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  • 4 piece slate

    Hi all. Noticed something today at my local club and was unaware of this until today. One of the 4 tables has only 4 slates. Which means that the joint runs across the blue spot. Has anyone ever known about these tables? If so, is it a sign of age rather than quality? The table has no other noticeable difference to distinguish it from others.
    Cheap and Cheerful! 😄
    https://wpbsa.com/coaches/simon-seabridge/

  • #2
    4 piece slate

    these tend to be older, if I recall 5-slate beds came into general use after WW1, but there were some makes that started it earlier. as with most things table-related there is a fudge time as new things came in and old things went out.

    Do you know the make of the table? Any photos?
    Up the TSF! :snooker:

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    • #3
      5 slate sets are hard enough to move. I wouldn't fancy moving that weight in 4 pieces!
      王可

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      • #4
        I recall Geoff saying that the change could have been due to the end of the WW1 and reducing the team that went out to fit, from a team of 4 down to 2
        Up the TSF! :snooker:

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        • #5
          Originally Posted by inevermissblue View Post
          Hi all. Noticed something today at my local club and was unaware of this until today. One of the 4 tables has only 4 slates. Which means that the joint runs across the blue spot. Has anyone ever known about these tables? If so, is it a sign of age rather than quality? The table has no other noticeable difference to distinguish it from others.
          Four slates are a sign of age, not quality. When slate was first introduced into full-size tables, in the 1830s they replaced the three-section wooden beds with four section slate, the thickness was between 7/8ths and 1 inch in both cases. As slates got thicker, the number of sections changed to five. The last definite reference I have to a four section bed is in 1868, when Burroughes & Watts were offering either four or five sections, with thicknesses between 1-1½ inches, according to customer requirements.

          It would be useful to get a picture of this table to see if it can be dated any later than this. I'm sure they continued to be made to customer order, although I'd be interested to know for how long. In any case, I would have thought that they would have been at the thinner end of the range offered. Can you measure the thickness of the slate on your table?

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