Whatsit Wednesday: Billiard balls

When I was young, I remember going to someone’s house who had a pool table. I do not remember whose house it was, but it must have been someone with some money. A pool table is not a small thing. You have to have a whole room for the thing. But in those days, it was one of the things to show that you were up and coming. Later it might have been a ping pong table, or simply a pool. 

The pool table intrigued me because of the feel, the smell and the game itself. The table was felt, the balls seemed like huge marbles, maybe made of ivory or something like that. The room had a light smell that came from the chalk that you could use, even if you didn’t quite know what it was for. And I could use my maths to play the game, figuring out angles and corners and lines. The billiard cue was a simple stick that, in the hand of the right person, turned into an amazing piece of sport equipment. 

Billiard cue. It was years before I figured out that the game was called “billiards”. By then I had come to know that there were other games on such table. Billiards was played on a table with holes in the corners. But some games didn’t have any holes at all - and the balls were colored differently. “Snooker” sounded like some word that you should be ashamed to say. But it was played all over Europe. 

Some of the best snooker players are indeed English or even Belgian. But all of them use the same kind of balls. Billiard balls, snooker balls and even “bumper pool” balls are all pretty much the same. And amazingly, they mostly come from Belgium. In the past (the games have been played since the 17th century), balls could indeed have been made from elephant ivory. Laster balls were made by certain composites, including balls made of bakelite - a substance also made by a Belgian. 

But modern balls are made of phenolic resin which is resistant to cracking and chipping. Almost 80% are made by Saluc under the name “Aaramith”. Saluc is a Belgian company founded in 1923. They also make Logitechh trackballs and nine-pin bowling balls. So the next time you enjoy any of these sports, you can think of Belgium’s contribution.