The Journal
Insights
Quiet reading for buyers, designers, and dealers. Long-form guides on choosing a table, planning a room, and caring for solid hardwood through the decades.
Craftsmanship
How a C.L. Bailey Table Is Built
A walk through the construction of a C.L. Bailey pool table: solid hardwood, mortise-and-tenon joinery, 1-inch industry-standard slate, hand-finished cabinets, and the lifetime guarantee that follows.
Start Here
The pillar guides
Room Planning
Pool Table Room Planning
How to plan a billiards room that plays well, photographs well, and lives well: clearance, lighting, flooring, traffic flow, and the dimensions that actually matter.
Buying Guide
The Pool Table Buying Guide
How to choose a pool table that earns its place in your home: size, slate, cabinet, cloth, and the dealer relationship that ties it all together.
The Archive
Latest from the journal
11·The Archive
- 01
Design and Trade · Sep 22, 2026
Three Styles, One Point of View: Orbis, Mercer, and Harlow
Design and Trade · 7 min read
Design and Trade7 min readSep 22, 2026 - 02
Buying Guide · Sep 22, 2026
Velocity Tournament: A Commercial-Style Pool Table for Your Game
Buying Guide · 4 min read
Buying Guide4 min readSep 22, 2026 - 03
Buying Guide · Apr 24, 2026
8 Foot vs 9 Foot Pool Table: Which Size Is Right for Your Home
Buying Guide · 7 min read
Buying Guide7 min readApr 24, 2026 - 04
Craftsmanship · Apr 24, 2026
How a C.L. Bailey Table Is Built
Craftsmanship · 10 min read
Craftsmanship10 min readApr 24, 2026 - 05
Room Planning · Apr 24, 2026
Lighting a Billiards Room
Room Planning · 8 min read
Room Planning8 min readApr 24, 2026 - 06
Room Planning · Apr 24, 2026
Minimum Room Size for a Pool Table
Room Planning · 7 min read
Room Planning7 min readApr 24, 2026 - 07
Room Planning · Apr 24, 2026
Pool Table Room Planning
Room Planning · 11 min read
Room Planning11 min readApr 24, 2026 - 08
Buying Guide · Apr 24, 2026
Slate Thickness Explained: Why 1 Inch Is the Industry Standard
Buying Guide · 6 min read
Buying Guide6 min readApr 24, 2026 - 09
Buying Guide · Apr 24, 2026
The Pool Table Buying Guide
Buying Guide · 11 min read
Buying Guide11 min readApr 24, 2026 - 10
Care and Maintenance · Apr 24, 2026
When to Replace Pool Table Cloth
Care and Maintenance · 7 min read
Care and Maintenance7 min readApr 24, 2026 - 11
Care and Maintenance · Apr 24, 2026
Worsted vs Napped Pool Table Cloth: Which Is Right for Your Table
Care and Maintenance · 8 min read
Care and Maintenance8 min readApr 24, 2026
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