Brand new Diamond table marking balls

Island Drive

Otto/Dads College Roommate/Cleveland Browns
Silver Member
You know there are thousands of Gold Crown guys laughing their butts off with all these Diamond problems. How many years to fix the cushions? Pockets? It's decades.
Ironically, the only GC pockets I remember, that were made that did NOT transfer marks to the balls were thee original gray drop pockets in the GCI's. In the early years of GCII and on they got rid of these ''high quality'' pocket liners. Nowadays they have it figured out. If you ever get a chance to watch Earl Strickland run his ten/11 pack against Nick Mannino in Dallas at CJ's, he wiped all the balls off after each rack because of this....he said no balls were going in the two lower pockets. But if you've got dyed leather pocket liners, I would expect it, but I would be surprised if they did this in the 21st century.
 

8cree

Reverse Engineer
Silver Member
This whole thing is terrible news... How has Diamond not addressed this?!
 

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
How old is your table? What effect did the alcohol have on the leather?

I'm worried about causing damage and voiding any warranty.
Warranty?! How's that working out for you so far?

Any discussions here are really irrelevant. Diamond calls the shots on the matter...as I am sure you know.
 

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I know this is a joke, but in case someone doesn't get it, the denatured part of ethyl alcohol is that it's been made unfit for drinking, indeed, poisonous, and drinking it could make you blind or even kill you.

"denatured - make (alcohol) unfit for drinking by the addition of toxic or foul-tasting substances."
And when the Dr documents a patient with booze in the system, he writes ETOH. What is up with that?!
 

jviss

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The problem of dye rubbing off leather products is not new or unusual, and not all solutions work for all types of leather and dye, or work at all in some cases.

It would be helpful to know the type of leather, and the type of dye used, but I doubt that even Diamond knows that, as they likely buy these pockets from some international mass-producer.

Is it smooth leather or a suede-like surface? If smooth, I would try buffing it quite aggressively with a neutral shoe polish, like Kiwi. Not a lot of polish, and use cotton, or a lambswool buffer. A power buffer would be most effective.

If it's a suede-like surface I don't know what I'd do; maybe make liners for the contact areas from a material I know would not transfer dye.
 

jviss

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
And when the Dr documents a patient with booze in the system, he writes ETOH. What is up with that?!
EtOH is shorthand for ethanol, or ethyl alcohol, which is the only form of alcohol that is safe to consumer. It's what's in booze, beer, wine, etc. Denatured often contains methyl alcohol, which is poisonous.
 

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
EtOH is shorthand for ethanol, or ethyl alcohol, which is the only form of alcohol that is safe to consumer. It's what's in booze, beer, wine, etc. Denatured often contains methyl alcohol, which is poisonous.
Ahh...I always thought 'ETOH' was a misnomer.

More useless info for me to keep, thanks!!
 

maha

from way back when
Silver Member
learn how to buy and how to pay for things you buy. when the dealer told you it would go away with use that should have been your first warning of b.s.. and should hold back some of the cost of the table until its corrected. and of course you never pay in full until the job is completely finished. and you are satisfied with the outcome. if not you hold back some of the money until its right. tough if they dont like that.
generally only pay by credit card, as you have a month to cancel payment and make it go to decision process. and the credit card company usually sides with you as you are paying the bill and may not if they dont.
 

Rocket354

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Just an update. I did push a little more after the problem kept getting worse. I've been promised new pockets all around in the coming weeks. Seems like Diamond is living up to their reputation of doing great customer service.

Hopefully that fixes the issue once and for all. Given that no one else has chimed in with a similar issue, I'm hoping it's just me and not a more general problem.

Thanks, all.
 

trentfromtoledo

8onthebreaktoledo
Silver Member
At the end of the day there is this: THE DEALER WHO SOLD THE TABLE SHOULD HAVE HANDLED THIS 100%!!!!!
Diamond is taking care of the dealers issue that sold the table. YES the pockets are obviously deffective, good customer service would have meanT the dealer handled EVERYTHING WITH DIAMOND!!!

Be careful who you buy from: ONLY DEALERS WHO ACTUALLY WORK ON THE TABLES!!!! Buying from someone on the internet who does not even touch the table, is a STRONG RISK..... iT MAY ALL GET WORKED OUT OVER TIME, BUT AT WHAT COST IN STRESS AND TIME>>>>>??

BUYING AN ITEM LIKE THIS IS SERIOUS BUSINESS AND A SMOOTH TRANSACTION IS WHAT A CUSTOMER WANTS!!!!

Happy it all got worked out.

TFT
 

289FIA

Active member
At the end of the day there is this: THE DEALER WHO SOLD THE TABLE SHOULD HAVE HANDLED THIS 100%!!!!!
Diamond is taking care of the dealers issue that sold the table. YES the pockets are obviously deffective, good customer service would have meanT the dealer handled EVERYTHING WITH DIAMOND!!!

Be careful who you buy from: ONLY DEALERS WHO ACTUALLY WORK ON THE TABLES!!!! Buying from someone on the internet who does not even touch the table, is a STRONG RISK..... iT MAY ALL GET WORKED OUT OVER TIME, BUT AT WHAT COST IN STRESS AND TIME>>>>>??

BUYING AN ITEM LIKE THIS IS SERIOUS BUSINESS AND A SMOOTH TRANSACTION IS WHAT A CUSTOMER WANTS!!!!

Happy it all got worked out.

TFT
Agree 1000% that working via a QUALITY dealer is very important. I am in the process of having a Diamond furniture model table installed .. the install was yesterday and the mechanics couldn't finish because Diamond shipped the wrong pockets with the table. So the table is done .. built, leveled, felt on, etc., just waiting for pockets and then bolt on the rails. I spoke with Diamond to be sure they were aware .. and Diamond said "that order didn't include pockets". The installer and dealer manager couldn't believe what Diamond had said as the dealer had NEVER in their history received a table from ANY manufacturer without the appropriate pockets. I located a nice set of brown leather pockets with #6 irons on Pooldawg and arranged to have them shipped 2nd day air, and the Dealer is giving me credit on my balance due for the purchase. This way I know I have really nice pockets that will go with the table. The stuff Diamond sent .. fortunately diid not fit .. because they were some cheap, unfinished leather pockets, that in no way matched the quality or appearance of the cherry stained oak table.
 

ChrisinNC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Agree 1000% that working via a QUALITY dealer is very important. I am in the process of having a Diamond furniture model table installed .. the install was yesterday and the mechanics couldn't finish because Diamond shipped the wrong pockets with the table. So the table is done .. built, leveled, felt on, etc., just waiting for pockets and then bolt on the rails. I spoke with Diamond to be sure they were aware .. and Diamond said "that order didn't include pockets". The installer and dealer manager couldn't believe what Diamond had said as the dealer had NEVER in their history received a table from ANY manufacturer without the appropriate pockets. I located a nice set of brown leather pockets with #6 irons on Pooldawg and arranged to have them shipped 2nd day air, and the Dealer is giving me credit on my balance due for the purchase. This way I know I have really nice pockets that will go with the table. The stuff Diamond sent .. fortunately diid not fit .. because they were some cheap, unfinished leather pockets, that in no way matched the quality or appearance of the cherry stained oak table.
All I can say is very hard to believe that a high-end furniture style Diamond table would not come with matching pockets.
 

289FIA

Active member
All I can say is very hard to believe that a high-end furniture style Diamond table would not come with matching pockets.

Agree 100%. However .. Diamond discontinued the furniture model line of tables at the end of 2019 .. my dealer wasn't even aware of that when I ordered a table in July. I spoke with Diamond then and they said they would not be starting that line again for some time .. but .. did have a body from one model (Jubilee) and legs from another (Arkansas) in the warehouse in Oak .. so I bought that "hybrid" table. Apparently they didn't have the normal pockets the table used .. or whoever packed and shipped the table after the Oak was stained Cherry (color I selected) .. just packed whatever he could grab for pockets. At the end of the process however at least I will have some really nice pockets that I was able to personally select. I doubt this problem happened when Diamond was marketing the furniture line as a normal part of business.
 

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Irrespective of the above slack you've granted...

What kind of nonsense is that; a table with no pockets? That is like a car with no tires.
vizzini.jpg
 

PUTT4DACA$$H

Member
Silver Member
When I talked to the dealer I was told "yeah, Diamonds do that, but it should go away with time once they break in." However, it seems to be getting worse. I was wondering how many others have been having the same issue; basically, should I "suck it up" or should I push harder.



So the "problem" pockets are inherent to the Professional model? What pocket did you buy? Is there a non-marking one that would fit my table?
The pockets for 90 percent of diamond tables are just a liner / top half of a pocket with no basket because the tables operate on ball return..those are the pockets they redesigned to not leave the marks...
 

robertod

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Diamond has it's good and bad as we all do.

I bought a Diamond Professional, solid cherry in 2009. 3 years later I found very small hair line cracks on on all the diamond markers on the rails. No problem, Diamond gave me new blue Diamondwood rails without any cost to me. no questions asked. Yes , I have the black leather pockets and they are a bit of a pain. I also continue to use alcohol to remove the dye and then I follow up with a very small amount of neatsfoot oil to the leather to prevent it from drying out. I then dry the leather with a cloth to remove any oil not absorbed. This process has greatly reduced the black spots. BTW, these spots come off very easy with some alcohol. Daimond did offer me different pockets at some cost to me , but I liked the look of leather.

Love my table. First considered buying an old GCII or GCIII, but of course most of them needed some kind of work and I did not want to through the hassle. Happy with my decision, black spots and all.
 

maha

from way back when
Silver Member
every manufacturer has the ability to fix any defects in their line and should at the first sign of them. not try easy fixes that obviously wont work hoping the customers will accept it.
just because they respond after the fact doesnt make it right they sent it out knowing there is a problem.
 

maha

from way back when
Silver Member
and a car without wheels is the most gas efficient car ever delivered.
 

Texas Carom Club

9ball did to billiards what hiphop did to america
Silver Member
I'm seeing black marks on the balls at our pool room now after they put in a bunch of used diamond bar tables , when there was never any from the old drop pocket gandys
Seems like from reading this there's no fix
 
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