What improvements have been made in the production materials of billiards?

The "ball" used in billiards also has twists and turns. The earliest billiards were made of wood or brass. Later, inspired by Indian ivory ornaments and advanced instruments, ivory was also selected as billiards material. However, one ivory can only make five balls. According to the needs at that time, it is estimated that more than 10 thousand elephant teeth are needed every year to solve the problem, and the dosage is really considerable. Billiards require high quality and roundness, and each ball has the same weight. Due to the influence of product qualification rate, it is expensive and can only be enjoyed by a few people such as the royal family, which seriously hinders the popularization and development of billiards.

Until 1868, billiards developed widely in western countries, and the demand for balls also increased sharply. A billiards company in new york offered a reward of $10,000 to collect substitutes for ivory balls. At that time, Heath, known as the father of American plastic industry, developed plastic billiards by chemical methods. This invention promoted the revolutionary change of billiards manufacturing industry and made great contributions to the development of billiards. Therefore, Heath was also elected to the Hall of Fame by the American Billiards Association.