Pool Table Pocket Replacement

Jul 4, 2011

Here is a 1970s Delta pool table we recently repaired for our clients in Cypress, CA. These leather pockets have seen a lot of action in their day and were in serious need of replacing. Over the past few years, my client tried fixing the leather nets by using string to mend the holes. When it comes to replacing leather pockets on an older pool table like this one, we must determine if the pockets are standard or custom. Most of the time our standard #6 pockets work fine, but there is one particular maker of pool tables, Delmo, that useĀ a larger pocket iron.

You may be wondering how you can tell if your pool table takes standard pockets. The best way to tell is to look at the nameplate present on the head rail. If your pool table is a Delmo, it will be commonly displayed on the nameplate. If you do have a Delmo pool table, don’t fear. There are still replacement leather pockets available. The only other scenario that may require oversized #6 irons is present in antique pool tables from the late 1800s to the early 1950s. Most pool tables manufactured from the 1960s to the present use common #6 irons.

Some of you may be wondering what a pocket iron is. The iron got its name because it was commonly made out of cast iron. The iron’s purpose is to support and give the rounded shape of the corner pockets. The side pockets use an iron to create the proper shape for the balls to enter and the iron also supports the weight of balls that may accumulate in each pocket.