Professional Pool Table Product Reviews

On paper Spencer Marston looks to be a great table. Visit their website and like everyone else’ they will tell you their tables are the industry leader, superior, the best built in America! And while they appear to have the features of a top quality table a closer look shows that that is just not the case.

While typically 2” thick every Spencer Marston body I have ever worked on has some kind of twisting to it despite the double center beams. While some wood is US sourced (Oak and Birch) a lot of other wood is harvested overseas so not always what a US consumer would expect from a “Solid Wood” table. Still, they are actually solid wood. In our opinion, not the quality of wood found on other brands, but solid nonetheless. Color (stain) selection is very limited. Slate, while claimed to be top quality sourced from Brazil (typically the best slate you can get) and China (not so much) just does not seem to react like other top quality slates on the market. We find inclusions, marbling and impurities all the time and the slate tends to flake when the heat to apply the wax is applied which we do not find on other better rated brands of table. We also find that the sets of slate are not matched sets. Similarly, it has been our experience that the rubber is sub par quality also despite being 100% gum rubber. They claim that pool table slate should screw directly to the tables frame on their website yet their tables do not use this method. Their slate screws to an add on piece that is attached to the outside of their frame. To make matters worse, the piece is not even a full top frame support, it is literally 2 small pieces of wood attached to the frame on each side.

New, these tables come in just above the bargain basement priced tables but do have some better styling options. Course they are internet specials! I would not recommend purchasing one of these to anyone as they are very low quality and have no value on the secondary market. I will say though that the owner of the company is passionate about the product he sells and shows willingness to hear opinions on his product and make it better. Spencer Marston is still a newer brand (2004) and companies like Olhausen, Connelly and American Heritage all had some sub par product when they started too and have all made improvements. Look for Spencer Marston to do the same. Used these tables are only worth $200 pre install but unless you live in a terrible market there is likely something better out there for you. But as with anything, if you like the style and it is available, go ahead. But shop around with local table mechanics first, many will not even touch these tables which is why we rate them low in our Pool Table Reviews.