Porter and Sons?

B

bluesmama

New member
Hello,

We've been on the hunt to convert the formal living room into a pool room instead. We fell in love with the Brunswick Montebello but were wary of the recent reputation of Brunswick quality. We moved on to considering Olhausen and we love their reputation for playability and quality but their styles left us a little disappointed. The dealer that we're working with showed us an old stock picture of a Porter & Sons that resembled the Montebello and also offered to ask Olhausen if they would build a custom version of the Montebello. Porter said yes. Olhausen declined. The issue with us is we can't find much information about Porter & Sons aside from their own website. Has anyone played on one of their tables? Is this more furniture than a pool table? Your thoughts are much appreciated.
 
bluesmama said:
Hello,

We've been on the hunt to convert the formal living room into a pool room instead. We fell in love with the Brunswick Montebello but were wary of the recent reputation of Brunswick quality. We moved on to considering Olhausen and we love their reputation for playability and quality but their styles left us a little disappointed. The dealer that we're working with showed us an old stock picture of a Porter & Sons that resembled the Montebello and also offered to ask Olhausen if they would build a custom version of the Montebello. Porter said yes. Olhausen declined. The issue with us is we can't find much information about Porter & Sons aside from their own website. Has anyone played on one of their tables? Is this more furniture than a pool table? Your thoughts are much appreciated.
Click to expand...

Have you ever played on an Olhausen for an extended period of time? I dislike the cut & angle of their pockets. Personally I would rate the Olhausens much lower on pliability than a Diamond or Brunswick. I was torn between a Diamond or a Brunswick. I chose the Brunswick because my wife and I liked the design options better than what Diamond offers in the 9 ft tables. We could not be happier with our choice. Good luck with your choice.
 
That's a good question. We have not. Most of our experiences have been at pool halls and most were Brunswick. I've heard great things about Diamond. The problem is this is a major room in the home and we didn't want the pool table to completely influence the aesthetics of the room. Diamonds are almost too simple. Our home is quite traditional already so as much as we'd like to consider a Diamond, we had to take a pass. At this time a nice balance of both without having to worry about stuff falling apart would be nice too. I've also seen a number of used Brunswick tables and I'm surprised by the cracks in finishes and complaints of parts falling off within a few years. It seems the servicemen who services pool tables in our area also prefer Olhausen. It's just too bad the dealer threw us in for a loop with the Porter & Sons. I guess I'll do some more digging around for reviews. I just find it strange there really isn't much chatter about Porter.
 
bluesmama said:
That's a good question. We have not. Most of our experiences have been at pool halls and most were Brunswick. I've heard great things about Diamond. The problem is this is a major room in the home and we didn't want the pool table to completely influence the aesthetics of the room. Diamonds are almost too simple. Our home is quite traditional already so as much as we'd like to consider a Diamond, we had to take a pass. At this time a nice balance of both without having to worry about stuff falling apart would be nice too. I've also seen a number of used Brunswick tables and I'm surprised by the cracks in finishes and complaints of parts falling off within a few years. It seems the servicemen who services pool tables in our area also prefer Olhausen. It's just too bad the dealer threw us in for a loop with the Porter & Sons. I guess I'll do some more digging around for reviews. I just find it strange there really isn't much chatter about Porter.
Click to expand...

I think you should take another look at Diamond.
They will give you options for your home...and if you get Diamond-wood
rails, they look indestructible.
And their lighting complements their table.
Check out these leg designs....
http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j...Y_5oXPuFwIqVYTDQQ&sig2=QkmGpZXTxqqH2Sl25Gq__g
 
furniture or pool table

my buddy spent about a zillion $ on their new house and put one of those pretty high dollar tables by the eletronic fireplace and big screen t.v. it has a piano finish, tan cloth, and those swirly elephant balls. beautiful room, i think it plays like crap.
i have a brunswich highlander 4 by 8 not near as pretty but plays great.
don't flame me, but his wife helped pick put the table, she has great taste in home decoration, but knows nothing about pool.

you want a piece of furniture or a pool table
 
Porter & Sons is owned by Dwight and Shannon Porter. Dwight has spent nearly his entire life building high end pool tables. His father, Charles A. Porter (aka "Cap" Porter) founded both the Tiffany and Renaissance pool table manufacturing companies back in the 1960's and 1970's. A skilled cabinet maker (he taught cabinet making at a leading technical college in SoCal) and superb designer, Cap Porter pioneered many of the furniture pool table designs of today, using classic design elements from masters such as Thomas Chippendale. Companies such as Olhausen, Golden West, American Heritage, C.L. Bailey, and Imperial have all "borrowed" his designs over the years. Cap Porter even designed tables for Brunswick in the early 1970's, such as the "Orleans" model.

Dwight Porter is a rare second generation breed of craftsman. I've seen him take a raw piece of Honduras Mahogany and hand carve a pattern from his sketch. Every table he makes is assembled by hand and stamped, sanded by hand, and meticulously finished. Besides being a skilled cabinet maker and designer in his own right, Dwight is unequivocally the best furniture finisher involved in billiards, and his son Charlie has followed in his footsteps. And Dwight is fastidious about insuring his tables play well. He's the only guy I know that slightly tensions the cushion rubber and tacks it to the rail with wood glue. I've played on his tables; they are as true as his craftsmanship.

Renaissance was part of AMF Billiards and Games in Bland, Missouri. When AMF ceased operations in 2007, Dwight struck out on his own and founded Porter and Sons. American Heritage Billiards (out of Ohio) bought the rights to the Renaissance name when AMF closed. Otherwise, Dwight would have continued using the Renaissance name.

I would liken the purchase of a Porter and Sons table to the purchase of a Steinway piano. If you want a hand built, quality heirloom, buy a Porter. If you are satisfied with Thomasville/Ashley quality furniture, Olhausen makes a good mass produced, American made table. If you want a name, buy the Brunswick made in Brazil/China/Vietnam.
 
Zoomer, does Porter & Sons have a website (I'm at work and somewhat restricted as to what I can look up) and what kind of slate and table options do they offer?

I can't lie. I play on Olhausen's every week and they're brutal tables. I didn't know why I couldn't shoot on them at first and then the "old-timers" told me about the odd pocket angles and such.

Every time we jaw one on those tables, we say we shot the Arkansas state bird.....the dreaded "Olhausen Wobbler". :) Yeah, they can be tough to play on. I know when I move to a Diamond table, my ball pocketing goes way up, even tho the pocket SIZE doesn't look any larger (I put 2 balls in the pocket and hillbilly measure it).

Not gonna lie. Those Porters sound nice. You own stock in 'em? ;)
 
Zoomer, you should also add that Brunswicks are also made in Belgium and the United States. Some people will of course say that anything made in the USA is better than anything made in a foreign country. Yet we drive cars with parts made all over the world. Our electronics like the iPhone and iPad are made in China. They are made to a hugh standard of quality and are in many cases considered the best in the world. It's not always true that non US made products are inferior, quite the opposite in many cases.
 
dr9ball said:
Zoomer, you should also add that Brunswicks are also made in Belgium and the United States. Some people will of course say that anything made in the USA is better than anything made in a foreign country. Yet we drive cars with parts made all over the world. Our electronics like the iPhone and iPad are made in China. They are made to a hugh standard of quality and are in many cases considered the best in the world. It's not always true that non US made products are inferior, quite the opposite in many cases.[/QUOTE

It is quite the opposite in many cases, except furniture and that would include pool tables.
Click to expand...
 
Jim Vondrell said:
dr9ball said:
Zoomer, you should also add that Brunswicks are also made in Belgium and the United States. Some people will of course say that anything made in the USA is better than anything made in a foreign country. Yet we drive cars with parts made all over the world. Our electronics like the iPhone and iPad are made in China. They are made to a hugh standard of quality and are in many cases considered the best in the world. It's not always true that non US made products are inferior, quite the opposite in many cases.[/QUOTE

It is quite the opposite in many cases, except furniture and that would include pool tables.
Click to expand...

Or cars, Ferrari, lamborghini, Porsche etc. not made in the US.

There is plenty of cheap furniture made in the US. Quality goods can be made anywhere just like low quality goods can be made anywhere.
Click to expand...
 
I'm not knocking Brunswick. Their tables are well engineered, and they source from very good manufacturers. But let's not kid ourselves. They don't manufacture, they out source. I've personally visited their contract manufacturers in both Brazil and China. And to the best of my knowledge, they severed ties with Kimball many years ago. As a former retailer, I understand the attractiveness of selling billiard's only widely recognizable consumer brand.

I've known Dwight Porter my entire adult life, and greatly respect his artistic abilities. The guy simply possesses a unique blend of talents. His tables are pricey, but they are truly works of art, with only a handful being produced each month. And Dwight and his son Charlie actually build the tables themselves.
 
Last edited:
fathomblue said:
Zoomer, does Porter & Sons have a website (I'm at work and somewhat restricted as to what I can look up) and what kind of slate and table options do they offer?

I can't lie. I play on Olhausen's every week and they're brutal tables. I didn't know why I couldn't shoot on them at first and then the "old-timers" told me about the odd pocket angles and such.

Every time we jaw one on those tables, we say we shot the Arkansas state bird.....the dreaded "Olhausen Wobbler". :) Yeah, they can be tough to play on. I know when I move to a Diamond table, my ball pocketing goes way up, even tho the pocket SIZE doesn't look any larger (I put 2 balls in the pocket and hillbilly measure it).

Not gonna lie. Those Porters sound nice. You own stock in 'em? ;)
Click to expand...

www.porterandsons.com is the website.

I greatly admire Donnie Olhausen's commitment to manufacture tables in the U.S. while the vast majority of the U.S. furniture industry has transitioned production to Asia over the past decade.
 
As a billiard mechanic I find it a treat to work the Porter tables. I thought the names were Charles and his son John. I haven't seen any recently built Porter tables but the old stuff is good.
 
Hey... thanks for all the responses. It's pretty clear to me that Porters have fine woodworking... I'm going to assume that their attention to detail also extends to how well the table plays. I've wondered where they get their slate from as well. I don't think the answer will disappoint us but it's nice to know before you spend so much on a pool table. It sounds like Olhausen plays tough because of the pockets. How about the Porter?
 
Play on Olhausens all winter and I will second any mention of tough
pockets, some shots are almost a sure "rattle"
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top