Making celluloid billiard balls at the Albany Billiard Ball Co. (late 19th C)
Previously made from ivory, celluloid was developed in the 1860s and was the material of choice for billiard balls till the 1980s when phenolics replaced it. I'm curious about that, bakelite were patented in 1909 and no one got around to trying the material for balls for 70 years?
4 comments:
I hope the company was listed as ALBABILBAL on the NASDAQ index.
--rats
I'm no billiard ball expert; I don't shoot pool but looking around online it seems that celluloid (nitrocellulose back then) was used during the late part of the 19th century and into the early part of the 20th century with phenolics, including Bakelite, pretty much taking over prior to 1920.
That seems likely to me .Googling brought the 1980 date in two places so I went with it.
I’m more interested in the ball-making process. A two part mold would leave a seam which would have to be polished out while remaining perfectly spherical. Much like ball bearings. I’m sure I can google that too!
"Bakelite was a significant improvement because it was more durable and safer to produce than earlier celluloid balls, which could explode."
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