Slate bed pool tables are extremely popular amongst serious pool enthusiasts. A slate bed table is a pool table which has a slate playing surface, which is known as the best type of playing surface available. Not all pool tables have a slate playing surface. The benefits of a slate bed pool table is that the balls will run more smoothly and the table will overall provide for a more satisfying experience.
Slate is itself a metamorphic rock, which has many uses. It is used in buildings (such as roof tiles) as well as for construction purposes due to the fact it is fireproof. Its thermal stability has meant that is also used for the best quality billiard tables (pool and snooker tables). Table beds have been made from slate since 1840. A good quality billiard table will almost always use slate in its surface. No better substitute has been found to slate.
Slate normally comes from Italy where it is quarried from the underground. Holes are made in mountains, which are then made larger to allow machinery to enter. Slate is then cut out and extracted. However the process does not end here. For the purposes of pool tables, the slate then undergoes many stages before it can be completely flat and form the bed of the billiard table.
Understandably, slate bed tables are more expensive than non-slate tables whether in the UK or the USA. However any serious pool player or pool enthusiast for that matter will always be better off buying a slate bed pool table. The fine playing experience ensure that the balls always run smoothly on the surface in the the straightest of lines. The fact a playing surface is made from slate will also ensure that it is of exceptional quality and will last, unlike other surfaces which tend to develop faults after heavy use.
Slate pool tables themselves come in all sizes, from 5 ft, 6ft, 7ft, 8ft and all the way up to 9ft. They also come in different shapes and designs. Finding the table is not always easy. Your budget will also play a factor – they range from the hundreds up to the thousands. Generally speaking, slate bed tables are not the cheap option – although they differ vastly in prices within themselves. However there is no substitute for good quality. As with other products, the more you pay, generally, the better you get. Getting an expensive slate bed pool table will mean that you are getting other benefits and a betters specification than getting a cheap one.
In short, any avid pool enthusiast, fan or player should want to get their hands of a slate bed pool table. As discussed, these provide the finest playing surfaces. You will also not be short of options. Slate bed tables differ in prices, sizes and designs. If you want a quality playing experience, then look no further.
