Simonis Billiard Cloth: An FAQ From the Person Who Pays the Invoices

I'm the procurement manager at a mid-sized billiard table service company. I don't install cloth myself, but I approve every cloth order, and I've tracked more than $180,000 in supply spending over six years. Here are the questions I actually answer, along with a few mistakes I made while learning the answers.

What makes Simonis 860 Tournament Blue worth the cost?

Simonis 860 Tournament Blue is a worsted wool-nylon cloth, not just a color. The tight weave gives you less drag and a more consistent roll. For a tournament table, consistency is the whole point. For a purchasing manager, though, the bigger draw is total cost, not the invoice price.

In 2023, I compared four cloth types for our 9-foot tables. The lowest-priced cloth was $168 per table. The Simonis 860 Tournament Blue was around $230. That's a 37% difference. But the lower-price cloth looked worn after 11 months of league play. The Simonis tables were still acceptable at 18 months. Per month of service, the Simonis cloth was actually cheaper. That's how I justify it to ownership now.

Does Simonis X1 pool table cleaner actually matter?

Yes, but maybe not for the reason you'd expect. Simonis X1 pool table cleaner is a spray cleaner for billiard cloth. It removes chalk dust and body oil without leaving a film that changes ball roll. It does not repair tears, burns, or loose seams.

I skipped it once. I told myself saving $18 was not worth worrying about. It was. The generic spray left a visible film - I don't fully understand the chemistry, but I know what I saw - and we had to re-clean two tables before a league night. That cost two hours of labor. X1 runs about $16 to $20 per bottle based on dealer quotes I checked in January 2025 (prices change, so verify current rates). The labor alone was worth more than the bottle. Note to self: don't make that mistake again.

What is regulation size pool table?

In tournament play, a regulation size pool table is a 9-foot table with a 100-inch by 50-inch playing surface between the cushion noses. That's 254 cm by 127 cm. According to the World Pool-Billiard Association (wpapool.com), that is the playing area for world-sanctioned competition. The WPA spec also sets cushion height, but for cloth ordering, the 100 by 50 measurement is the number you need.

Regulation size can be a little confusing because 7-foot and 8-foot tables are common in bars and homes. Those are not regulation tournament tables. When you order cloth, don't just say regulation size. Measure the playing surface, not the outer rails, and write that number on the purchase order.

Should you order Simonis 760 or 860?

Simonis 760 has a thinner weave than 860. It can feel faster, but it is not as heavy or durable. I use 860 on commercial tables and tournament tables because those surfaces take more abuse. 760 is a solid option for home tables where play is lighter and a quicker feel is welcome.

From a cost standpoint, 760 is usually a little less expensive than 860, but the gap is small compared with the labor cost of installation. If you are paying a mechanic to cover the table, the cloth price difference is not where I'd try to save money. I'd rather use 860 and re-cover less often. That's the prevention-over-cure argument, and it shows up in my tracking sheet.

How often should Simonis cloth be replaced?

It depends on hours of play, not the calendar. A table used for league nights four evenings a week will wear much faster than a home table played twice a month. We start inspecting commercial tables around 12 months. In my tracking system, I code each table by usage tier: heavy, normal, light. That tier determines when the first inspection happens.

For home tables, three to five years is a common range, but common is not a plan. Put quarterly inspections on the calendar. Five minutes with a flashlight is the cheapest maintenance I know. A check that gets skipped is usually the one that costs real money later.

What does a small tear really cost?

In Q2 2024, a 7-foot table in a local hall had a small snag near a pocket. The manager decided to wait until the league season ended. Three weeks later, the snag had become a rip, and the cloth was unplayable. We had to rush the re-cover and refund a weekend rental.

Total cost: about $920, including the rush labor and lost rental. A replacement cloth for that table would have been around $150 at our cost. Waiting to save a few days cost us six times the cloth itself. The savings from waiting? Zero. That is the difference between prevention and rework.

What do dumbbell pullovers and slide viewers have to do with buying cloth?

Nothing. That's the point.

While auditing our 2022 purchase data, I found a slide viewer on a supply order. Another order had dumbbell pullovers. Neither item made it near a pool table. They were line-item mistakes, but they reminded me why every order needs a complete description.

Write Simonis 860 Tournament Blue, 9-foot table, 100 x 50 playing surface on the order, not just 860 blue. Write Simonis X1 pool table cleaner if that's what you want. A few extra words cost nothing. A mislabeled order can cost hundreds.

Do I need a professional table mechanic for installation?

I'm not a table mechanic, so I can't talk you through stretching cloth. What I can tell you from the purchasing side is that installation labor is often 40 to 50 percent of a re-cover job. A bad install can ruin a piece of cloth in one afternoon. I've watched a $230 piece of 860 end up as scrap because the installer didn't pull it tight evenly.

That's not a cheap lesson. It's an expensive one. For commercial tables, I budget for someone who does this full time and knows slate seams, cushion nose height, and cloth tension. Do it right once.