Pool Ball Collecting.

[K2Kraze]

I played a few racks of 99 as well as Olympic 9-Ball to keep the rotation skills sharp before retiring for the evening and I must say that the unique stripe through the 9 ball really stood out against the cloth. Was a nice change. They resisted scuffing and I didn't observe any skidding at all ----- I did use the new Cyclop red dot cue ball as well as the Aramith Tournament cue ball in place of the marbled one that came with the set. Both CBs were perfectly matched in weight and overall play was very consistent considering the object balls varied somewhat within the 9 I used by 1-2 grams.


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[K2Kraze]

Let's start the week off with a unique set of balls I recently acquired from an estate find:

These are the double circle variety and not seen too often. If anyone has another set with their provenance and perhaps an original box they can share with us for more information, I would be most grateful.

I believe these were manufactured and/or distributed by High Skore - based in Taiwan.

They arrived in a ball box that looked like it (and the balls inside) had traversed the Great Divide in the saddle bags of Lewis and Clark over 200 years ago, so a great deal of tender hand polishing followed by a few turns in the Diamond machine and they came out what I'm suspecting is equal to what they looked like when new. Amazing what a little TLC will reveal

Time to get them rolling on the baize this afternoon.



K.



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[Rubik's Cube]

Good evening, gentlemen.

I hope you are all well and sincere thanks for keeping the thread alive with such wonderful contributions from your own collections.

K2K. I love everything about those Stone Cold balls from American Heritage; their superb lustre; my favourite traditional number font; the narrow banding on the stripes, it's all fantastic.

I immediately found the website to order myself a set. Imagine my dismay, however, to discover that the current sets being offered (although on discount at $75) now have thicker bands on the higher values and, bizarrely, feature an 8 ball which doesn't seem to match the rest of the collection at all... even the font is different!

Please keep your eye out for a set just like yours for me, K2K, I think you have an absolute gem there my friend.

Best wishes everyone,
RC.

 

[The ProRailbird]

This is a great thread!
I had no idea there were/are so many different pool balls in the world!

I think I know where most of them are now... if Rubik's shipped his collection to K2K, or vice versa, most likely the transfer of weight would cause an earthquake!

Thanks for sharing everyone.

 

[Rubik's Cube]

Imagine that, a thousand caroms as they met halfway across the Atlantic!

The truth is, though, K2K's collection of billiard balls (and knowledge thereof) is far superior to my own. His collection is astonishing, quite possibly the finest in the world. He is also most generous with his time and expertise to fellow enthusiasts, I think of him as The Paladin Of The Balls.

 

[K2Kraze]

Imagine that, a thousand caroms as they met halfway across the Atlantic!

The truth is, though, K2K's collection of billiard balls (and knowledge thereof) is far superior to my own. His collection is astonishing, quite possibly the finest in the world. He is also most generous with his time and expertise to fellow enthusiasts, I think of him as The Paladin Of The Balls.

You are much too generous with your kind words and accolades, my fine friend from afar, dear Rubik's, for if not for the motive force you yourself created with this Ball Collector thread, my spherical treasures would be lost on the errant guest or friend that even cares enough to ask "hey, what about those other 100 sets of balls over there.....what do they look like and what are they for...."

Perhaps my vision of every ball set being appreciated and played will indeed one day come to fruition in a private cueist club ---- as I'm sure many of the contributors within this thread love sharing their cue sports treasures with anyone showing even a modicum of interest and passion. Passion being the key word.

This whole thing started with the dangerous thought of "What if I had a few different ball sets that would inspire me to play various games and explore the intricacies of each...?" Damn ideas anyway.

Having a fellow AZB'er across the Atlantic such as Rubik's makes this adventure of balls and of sharing ideas is what keeps these threads - and my personal enjoyment of participation - much alive. Paying things forward is the currency my pockets are full of - and you know what they say about that sort of thing around these parts.......spend it while ya got it, friend

Let it also be known that Rubik's has a very impressive and highly desirable collection of balls under his care like no other I have met. I can only imagine these two collections coming together - perhaps one day in a dedicated website with fitting documentation and provenance of each set.

The Paladin Of The Balls. I'm still chuckling over that beauty.

Rubik's, you are a cunning linguist and fine cueist.

Cheers!


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[K2Kraze]

Good evening, gentlemen.

I hope you are all well and sincere thanks for keeping the thread alive with such wonderful contributions from your own collections.

K2K. I love everything about those Stone Cold balls from American Heritage; their superb lustre; my favourite traditional number font; the narrow banding on the stripes, it's all fantastic.

I immediately found the website to order myself a set. Imagine my dismay, however, to discover that the current sets being offered (although on discount at $75) now have thicker bands on the higher values and, bizarrely, feature an 8 ball which doesn't seem to match the rest of the collection at all... even the font is different!

Please keep your eye out for a set just like yours for me, K2K, I think you have an absolute gem there my friend.

Best wishes everyone,
RC.

I have an extra set of the American Heritage Stone Cold's with your name on them as I write this, Rubik's. they will reside in the vault until your request to transport them crosses my desk....

Perhaps post a pic of the subpar set when you have the chance for comparison sake.



K.


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[K2Kraze]

I was going to save this set for posting next week, but I was polishing these girls up this morning for a few racks of 14.1 practice and thought I'd share them this week. Of course there's more to the story....

This Criss-Cross design has been put out by a few distributors over the years and is relatively rare. Sets range from each ball having the Criss Cross design to those only having the 9-15 crossed, like the set I have pictured below. Yes, I have another set of the Criss Cross balls in which every ball is patterned, but I'll save those for next week. In the meantime, here they are...

The CREST Professional Criss-Crossers

Anyone else have a set like this they can share?

Using the 1-9 from this set for 9 Ball makes for a pleasant change.

Rubik's ---- would these qualify as sensational or trifling.



K.


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[Rubik's Cube]

I have an extra set of the American Heritage Stone Cold's with your name on them as I write this, Rubik's. they will reside in the vault until your request to transport them crosses my desk....

Perhaps post a pic of the subpar set when you have the chance for comparison sake.



K.

Wow! Thank you so much, sir, I love those Stone Cold billiard balls, they're truly beautiful to my eyes. To know that there is an original set reserved for me is an honour indeed and sincerely appreciated.

Below is a picture of the latest incarnation offered by American Heritage. The price is very reasonable at $74.99 but, as you can see, the design has been radically altered... and not for the better in my view. The bands have become thicker and the 8 ball doesn't seem to match at all, the marbling isn't readily apparent and the number is a different font altogether! It's still a very nice set, of course, but not in the same class as K2K's amazing collection.

The designer of those original balls really knew his craft, the thinner stripes perfectly complement the spots and the entire set is artistically balanced. He had the eye as it's said in the trade.

 

[skip100]

That 8 ball font kind of ruins it huh?

 

[Rubik's Cube]

This Criss-Cross design has been put out by a few distributors over the years and is relatively rare. Sets range from each ball having the Criss Cross design to those only having the 9-15 crossed, like the set I have pictured below. Yes, I have another set of the Criss Cross balls in which every ball is patterned, but I'll save those for next week. In the meantime, here they are...

The CREST Professional Criss-Crossers

Anyone else have a set like this they can share?

Using the 1-9 from this set for 9 Ball makes for a pleasant change.

Rubik's ---- would these qualify as sensational or trifling.

It's certainly sensational to me, K2K, because I was unaware that several different manufacturers offered the criss cross design.

Oh, how much we have to learn!

Here's my Stirling set once more for comparison. Apologies for the terrible photography!

Best wishes,
RC.

 

[Rubik's Cube]

That 8 ball font kind of ruins it huh?

Good afternoon, Skip.

It is bizarre isn't it, sir? Perhaps they sold off the 8 balls individually and then ordered replacements? An hypothesis that doesn't make much sense but it's the best theory I've got!

 

[The ProRailbird]

The designer of those original balls really knew his craft, the thinner stripes perfectly complement the spots and the entire set is artistically balanced. He had the eye as it's said in the trade.

I agree !!

They draw you in, just like great artwork.

On this side of the pond, we have a saying that applies;

"if it ain't broke don't fix it"

 

[Rubik's Cube]

Good afternoon, everyone.

Thirty plus years of pool ball collecting has brought me a great deal of pleasure, treasure hunting a specific set to a successful purchase being a particular joy. It has also been most rewarding sharing my collection with the good folks of the AZB forum.

I thought you might be interested to hear about some of my failures, too. I would dearly love to own and cherish a mint condition set of the beautiful Globe Balls pictured below. Alas, however, depite the very best efforts of K2K and myself over several months I fear we may have to regretfully accept defeat.

Apparently, the last box of these wonderful balls were shipped out of China ten years ago.

 

[Rubik's Cube]

On the miraculous off chance anyone has a box of these beauties to sell, gentlemen, please, give me a chance to make a bid.

My other great regret was a marbled set with Joe Camel logos in lieu of numbers. I saw them on eBay just the once many years ago and, unfortunately, couldn't afford the price tag at the time. Little did I realise this would be the one and only time they would ever appear!

Best wishes,
RC.

 

[K2Kraze]

I've heard this a time or two.....then again, I just added a few words....

The thrill of the chase is only exceeded by the thrill of the treasure - for each prized find will turn into many hours and evenings lost in a the noble pursuit of gamesmanship.

Off we go, Rubik's!


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[Cuebuddy]

I am experiencing "set envy" with you guys. I only have a few sets but nothing worth showing but In have singles which are cool.

 

[K2Kraze]

Latrobe brewing.....a fine, original Rolling Rock cue ball you have there, sir!

Gives me an idea: but let's set the stage for a moment first...

Chill your favorite (beer) beverage to 33 degrees of course and the get out a rack of all white object balls.

Rack 14 of the whites with your RR33 cue ball on the apex of the rack upon the foot spot and then take the remaining white object ball behind the head string as your cue ball in hand to break with.

After breaking, spot any balls pocketed.

The object of the game - called Rolling Rock since it's your game and unique cue ball - is to play any white ball off of the green 33 ball to pocket the white. There have been numerous games like this over the years with various names, but this one is yours! You can play two ways depending how good you are

1) real good: only count the total number of misses it takes to clear all of the whites

2) not so good at this carom pocketing game: see how many whites you can pocket with only 10 shots.

Loser buys the next round of 33 degree malt beverages.

I'll be right over!!

Thanks for sharing your prized 33, sir!


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[K2Kraze]

Speaking of singles now that you mentioned it, one of these days I'll start posting up various singles I have as well in various categories like training balls or cue balls only. Something different. Sets are nice but so are the unique singles like your Rolling Rock 33 cue ball that can be employed in special games or special occasions or for something else entirely dreamed up at that moment.

It's all in the balls.

So start sharing and posting up those singles too, everyone. There's much to be shared and appreciated out there I'm sure

K.


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[K2Kraze]

I've had the good fortune of late running into exceptionally kind people offering to help locate a ball set here or there across the globe and last week proved no exception.

I've been hunting for a new set of the Sterling Criss Cross ball set that our very own Rubik's shared within this thread many months ago but I continuously ran into the "out of stock" answer no less than a dozen times with vendors around the world. Until last week.

I fired off an email to Schmelke Cues in the odd chance they may know of their source back when they were stocking and selling this set, when to my amazement, I received a reply stating they just may have one set in a back cabinet "somewhere". And so it was to be. They arrived flawless and as promised from Schmelke Cues in just a few days time...

Here they are:

And for comparison, here again is the CREST Professional branded set of the same design:

K.


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