100% worsted wool with no nap, which makes it very fast. Simonis lists its 300 Rapide (90% wool, 10% nylon, about 300 g/m²) for three-cushion and artistic carom, and its Hybrid S (30% wool, 70% nylon, about 220 g/m²).

Hainsworth, the maker of Accuguard, is noted by Dr. Dave for reduced hydral expansion, meaning the cloth resists loosening over time.

When to recover a table

This is a real disagreement between sources:

• Sawyer Twain gives intervals: about 5 to 7 years for light home use, 3 to 5 years for regular home use, and 6 to 18 months for commercial tables, with worsted cloth adding 1 to 2 years.
• Pool Table Portfolio says no universal interval exists and the decision should rest on inspecting the cloth.

Sawyer Twain's signs that cloth is due: threadbare spots near the pockets and the break area, uneven roll, burn marks, chalk that will not come out, and ripples or pulling at the rails. Before blaming the cloth for a slow or uneven roll, Pool Table Portfolio says to rule out dirt, moisture, the balls and the table setup.

Small divots are not always a reason to recover. Dr. Dave says they come from miscues, low hits on the cue ball, neglected tips and jump shots, that they do not grow, and that balls roll over them with little deflection.

Brushing, vacuuming and cleaners

The two care sources disagree on the basic method.

• Monarch Billiards recommends brushing from one end of the table to the other, following the cloth's direction, without circles or heavy strokes. If you vacuum, it says to use a low-power upholstery attachment on low suction.
• Simonis says a traditional brush only spreads chalk dust around and that daily vacuuming can damage the cloth. It recommends its own X-1 tool, used with quick, light back-and-forth strokes, followed by brushing in parallel lines.

They agree on cleaning products: Simonis advises against maintenance products on its cloth because they can stretch or discolor it, and Monarch adds that spray cleaners can loosen Simonis weave and leave a waxy buildup. For spills and the rest of the routine, see table care.