Simonis Pool Table Felt: A Quality Inspector’s Checklist for Choosing the Right Cloth

Who This Checklist Is For

If you're in the business of making, selling, or servicing pool tables, you've probably seen a dozen different cloth options. Maybe you've had customers ask for "the good stuff" and you're not sure what to recommend. Or you've installed a batch of cloth that looked right but felt wrong three months in.

This checklist has four steps. It's built from my experience reviewing about 200 cloth orders as a quality and brand compliance manager at a company that supplies Simonis products. I've rejected roughly 12% of first deliveries in 2024 alone—usually because of weave inconsistency or color mismatches. If you're a table manufacturer or dealer, this is for you. If you're a home buyer looking to re-felt one table, some of this will still apply, but your scale will differ.

Step 1: Confirm Table Specs and Level First

Before you order any cloth—especially Simonis—make sure you know the exact playing surface dimensions. Here's what I mean.

I once assumed a customer's table was regulation size. Didn't verify. Turned out they had an odd 8-foot with a slightly narrower width. The cloth we ordered (standard 7-foot cut) didn't cover properly.

The check point: Measure the playing surface length and width at the rail. Not the overall table. Not what the customer says it is. You measure. Write it down. Then check if it matches a standard size (like 7-foot, 8-foot, 9-foot). If it's non-standard, order a 9-foot piece and cut it yourself. That's cheaper than reordering.

Here's a specific spec: for a regulation 8-foot table, the playing surface is typically 44″ x 88″ (Source: Brunswick table specs, as of 2024). For a 9-foot, it's 50″ x 100″. Simonis cloth comes in standard roll sizes that match these, but always confirm your supplier's cut dimensions.

Step 2: Choose the Right Simonis Cloth for the Use Case

Simonis is not one product. They make several weaves, and each serves a purpose. The two you'll see most often are 860 and 760. Here's how they differ.

860 (Tournament Blue) is their flagship. It's a worsted wool-nylon blend (70/30, as of Q3 2024), woven tight and fast. This is what professional tournaments use. It's also what serious players want. Downside: it's expensive. A single roll (approx. 60 inches wide) runs about $180–$240 depending on the market (based on distributor quotes I checked in January 2025).

760 is a slightly looser weave, still wool-nylon, but more forgiving on older tables. It's slower. Good for bar tables or home use where you don't need tournament speed. Cost: roughly $130–$170 per roll (distributor pricing, same date).

Honestly, I'm not sure why some installers push 760 for every job. My best guess is they're trying to save on upfront cost. But if a customer pays for 860 and you install 760, they'll notice. The difference in ball speed is not subtle. It's about 15% faster on average in our tests (our internal team ran a blind test with 5 experienced players; 4 out of 5 identified 860 as the faster cloth).

The check point: Match the cloth to the player level and table condition. For competition-grade tables and serious players, 860 is the standard. For casual play or older tables with uneven slate, 760 is fine. If you're ordering for a dealer channel, 860 should be your main stock—it's what most discerning customers ask for by name.

Step 3: Verify Color Consistency—Don't Trust the Swatch

This is one most people ignore. They order "Tournament Blue" and assume it's the same across batches. Not always true.

In Q1 2024, we received a batch of 60 rolls where the blue was visibly off—more of a steel blue versus the standard deep tournament blue. Normal tolerance is within a few delta E units (color difference). This batch was off by about 4.5 delta E. The vendor claimed it was 'within industry standard.' We rejected the batch, and they redid it at their cost. Now every contract includes a color spectrophotometer requirement.

The check point: Before you accept any Simonis cloth delivery, compare it to a known reference. If you don't have a spectrophotometer, at least lay a sample swatch next to the roll in natural light. Look for shifts: too gray, too green, too light. If it looks different, it probably is. Trust your eye.

Also, check for sheen differences. Simonis 860 has a low-sheen finish. If your cloth looks shiny, that's a red flag. It could be a counterfeit or a lower-grade blend.

Step 4: Confirm Installation and Maintenance Protocols

Even the best cloth can fail if installed wrong. Here's what I've seen go sideways.

Stretching. Simonis cloth requires even, moderate tension. Over-stretch it (especially on the lengthwise grain) and you'll get a pillow effect: balls slowing down or drifting. Under-stretch and you'll get wrinkles within a month.

I learned never to assume the installer knows the proper tension. After receiving a table where the cloth was so tight it had visible distortion (we measured a 2mm gap at the seam), I created a simple tension guideline: use a torque wrench set to 50 inch-pounds for the rail bolts, and the cloth should have no visible stretch marks at the edge.

Maintenance. This is where Simonis' X1 cleaner comes in. A proper maintenance schedule—brush weekly, clean with X1 monthly—will extend cloth life by 30-50% (based on our test of 20 tables over 6 months in high-traffic areas).

The check point: If you're selling tables with Simonis cloth, include a maintenance card. List: brush direction (always in the grain), cleaning frequency, and which cleaner to use. Don't recommend generic household cleaners—they can degrade the wool fibers.

Common Mistakes and What to Watch For

Here are the pitfalls I see most often, and some advice on how to avoid them.

Mistake 1: Assuming Cloth is Universal

Simonis is a specialist. It's designed for billiard tables. Don't use it for other games or decorations. It won't perform the same. Also, don't assume Simonis cloth from one distributor matches another. Stock can vary by batch—always verify.

Mistake 2: Ignoring Storage Conditions

Cloth stored in high humidity or direct sun will degrade over time. Keep rolls in a dry, climate-controlled area. I've seen 8,000 units (yes, eight thousand) worth of cloth ruined in a warehouse because the roof leaked. The rolls absorbed moisture, the wool felt and the weave loosened. A total loss.

Mistake 3: Not Planning for Substitutions

If your supplier is out of 860 Tournament Blue, what do you do? Don't just grab the next available color. Have a backup plan: a specific alternative (like Simonis 760 in a similar color) or a lead time for restocking. In January 2025, 860 was on backorder at some major distributors. Having a pre-approved alternative saved one of our dealer clients a $22,000 redo and delayed launch. Yes, that specific.

Mistake 4: Forgetting to Check the Label

Simonis labels are standardized. Counterfeits exist—I've found some disguised as 860 that were actually 50% polyester. The real label has a specific font, a hologram (as of 2024), and a batch number. Check it before you take the roll off the pallet. If it looks off, call your supplier.

Final Note: Know When to Say No

Not every table needs Simonis. If a customer has a low-quality frame or neglected slate, don't recommend expensive cloth. It will tear faster or look bad. Be the professional who says, "For this table, a mid-grade felt will perform better than premium. Simonis is worth it when the rest of the build is solid." That builds trust, and trust brings them back for the next table.

That's the checklist. Four steps, each with a specific check point. If you follow them, you'll avoid the biggest pitfalls in specifying, ordering, and installing Simonis cloth.