Linwood

Thanks; the good news is all 6 pockets are identical. When installed the sides stretch a bit differently but not much, like a quarter or half inch, but surprisingly when they came in they were all the same.

@Rockoboy, thanks for the idea. At worst I can just buy a set from the manufacturer as patterns, but trying to retain one is obviously better. Now this may come as a silly question but... How does one find a "real" Leather worker who might have the experience to do such a thing? Ask around saddle shops perhaps? I'd much prefer to find someone local, so if there are issues fitting it, etc. they might actually be able to come see. Would the sort I need advertise as "Leatherworker" or Boot repair or.... ?

It definitely looks like a surface paint-like finish, yes. If there's nothing I can use that will sink in and not rub off, I do not want to use it, as that would be worse (e.g. coming off on hands/cues). I'll see what the manufacturer recommends. My fear is that this surface "paint" is a solution to another problem apparently common - dye that comes off on the balls when they hit the pockets. Don't want to trade my current problem for that. Because of the shape of these pockets I do not have any alternative suppliers, as many pool tables do from 3rd parties.

@gojosh, yes, last time I tried using some really thin painters poly over the whole table (in case we spilled wine or other staining stuff into the cracks between sections). I ran this over the pockets as well, and it was thin enough not to cause a height problem, but seemed to protect them so they didn't get worse. I contacted the retailer who is looking into replacements, but the manufacturer is taking a summer break for a couple weeks (and then I'm on vacation), so won't know until late August. She thinks they will offer to switch to black pockets which she says uses a different process for dying. Not sure I want black. So it's a work in progress. But I still also am tempted to just touch these up, not make it worse by using the poly, as opposed to getting black pockets. If I go that way, anyone recommend a good touchup type of dye that won't come off on the hands (after suitable drying period)? Not to change color of the existing paint, but to soak into the unpainted and make it look similar, not perfect. It's not like anything really leather is perfect.

Well, your point is well taken, but it's not clear what they can do given the design. It is almost impossible to put the top on without some lateral movement, and they do not themselves make the pockets, so giving me new ones will be exactly the same type, and in a few weeks right back to where I was. My guess is they will say "you shouldn't let the top touch", but ... as I say, almost impossible. So nothing simple I can do to make it look decent?

OK, for reasons unclear the images are not visible when I look at this topic, though they were there when I created it. Here are direct links to the images on Smugmug: https://photos.smugmug.com/Pooltable/i-vD97fFJ/0/130ac58b/O/Pool%20table%20scratching%20of%20pockets%20-%20DD8_4603_88219.jpg and https://photos.smugmug.com/Pooltable/i-DDBZRpq/0/77f75629/O/- DD8_4602_88218.jpg with apologies for whatever I did wrong to get them embedded.

I am not a leatherworker. I hope the site is tolerant of non-trade requests for help. I have a new pool table, that also has a top that goes on that turns it into a dining table. The table has leather pockets whose finish appears painted on and not dyed into the material. The top can touch it when being installed, and appears to be abrading it. The images below are after only about two weeks, so it's going to get worse. Because of the specialized nature and size, I do not appear to have choices of different pockets; even if I make a warranty claim they will simply replace them and we start over with the same problem. I am wondering if there is a dye or other coloring I can use to have the abraded area match in color. A requirement would be that it not come off on hands or pool cues after it dries. I am also not very interested in having the entirety of the pocket re-dyed, notably the area where the balls hit or land, for fear that the resulting product might come off on the balls. That is a not infrequent problem with leather pockets, and these actually are perfect in that regard - no residue seems to come off at all. Which is a bit strange, as the balls hit VERY hard just below this point, but there's no visible damage there. It appears as if this top edge has a different kind of treatment, one that is glossy, whereas the rest of the pocket in the hole is a very matte finish, not glossy. I should also note I put some saddle soap on these soon after purchase (Bickmore Saddle Soap + Lanolin) and wiped off well, hoping to make it a bit more soft. Is it possible that actually contributed to this, making it more vulnerable? It is possible but not simple to remove the pockets (meaning I am not a pool table mechanic and not sure if I can get them reinstalled exactly right, though maybe), so would prefer something I can apply in place. If necessary I can place a shield under the lip of the pocket to product the wood, as it is not fastened at the top, only down inside the pocket. I was quite literally going to get some shoe polish and try, but thought to ask some experts first before I make the situation worse. Again, a perfect match is less important than one that does not come off to the touch, or even light friction of a (very smooth) cue sliding across it.