Saunier-Wilhelm thoughts

KCRack'em

I'm not argumentative!!!!
Silver Member
Any thoughts on the old Saunier-Wilhelm pool table that looks like a Madison? Found a great deal on one with a pile of accessories. It's a 9-foot table. See pic.
Karl
 

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no opinions?

Does anyone have experience with these tables? It seems like they copied Brunswick for the most part.
I'd like to know what you think about quality, value, etc.
Table comes with about 10 cues, cue rack and ball rack, 2 sets of balls, beads, and more odds and ends....
Karl
 
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I had one....it looked like an anniversary knock off. Not bad tables, but they aren't going to play like a Brunswick, or Diamond.

I was sorry I didn't go for a gold crown.
 
Saunier- Wilhelm

If the table is set up right . good cloth and good bumpers and leveled by some one that knows what they are doing a good Saunier Wilhelm will play just as good as any other table . Maybe ir=f you are a World Champion you may have a preference . But 99 out of a hundred poolplayers it will make no difference. They have stood the test of time. It is like most people that play golf play with a top Flight or a Pro V and it want change your score one stroke.
 
cool

Thanks, fat Albert.
Well, I figure it is worth $500 with all the accessories. I'm sure I'll sink a few hundred more into, but I can live with that.
Karl
 
A pool hall I played at 20-25 years ago had all Saunier-Wilhelm tables. If you just leaned on one of them you felt them shake. Very unstable tables. Also, they had the biggest pocket openings I ever saw. I felt like I couldn't miss, LOL.
 
I had one....it looked like an anniversary knock off. Not bad tables, but they aren't going to play like a Brunswick, or Diamond.

I was sorry I didn't go for a gold crown.

I have one in storage an old T-rail table. I was under the impression it was made for them by Brunswick and they just put their own name plate on them.. Mine has over 1 inch slates like 1 1/4. When I had it set up it played pretty good but I got a Gold Crown and put it in storage.
 
sw nameplate

looks like a brunswick in every detail including the thin trim strip under the rail. probably just recovered by sw..... very common occurrence. what kind of accessories? want to do some trading on antique accessories....
 
I spent my formative years playing on my Dad's Sauner Whlhelm table--a GC-I impersonator. After 50 (more) years of use, its still plays just fine.
 
Does anyone have experience with these tables? It seems like they copied Brunswick for the most part.
I'd liek to know what you think about quality, value, etc.
Table comes with about 10 cues, cue rack and ball rack, 2 sets of balls, beads, and more odds and ends....
Karl

In your picture I think it may be missing some pieces. I believe there should be some covers that hide the leather pocket baskets. Mine also has a wood ball return.
 
good catch

In your picture I think it may be missing some pieces. I believe there should be some covers that hide the leather pocket baskets. Mine also has a wood ball return.

My understanding is that it's all there, but we'll see. The owner did mention that the leathers are new. It's possible that they left the covers off.
I'm a sucker for a bargain, but as a friend likes to tell me, "Buying all the bargains just makes a guy go broke."
We'll see....
Karl
 
You should PM Real King Cobra (Glen) and ask him.
Craig R (Manwon here) is a wealth of info on vintage cues.
I believe he would know a bit of the history of the Saunier W Co.

In the early days, it was either the SW Co, that made both cues and tables for Brunswick or it may have been the other way around.

Thats about as much trivia I know about that one. There are some SW butterfly cues for sale on EBay right now.

I'm a sucker for a bargain myself and I like antiques more than new things.
Glen would be the guy to ask. If he says a good mechanic can fix your table
up to snuff, then go for it. If he nixes the idea then you have to realize that Glen's word is pretty much gospel when it comes to fixing tables.

Good luck on that one Bud.
 
I play on a 10 footer, snooker table about every week, really thick slate and heavy as hell. I like the old tables.
 
My understanding is that it's all there, but we'll see. The owner did mention that the leathers are new. It's possible that they left the covers off.
I'm a sucker for a bargain, but as a friend likes to tell me, "Buying all the bargains just makes a guy go broke."
We'll see....
Karl

Look at this table it shows what I am referring to.
http://www.jimbuss.com/shop.htm
Looking at your picture I imagine I can see a discolored area where the covers should be. Not that I have seen a zillion of them I never saw one without the covers.
 
Great solid tables

I have a friend that worked for SW for over 10 years. True SW tables are very good solid tables, many designed similar to Brunswick. Installed properly by a good table mechanic, they will play as good as their Brunswick counterparts.

Complaints about cloth, bucket sizes, and even the silly pocket covers are all addressable by a good mechanic.

Some caveats, just because it has a SW nameplate doesn't mean SW made it. Common practice had service techs switch name plates from the original manufacturer, many are really Brunswick. I have three antique Brunswick 9 tables. One a Brunswick Madison, almost the twin of this table in question. Almost, but not quite. The other two have SW nameplates (restoration in progress) but are truly Brunswick. My confirmation is the patent stickers, all Brunswick patents.

In any case, great table for the price. If you want more info, provide more pics of any nameplates, stickers, patent into, and underside numbering of the wood. Bolt heads too for the rails. Only Brunswick used a certain head and thread pattern.

My guess without further info and pics is that this is a SW table.

Good luck!
 
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