slate shelf bevel on antique tables

[BFC]

I noticed on many older pool tables, the "shelf" area of the slate (from the mouth to where it drops off into the pocket) are beveled (basically starting at the mouth). Whereas, most newer slates seem to have perfectly flat shelves right to the throat.

I'm not talking about the 1/4 inch or 1/8 inch bevel, but rather, it's about an inch of bevel.

The question is - was that common in the day? Perhaps a result of after-market "homemade" openings from converting carom --> pockets? Perhaps what I am seeing are just "home" versions, easier for the recreational players to make balls?

Examples:

View attachment 623305

View attachment 623306

 

[Black-Balled]

Not sure why they cut the slate like that, but they sure did.

I had an antique that would take a ball into the side pockets as it passed the pocket close to the long rail at low speed.

HIGHLY entertaining.

 

[garczar]

I noticed on many older pool tables, the "shelf" area of the slate (from the mouth to where it drops off into the pocket) are beveled (basically starting at the mouth). Whereas, most newer slates seem to have perfectly flat shelves right to the throat.

I'm not talking about the 1/4 inch or 1/8 inch bevel, but rather, it's about an inch of bevel.

The question is - was that common in the day? Perhaps a result of after-market "homemade" openings from converting carom --> pockets? Perhaps what I am seeing are just "home" versions, easier for the recreational players to make balls?

Examples:

View attachment 623305

View attachment 623306

I've always heard that the bevel you describe was to make the table play easier.

 

[BFC]

So would they have originally come like that?

 

[garczar]

So would they have originally come like that?

oh yeah. seen lots of home tables with a pretty big bevel. i think even B'wick did it a little on the GC depending on if it was slate or Brunstone.

 

[Rockin' Robin]

About 50 years ago I was coming off a drilling rig out in the middle of nowhere TX and went into the local town and found a Mexican pool hall on Main Street. Got a set of balls and went to a table in the middle of the room and started practicing. Just a few minutes later one of the locals came over and told me I was playing on the 'ladies' table. He then showed me the beveled slate and explained it was to make things easier for beginners.

First one I had seen. Later in my travels, one of the explanations I heard was that it made the games go quicker in the places that charged by the rack.

 

[Bob Jewett]

... Later in my travels, one of the explanations I heard was that it made the games go quicker in the places that charged by the rack.

That was the explanation I heard as well.

 

[Chip Roberson]

Little room in my home town had as the fist table a Anniversary Centennial and then two Anniversary's . The third one had those drop off pockets and saw it happen many times, a ball hit ever so slowly down the rail by the side could and would drop right into the pocket.

 

[Banger]

I had an antique that would take a ball into the side pockets as it passed the pocket close to the long rail at low speed.

HIGHLY entertaining.

Scott Lee told me he had one of those crazy 8-balls (round, but out of balance), that he used in his exhibitions. He said he would roll it down the long rail with some spin, and it would drop into the side pocket every time. The poor college kid on the opposite side of the table was trying to do the same thing, with a normal pool ball, and could never make it happen.

 

[SBC]

For table difficulty what really matters is how deep the shelf is to the beginning of the drop radius. Balls going in from there anyways. I'm sure with products like Brunstone and cheaper slates, the bigger radius is less apt to chip/crack.