If not Simonis, what next?

Shaft

Shaft

Hooked and Improving
Silver Member
I have a Mali cloth now and it is way too slow, like slogging through mud.

I am about to order new cloth, looking at Simonis 860 or 760. I care about playability and price, but my wife cares about the color. Simonis has a color that is close to what I could use, but not ideal, and the price (as you all know) is steep.

So, before I pull the trigger, I am open minded to other options where I might be able to save money, look at other colors, and not sacrifice too much in quality. (Win-win-win)

What would be the next-best-thing to Simonis?

BTW, this table is outdoors in New Orleans, 8-ft long, and used 70% for 8-ball and 30% for 10-ball. I play 4 hours a week when I am lucky, probably average 2 hours a week, so long wear is not too critical. Humidity here can range from 40% in the winter to 80%-95% for 4 months in the summer.
 
Get_A_Grip

Get_A_Grip

Truth Will Set You Free
Silver Member
How about a better choice than Simonis. Championship Tour Edition. Is a little faster than Simonis 860 and wears much, much better.

I have Simonis 860 now and it is full of nicks and holes. The Tour Edition never nicked or tore. Now I'm not sure why I even replaced it. I think I replaced it because of lots of ball burn-marks....but you can't really prevent that on any cloth.
 
mr_griff

mr_griff

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
What you need is

outdoor cloth if your table is exposed to the weather (sunbrella is the only name I found). You should be able to find a color to the wifes liking. If you have some protection from the weather the other higher end cloth I know of is called gorina. They have a tournament style cloth you could get for about 150 and it has more colors than Simmonis.
 
Shaft

Shaft

Hooked and Improving
Silver Member
Bump and clarification. This table is is in a large covered patio, not exposed to sun or rain, only outdoor air.

I appreciate the tips. Any other opinions?
 
Vahmurka

Vahmurka

...and I get all da rolls
Silver Member
Get_A_Grip said:
How about a better choice than Simonis. Championship Tour Edition. Is a little faster than Simonis 860 and wears much, much better.
Click to expand...
that's exactly the same opinion I heard before. That's unusual to hear anything can be better than Simonis but since that's not the only occasion such view exists, there must be really something about it.
 
mr_griff

mr_griff

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Let me clarify

Simmonis is the cloth of choice for 95% of pocket billiards players, and will continue to be because its on all the equipment where people compete on and play in public (if its where better players play), even if a few people don't think it plays the best (most do though). If you are looking for somthing where you can get similar speed and playability, different color choices, and save $50 try the Gorina (some versions are actually more expensive, so be careful). Your money and your home, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
 
realkingcobra

realkingcobra

Well-known member
Silver Member
Being a mechanic for over 26 years, taking cloth off tables as well as installing it, I have the advantage of seeing the wear'n tear of cloth in a much different light. If those of you want to compare the Championship 3030 to Simonis as a better cloth, then you should do so on an even basis. Championship 3030 is 70%wool/30%nylon, Simonis 860 is 90%wool/10%nylon. So, to really make it fair, then compare it to the Simonis 860HR, now that is 70%wool/30%nylon in which case, the Simonis far out shines the Championship 3030 in every way;) You can throw Gorina in with that challenge too;)

Glen
 
C

Carolina Blue

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Wears better? You can make any cloth wear better by taking out the wool and replacing it with a synthetic. But for pure playability Simonis has been and continues to be the king. And as far as price, yeah, Simonis cost more. Cadillacs cost more than Yugos. And when you divide the cost difference by the number of days the cloth lasts, you are talking less than pennies a day. Those "wear tests" that the wannabes are publishing are apples to oranges bull$%#*. They are comparing a cloth with a LOT of synthetics in it to the high-wool content of Simonis. Can you say smoke and mirrors?
 
realkingcobra

realkingcobra

Well-known member
Silver Member
There are some unfounded rummers floating around that the Simonis 860HR wears out the cue balls because it's so hard on the surface:thumbup: First of all, I'll say this, has any of you EVER heard of a cloth wearing out a cue ball????????

Then, even if the cloth was so strong as to do that, yet still play like Simonis cloth should play, then I guess I'd have to look at that in a different light.

$10 cue ball replacement vs....$500.00 materials and labor to replace the cloth......YOU do the math;)

Simonis 860HR is MY number one choice of cloth that I use, second is Simonis 860.

Glen
 
Fatboy

Fatboy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Simonis sucks, 10 years ago they had a great product the new cloth is the worst. I'm done with it. :mad::mad::mad:


I'll argue with you later about this topic Glenn-over a steak dinner at my house, fair enough??:thumbup:
 
jdxprs

jdxprs

Banned
i have tour edition on my home table now. a little cheaper than simonis and in my opinion, better than simonis.
 
Nature Boy

Nature Boy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Get_A_Grip said:
How about a better choice than Simonis. Championship Tour Edition. Is a little faster than Simonis 860 and wears much, much better.

I have Simonis 860 now and it is full of nicks and holes. The Tour Edition never nicked or tore. Now I'm not sure why I even replaced it. I think I replaced it because of lots of ball burn-marks....but you can't really prevent that on any cloth.
Click to expand...


Second this motion. And it seems to take better english than Simonis.
 
realkingcobra

realkingcobra

Well-known member
Silver Member
Fatboy said:
Simonis sucks, 10 years ago they had a great product the new cloth is the worst. I'm done with it. :mad::mad::mad:


I'll argue with you later about this topic Glenn-over a steak dinner at my house, fair enough??:thumbup:
Click to expand...

You're a great cook fatboy, so the conversation should be just as good;)

Glen
 
realkingcobra

realkingcobra

Well-known member
Silver Member
kawa44 said:
kingcobra whats a fair price to have simonis put on if i buy the cloth myself
Click to expand...

To me, that all depends on what kind of table you have, and where you're located. For me to do it, labor starts at $300;) higher depends on the table and the condition it's in. SOME tables shouldn't be recovered, but instead taken to the dump, but to tell a home owner that isn't really fair, so I just pass on the work instead. Some tables, just changing the cloth isn't going to be enough, when there's more work that needs to be done to get the table to play right.

Glen
 
realkingcobra

realkingcobra

Well-known member
Silver Member
Nature Boy said:
I feel the cue skids off Simonis sometimes. And also, it just seems not to "grab" as well.
Click to expand...

What do you mean by "skids"? And "grab" are you talking about when you shoot a shot with draw english, it don't back up as well as on Championship? Or are you talking about if you put 9 o'clock straight left spin on the cue ball, shoot it straight into the rail and the cue ball don't turn quit as much as you expect it to...compared to Championship?
 
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