     
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
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.
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
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 Skittles
Skittles, 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.
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