See all Skittles Equipment.
Skittle Balls
Competitive
skittlers have for centuries prefered to use balls made from the traditional
wood, Lignum Vitae, a tropical hardwood which is extremely hard, very
heavy and also self-lubricating. This is increasingly difficult to obtain
and many leagues are having to try new materials for their skittle balls.
Some
leagues prefer hard rubber which takes longer to wear out the pins and
is more environmentally friendly. The balls here are pink to reduce marking
of the alley.
As an alternative to Lignum, we have balls made from a black phenol resin composite. These are similar to the material used to make modern lawn bowls - the weight and density are deliberately similar to Lignum Vitae. They have been used by serious pubs and league players successfully for many years. They have the disadvantage that they can leave marks on the alley (although apparently cellulose thinners is effective at removal). But they are inexpensive and normally last for many seasons.
If you aren't sure what size ball you need, please see the guide at the bottom of this page.
Black Phenol Composite Skittle Balls
|
UK pounds (ex.VAT) |
Pounds (incl. VAT) |
ETA in workg. days |
Add to basket |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 black phenolic resin skittle balls - 4 inch |
£83.25 | £99.90 | Eng/Wales: 4 wk.days |
||||
3 black phenolic resin skittle balls - 4.5 inch |
£94.92 | £113.90 | Eng/Wales: 4 wk.days |
||||
3 black phenolic resin skittle balls - 5 inch |
£121.58 | £145.90 | Eng/Wales: 4 wk.days |
||||
3 black phenolic resin 5.5 inch skittle balls |
£162.42 | £194.90 | Eng/Wales: 2 wk.days |
||||
3 black phenolic resin 6 inch skittle balls |
£133.25 | £159.90 | Eng/Wales: 2 wk.days |
||||
For an immediate quote and ETA, add to the basket & select your location. |
Pink Rubber Skittle Balls
These skittle balls have quite different characteristics to wooden or phenolic resin balls but many leagues prefer them. They are hard rubber, bounce slightly more than resin balls and are a bit lighter. As the material has a slight give to it, they will tend to do less damage to the skittles and alley over the long term. The rubber is pink so that they don't mark the alley - black rubber balls tend to have that disadvantage.
|
UK pounds (ex.VAT) |
Pounds (incl. VAT) |
ETA in workg. days |
Add to basket |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Set of 3 pink rubber skittle balls (4.5 inch) |
£95.75 | £114.90 | Eng/Wales: 2 wk.days |
||||
Set of 3 pink rubber skittle balls (5 inch) |
£123.25 | £147.90 | Eng/Wales: 2 wk.days |
||||
Single pink rubber skittle ball (4.5 inch) |
£36.58 | £43.90 | Eng/Wales: 2 wk.days |
||||
Single pink rubber skittle ball (5 inch) |
£41.58 | £49.90 | Eng/Wales: 2 wk.days |
||||
For an immediate quote and ETA, add to the basket & select your location. |
Wooden Skittle Balls
Lignum
Vitae is an endangered wood and we have not been able to obtain it for
some years. Masters Traditional Games therefore recommends that pubs and
leagues convert to resin composite or rubber balls if possible. These
materials are cheaper and more environmentally friendly.
We do have some balls made from quarter-sawn, non-heartwood Beech timber. Beech is a hard wood but will not last as long as Lignum Vitae or rubber or phenolic resin. But for those looking for the traditional material, these balls are good quality at a decent price. If you need a different size, please contact us to enquire.
|
UK pounds (ex.VAT) |
Pounds (incl. VAT) |
ETA in workg. days |
Add to basket |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 x solid Beech skittle balls - 4.5 inch (from quarter-sawn non-heartwood timber) |
£95.75 | £114.90 | Eng/Wales: 3 wk.days |
|||
For an immediate quote and ETA, add to the basket & select your location. |
Single Balls
|
UK pounds (ex.VAT) |
Pounds (incl. VAT) |
ETA in workg. days |
Add to basket |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Single black phenolic resin 5.5 inch skittle balls |
£55.75 | £66.90 | Eng/Wales: 2 wk.days |
||||
Single black phenolic resin 6 inch skittle balls |
£47.42 | £56.90 | Eng/Wales: 2 wk.days |
||||
For an immediate quote and ETA, add to the basket & select your location. |
Guide to Skittle Ball Sizes
The following shows the size of LV ball typically used by leagues and clubs for the various pins sizes. The larger and heavier the ball, the easier it ploughs through the skittles which is rewarding, but the downside is that there will be a greater wear and tear on the pins and alley.
We have also shown our recommendations for the Composite and Rubber balls.
| Suitable for Pins | LV Balls | Resin Composite Balls | Rubber |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8" Welsh | 4" | ||
| 10" Welsh | 4 1/2" | 4 1/2" | 4 1/2" |
| 10 x 4" Bristol | 4 3/4" | 4 1/2" | 4 1/2" |
| 10 x 4.5" Bristol | 4 3/4" | 5" | 5" |
| 10 x 4.5" Glos | 4 7/8" or 5" | 5" | 5" |
| 10 x 5" Glos/Bristol | 4 7/8" or 5" | 5" | 5" |
| 12 x 6" | 5 1/2" or 6" |
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|
The Origin of SkittlesSkittles, or Nine Pins, as played in an alley has always been a popular pub game and is the ancestor of related games including ten-pin bowling and various indoor skittles variations. The origins of the game are uncertain but in Germany, in the 3rd or 4th century, monks played a game with a kegel which was a club carried for self defence. In the game, the kegel represented a sin or temptation and the monks would throw stones at it until they knocked it over. The modern German term for skittles is Kegelen. There are also two 14th century manuscripts that show a game called Kayles and depict throwers about to launch a long club-like object at eight pins and a kingpin. The typical form of Skittles is wherein balls are thrown or rolled from one end of an alley in an effort to knock down nine pins at the other end. Over the years, Skittles developed regional variations in the size of equipment, the rules and so forth. In the East Midlands, people play Long Alley in which the projectiles are rough balls or small capsule shaped logs called "cheeses" and a score is only made if the cheeses bounce a single time just in front of the pins. Old English Skittles or London Skittles, as played at the famous Freemasons Arms in Hampstead, is a majestic game in which enormous discus-shaped cheeses are flung so that they hit the skittles directly without touching the floor first. From these old games, various miniaturised versions appeared which were more convenient for many pubs with limited space. These include Northamptonshire Skittles and the extremely popular Table Skittles or Devil Amongst The Tailors. The most popular version of skittles, however, is West Country Skittles wherein 9 skittles are arranged in a square at the end of an alley that might be 24 feet, sometimes much longer. Each turn starts with all the skittles standing and consists of three balls being rolled down the alley. If all the pins are knocked down, then they are reset. So the maximum score in one turn is 27. You can learn more about the History of Skittles from The Online Guide to Traditional Games. |