Billiard Chalk ( now know in the U.K. as Snooker Chalk)
The following is taken from Norman Clare’s lecture
I should perhaps also briefly refer to the Billiard Chalk. It seems that chalk was used on the ends of cues even before the leather tips were used, in order to try and prevent or reduce miscuing. It is perhaps interesting to note that even today we use ordinary white chalk on the wooden chuck in a lathe in order to grip a Bowling Green Bowl firmly during the turning process. Originally the chalk used was white, but this made such a mess of the playing surface that the green and blue Chalks were introduced, which were not so noticeable on the green playing surface of the Billiard Cloth.
Note – Now other colours of chalk are available due in no small part to the range of coloured pool table cloth available
The earliest reference I have found concerning the use of chalk in order to give the cue a better “bite” or “grip” seems to indicate that during the 1820’s Edward Bartley of Bath first used chalk in order to apply “screw” or “side” to Billiard Balls, having discovered the advantages of using chalk for this purpose he astonished the spectators by the shots he was then able to play.
John Carr, who acted as marker, came to know the secret, and apparently made a small fortune by selling “twisting chalk” to other players, with the promise that they would be able to perform similar shots, and as many players will admit chalk on the tip of a cue certainly makes a tremendous difference to the players ability in controlling the cue ball.
Billiard Snooker Chalk is a manufactured commodity, and can vary in texture and quality tremendously. Present day chalks contain a considerable quantity of abrasive matter, and I have been told that in recent years before the war, one well known American Chalk of the brand name “Spinks” actually contained finely ground glass.
(End off section from Norman Clare’s lecture)
We have in the collection quite a comprehensive range of chalks, some with odd shapes, some with advertisement from the firms who sold the chalk. They make quite an interesting part of the collection in their own right and so the following pictures show the types we have on display. We also have some chalk related items such as the magnetic chalk holders and ceiling chalk holders . So these will also be included in the gallery.
Some of the chalk age can be guessed at based on the ‘old’ billiard firms names but the chalks are not in any particular order other than when the pictures were taken unless otherwise stated.
Click or tap images for more information
We also have a collection of chalk boxes, some of which give information about where it is made and the firm supply or distributing the product.
The fact that the chalk dust can easily soil both the players hands and clothing has meant that over the years all sorts of devices have been ‘invented’ and sold to try and reduce the problem. Perhaps the simplest was the chalk cup, fixed to the underside of the cushion. This meant that the player didn’t mnee their own piece of chalk.
(occasionally Thurston have some of these available for sale – phone +44 (0)151 482 2700)
Other devices have been ceiling suspended units, using pulleys and weights that kept the chalk out of the way of play but allowed the player to take hold of the chalk and pull it down to the tip to chalk their cue.
Over the years ways for Clubs to offer chalk for sale and collect the money without handling each small cube have been tried. One of the earliest that we have in the Collection takes round packed pieces like the Chas. Parker chalks shown earlier in the article.
