If you run a table repair shop or a billiard dealership, this scenario is familiar. A customer says they want 'the good cloth.' You check your inventory: Simonis 860 Tournament Blue on the left, Simonis 760 on the right. Which one goes on the table?
I have to make that call every week. I'm the procurement manager for a regional billiard supply company. I've managed our cloth and parts budget for seven years, compared quotes from more vendors than I can list, and tracked every re-cover in our cost system. This article is the comparison I actually use when the purchase order is in front of me.
First, let's clear up a phrase: a 'Simonis pool table' isn't made by Simonis. Simonis makes the cloth. When a customer asks for a Simonis pool table, they mean they want a table covered with Simonis pool felt. That distinction matters because the cloth is the part we can control—and it's the part people blame when the real problem is under the cloth.
Simonis 860 vs. Simonis 760: the cost view
Simonis 860 Tournament Blue is a 100% worsted-wool cloth built for tournament speed. Simonis 760 is a wool-nylon blend made to take more abuse. From a cost view, 860 costs more per roll. 760 costs less. But that raw price difference is the least useful number in the calculation.
I learned that in my first year. I approved a non-Simonis 'equivalent' because it was $40 cheaper per roll. Three months later, one of those tables came back with a visible seam bulge and a customer who didn't want to hear the word 'equivalent.' The re-cover cost me several times the $40 I thought I'd saved. That is how I started tracking total cost, not sticker price.
The formula I use is simple: total cost per table equals the cost of the cloth divided by the number of tables it covers, plus the labor for installation, plus the expected cost of the next re-cover. If a cloth is cheaper but needs to be replaced sooner, it's not cheaper.
What 'Tournament Blue' actually means
The name matters in a specific way. Simonis 860 Tournament Blue is not just a blue cloth. It's the color and finish that tournament venues specify. Players use the blue for contrast against the red object ball, and the cloth's surface is woven tight enough to keep that contrast predictable.
When a customer asks for 'the blue cloth,' I always ask which blue. Some blue cloths are just colored. Tournament Blue is a standard. If you're pricing a job for a serious player, don't substitute a different shade and hope they don't notice.
The slate is the rock. The cloth is the slide.
Here is the part that search queries rarely explain. The reason a high-end Simonis feels smooth is only partly the fabric. The other part is the slate underneath. Slate is the rock. Cloth is the slide. I call this the slide rock principle: if the rock is level and clean, the slide will be consistent. If the slate is warped, no cloth can fix it.
Before you order Simonis pool felt, check the slate. Run a straightedge across it. Look for gaps under the straightedge. Check the seam between slate slabs. Level the frame if it needs it. That check takes 15 minutes and prevents a re-cover call six months from now.
Prevention is cheaper than cure
Most cloth failures are not actually cloth failures. They are maintenance failures. Chalk gets pushed into the weave. Body oil sits on the surface. The cloth plays 'slow,' and the customer wants a new cover.
Brush first. Use a proper cloth brush, not a broom. Brush in one direction after play for two minutes. This is the cheapest insurance in the industry. It costs time, not money.
When brushing is not enough, use a cleaner made for billiard cloth. The one we stock is Simonis X1. Spray it on the brush, not directly on the cloth. Let it dry before play. Never use a household spray cleaner; it can leave a residue that changes the slide.
People come to this topic from odd searches. In our analytics, 'how to clean speaker on iPhone' is one of those queries. The most useful answer there is also a dry soft brush and no liquid. The principle is the same: use the softest tool that works, and don't make the surface wetter than it needs to be.
How I stock these two rolls
In our warehouse, we keep both 860 and 760 in stock. That sounds obvious, but I've talked to dealers who only stock one because they don't want to tie up cash. I get it. Cash flow matters. But the cost of not having the right cloth is the cost of a lost job or a rushed substitute.
If you can only stock one roll, start with 860. It is the safer default for a shop that wants to look serious about quality. If you're servicing bars and commercial accounts, 760 will be the one that actually turns. Keep at least one roll of each if your volume allows. The inventory cost is a lot smaller than the reputation cost of covering a table with the wrong surface.
So which Simonis cloth should you install?
If you want a simple answer, you're not going to get one. The right answer depends on the table's life, not on the brand.
- Choose Simonis 860 Tournament Blue when the customer wants tournament conditions: a home table with serious players, a club with weekly leagues, or a showpiece table where ball speed is a selling point.
- Choose Simonis 760 when the table will live a harder life: a bar table, a rental table, or a family room where the pool table shares space with a Guess Who board game, a checkers set, and a drink without a coaster.
Both are Simonis. Both play well. The question is not which one is 'better.' It is which one will cost less over the life of the table.
Bottom line
Stop comparing sticker prices. Start comparing total cost.
As of early 2025, the spread between 860 and 760 varies by distributor. I won't quote exact prices here because they move—check current numbers before you budget. But the decision logic does not move: inspect the slate first, choose the cloth based on use, and maintain the surface before it needs repair.
I also try to keep our marketing claims honest. Per FTC advertising guidelines (ftc.gov), claims have to be substantiated. So I don't tell customers that a cloth lasts forever, or that it's better than every other brand. I tell them what the product is specified for, and I let the table speak for itself.
If you do the prevention part, either cloth can be a good investment. If you skip it, the most expensive cloth becomes the most expensive mistake. That's the one cost comparison I've never seen change.