Aramith 100-Year Anniversary set - now an AAR thread

atx48 said:
This 6-ball was the worst ball from the first set. You can see a series of spots around the left side to the top-left and left of the reflection of the front door. There were still many more spots on this ball, but this is about the best that I can get them to show up. Please keep in mind that there were at least 6 balls in total that exhibited these spots.
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Thing is even if they were used, they weren’t used much. Unless you intend on never using them there’s zero issue. They will get banged up like they all do. Theres no wear on them.
 
atx48 said:
AAR:
I got to break the seal on a brand new set. There were the exact same kind of spots on some of these balls as there were on the first set. The good news is that they were nowhere near as numerous on the balls that I inspected nor were they as prominent. One thing that I think caused the marks given their position in the box was they picked up marks from touching the inside of the wooden box. I assume that I can use Aramith ball polish to remove these marks even though I still could not remove them with a dry microfiber cloth at the store. I think another possibility is the balls could have easily contacted each other repeatedly in shipment, especially if they were handled roughly. The 9-ball even had 2 "dirt marks" on it which we were able to remove with a little bit of cleaner. I don't know how those got by quality control. One new thing that I noticed were concentric lines about 3mm in height going almost completely around the 3-ball. My first thought is that these are some kind of machining marks. Hopefully, I can reduce or eliminate the appearance of these with polish.

In the final analysis, I did end up taking them because I figured these were as good as it was going to get. I am not impressed by the quality of this set. I intend to contact Aramith and see if they have anything to say about this issue after I make a good-faith attempt to properly clean them. The store manager said that he had heard nothing else from Aramith, and he believes that the marks are actually in the surface of the balls.

I would like to thank everyone again who replied to me today. Your input was indeed helpful.
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So are you saying there is not any cushioning in the box to separate and protect the balls from each other as well as protecting them from the wooden box itself? Most all Aramith balls I’ve ever ordered come in a 16 section plastic eggshell inside the box which separates them from each other.
 
ChrisinNC said:
So are you saying there is not any cushioning in the box to separate and protect the balls from each other as well as protecting them from the wooden box itself? Most all Aramith balls I’ve ever ordered come in a 16 section plastic eggshell inside the box which separates them from each other.
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Well, to be more precise, there is not enough cushioning. There are individual "cups" inside like you described, but there is not enough distance between each of the balls and the wooden box to prevent contact with very little shaking. There is a thin piece of foam on top of the balls, but it does not exert enough force with the lid closed to keep them in place. When I first picked up the box, you could hear them rattle against each other and the box. You can kind of see the spacing in the picture that I posted.
 
atx48 said:
Well, to be more precise, there is not enough cushioning. There are individual "cups" inside like you described, but there is not enough distance between each of the balls and the wooden box to prevent contact with very little shaking. There is a thin piece of foam on top of the balls, but it does not exert enough force with the lid closed to keep them in place. When I first picked up the box, you could hear them rattle against each other and the box. You can kind of see the spacing in the picture that I posted.
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That’s strange, because I just shaked my white still plastic sealed box and there seemed to be virtually no movement / shifting / noise at all from the balls or from the wooden box. They seem to be quite secure.
 
Fatboy said:
Thing is even if they were used, they weren’t used much. Unless you intend on never using them there’s zero issue. They will get banged up like they all do. Theres no wear on them.
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In my first post, I did imply that I wasn’t going to use this set and intended to buy a second set to actually play with.
 
ChrisinNC said:
That’s strange, because I just shaked my white still plastic sealed box and there seemed to be virtually no movement / shifting / noise at all from the balls or from the wooden box. They seem to be quite secure.
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Mine were stored upside down. That’s how they were handed to me. Try giving them a little shake while they are inverted. I just shook mine to double-check before I posted this.
 
atx48 said:
Mine were stored upside down. That’s how they were handed to me. Try giving them a little shake while they are inverted. I just shook mine to double-check before I posted this.
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For now, I have no plans to even remove the sealed plastic from the outside of the box. I’m a bit curious from your comments but not worried about it.

I have virtually mint condition sets of Aramith Tournament as well as Brunswick Centennial balls which in my opinion look far better than this set, which I use, so there’s no reason for me to open these. Honestly I only purchased them as I was able to get them for my dealer wholesale discounted price.
 
atx48 said:
In my first post, I did imply that I wasn’t going to use this set and intended to buy a second set to actually play with.
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Then absolutely you need a sealed brand new set in the box.

I have a few unplayed sets of balls which are about 35-37 years old now in my collection. I completely understand and you are absolutely right.

I read your first post a couple days ago and forgot you mentioned that. I just made a quick response to the pic. I was wrong, you are right.

I hope you get this sorted out. I have bought 2 of several things in my life, one to collect and one to use.

Best
Fatboy 😀
 
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