Bristol style Skittles

Pins

Bristol style skittle pins are ideal for fetes and pub fun as well as more serious skittling. They measure 10 inches high in 3 diameters and come in 2 materials.

Beech/Sycamore sets can optionally feature a 'Fattie Annie' - this is a kingpin which is marginally fatter and which has a lined marked around its centre. The difference in diameter is barely visible and the height is identical with the other pins so it's quite possible to play non-kingpin skittles with the fattie-annie set.

The hardwood pins are turned from traditional Beech or Sycamore - timber that tends to deteriorate over time by denting rather than splitting. Ideally they should be rubbed down with an linseed oil rag at the end of each session. They are suitable both for fun and for serious skittling.

In pubs, the 4.5 inch pins are usually played with 4.75 inch diameter balls while the 5 inch pins tend to be played with a 5 inch ball. 4 inch pins might be used with 4 inch or 4.5 inch balls. Pins may be made from more than one piece of bonded timber. Please refer to our Timber Quality Statement.

Change to $ Change to C	UK pounds (ex.VAT)	Pounds (incl. VAT)	Typical ETA in wkg days	Add to basket
9 Bristol style pins - 4 inch - pins (no kingpin)	£110.55	£129.90	10 + transit time
9 Bristol style pins - 4.5 inch pins (no kingpin)	£117.36	£137.90	10 + transit time
9 Bristol style 10 x 5 inch pins (no kingpin)	£177.79	£208.90	12 + transit time
8 Bristol style 10 x 4 inch pins + Fattie Annie	£126.72	£148.90	12 + transit time
8 Bristol style 10 x 4.5 inch pins + Fattie Annie	£176.94	£207.90	12 + transit time
8 Bristol style 10 x 5 inch pins + Fattie Annie	£177.79	£208.90	12 + transit time

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.

Some leagues prefer hard rubber which is heavier, takes longer to wear out the pins and is also more environmentally friendly. The balls here are pink to reduce marking of the alley.

Lignum Vitae has become increasingly difficult to obtain it seems clear that soon it will be impossible to buy any at all. 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.

Change to $ Change to C	UK pounds (ex.VAT)	Pounds (incl. VAT)	Typical ETA in wkg days	Add to basket
3 x Lignum Vitae balls - 4 3/4 inch Apologies - out of stock. Date new stock due: unknown. Email us to be notified when new stock is available.	£199.06	£233.90	12 + transit time	Apologies - out of stock. Date new stock due: unknown. Email us to be notified when new stock is available.
3 x Lignum Vitae balls - 4 7/8 inch Apologies - out of stock. Date new stock due: unknown. Email us to be notified when new stock is available.	£199.06	£233.90	12 + transit time	Apologies - out of stock. Date new stock due: unknown. Email us to be notified when new stock is available.
3 x Lignum Vitae balls - 5 inch Apologies - out of stock. Date new stock due: unknown. Email us to be notified when new stock is available.	£199.06	£233.90	12 + transit time	Apologies - out of stock. Date new stock due: unknown. Email us to be notified when new stock is available.
3 black phenol resin skittle balls - 5 inch (each 1.4Kg, 3lbs)	£73.11	£85.90	3 + transit time
Set of 3 pink rubber skittle balls (5 inch diameter)	£125.02	£146.90	1 + transit time

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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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