Collection Gift Guide: 8 Ball, Corner Pocket
December 1, 2004
MARTIN BAUER BILLIARDS
While I was an undergraduate at UCLA a decade ago, I spent a summer in
Cambridge, England, taking classes at Pembroke College (Cambridge University is composed of 30-odd colleges). At least in the summertime, Cambridge is a
sleepy town–I recall only one nightclub, with a dodgy sound system–and so I spent plenty of time in Pembroke’s billiard room and on the croquet court
(both were in the courtyard my room faced). I never achieved exceptional skill
at either pastime, but came to appreciate both as leisurely yet highly
competitive ways to spend a long afternoon.
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
Unlike the croquet court, Pembroke’s billiard table was nothing special to
look at. Like most tables it was traditional in design and appropriate for the
clubby atmosphere of a Cambridge college, but hardly stylish. Ever since then I have
been more attuned to billiard table design, and more often than not I have been unimpressed. The new table from MartinBauer Billiards is, however, a
standout. Measuring 4.5 by 9 feet, the table has a deconstructed form that is reminiscent of a suspension bridge, and it is lighted from below with a new
LED technology called Plexineon from iLight Technologies. Although composed of a durable plastic composite, it distributes an even blue, green, amber, or
red light comparable in quality to neon. The table’s metal frame can be finished in a variety of colors or even chromed. MartinBauer uses Italian slate from
Carlo Giuffra Ardesie and #860 Tournament Blend billiard cloth from Iwan
Simonis. The table is priced at $36,000. (Click image to enlarge)
Accessories matching the table’s aesthetic include a wall-mounted cue stick rack that holds eight cue sticks, a chalk block, 32 billiard balls, and a ball rack. It sells for $1,770. Also available is a $1,200 Delta Light overhead lighting fixture composed of six incandescent light pods that can be color-matched to the table.
MartinBauer Billiards
877.372.3127
www.martinbauerbilliards.com
advertisement
