Published: 10/11/2018
Why Choose Aramith Balls
The Aramith brand of pool and snooker balls are manufactured in Belgium by the Saluc company.
Founded in 1923 Saluc produce the world’s finest billiard, pool snooker and carom balls. The company has recently been bought by another world leader from the cue sports industry. Simonis cloth manufacturer also from Belgium recently purchased Saluc.
As well as billiard balls Saluc also produces a new range of pool tables called ‘Fusion’. These dining style tables have an all-metal frame and are a welcome addition to the market.
Aramith balls are the ball of choice in over 85 countries worldwide, and they have an 80% market share.
So what is it that sets the Aramith apart from other brands? There are many reasons for this, and we outline a few below. However, 1 key factor, in particular, puts Aramith head and shoulders above competitors.
The Key Factor
Phenolic Resin:
Saluc is the only company worldwide that use phenolic resin in the production of billiard balls. Other competitors use Polyester which is just no comparison.
Saluc has its own chemical plant and expert knowledge in this field. The unique technology used in production means that in contrast to polyester the phenolic resin provides unmatched characteristics in ball production.
Phenolic resin is a very hardwearing and dense material which makes the Aramith ball last up to 5 times longer than other brands.
A Hidden Secret
Our directors have visited Saluc on many occasions. The ball production is a very well guarded secret. For many years now, nobody has viewed the production process or entered the factory. One of our directors was lucky enough to be given the guided tour in the 70s, but few have been inside the factory since.
There is a 13 step manufacturing process that can take up to 23 days to complete. This includes casting, curing, grinding and polishing. State of the art computerisation is also used to check tolerances and specifications. However, each and every ball is still manually hand tested before receiving the official stamp of approval.
The Professionals Choice
There is not a serious pool, snooker, billiard or carom (Russian pool) event worldwide that does not use the Aramith ball. Aramith is the exclusive and official ball sponsor of many worldwide federations including United States Professional Pool Players Association, the American Pool Player Association and many more.
Aramith is used in the World Snooker finals played in Sheffield at the crucible each year. The G1 snooker set is the chosen set for the finals.
The recent addition of the Aramith Pro Cup ball range is used in most 9 ball American pool events. The super Aramith range includes the newly designed 6 red cue balls that have proved very popular with players and TV companies alike.
In other words, if you are serious about cue sports, then Aramith is the only choice.
All these products can be found in our ball section on the website.
Highest Quality
Aramith balls are renowned for having excellent characteristics.
These include precision diameter tolerance, perfect roundness, sharp colouring, anti-scratch resistance and hardness that cannot be matched. These are all vital components in making Aramith the worlds leading brand.
Competitors have significantly improved over the years and have certainly advanced production techniques. They are getting closer to the Aramith ball regarding the above characteristics. They are however still a long way behind when it comes to the playing balance and consistency of the balls. The raw material, molecular structure and ball density allow a very consistent roll and an accurate, precise rebound. Inferior products still have an erratic ball roll and inconsistent bounce off cushions. This can be critical when it comes to shot placement and potting.
To quickly recap, below are the reasons why Aramith are the only choice when it comes to balls.
- The Ultimate in Balance – The gravity at the centre of the ball guarantees an unrivalled true and accurate roll.
- Perfect Rebound – The Aramith resin allows optimal rebound to control each shot fully
- Burn Spot Resistant – thanks to the phenolic molecular structure the ball has no flat spots, less white marks and burn spots on the cloth minimising cloth wear.
- High Impact Resistance – Withstands over 50 times more impacts and is twice more scratch resistant than polyester balls. Heavy-duty design includes a solid core running through the ball number, rather than plugs that can come loose.
- Exceptional Longevity – Aramith balls save you money. They last up to 5 times longer and will lengthen your cloth life to assure the lowest yearly maintenance cost.
- Finest Characteristics – Aramith balls have perfect density, balance, diameter tolerance, and roundness, colour precision and surface polish.
As an official Aramith partner, we may be a little biased, but we really do feel that they are in a league of their own when it comes to balls.
