Karnehm & Hillman: A Billiard Table Story
The story began in 1965 with Bill Hillman, trading as W G Hillman (Billiards), a business built on table renovations and second hand table sales.
In 1971, Hillman was joined by Jack Karnehm, then a well known player and TV commentator. Together they traded as Jack Karnehm & W G Hillman Billiard Supply Co. Incorporation followed in 1973, and by 1979 the familiar name Karnehm & Hillman Ltd. was established.
These were peak years for Karnehm and Hillman as this was the era of the Snooker boom; the company’s “Magnus” table earning top billing as the choice for the 1977, 1978 and 1979 World Professional Snooker Championships.
A new factory and showroom in Langley, Berkshire, opened in 1980, the same year they supplied the table for the Professional Billiards Championship. Riding the snooker boom, they produced a wide range of tables for the fast-growing club market.
The name lingered, but by 5 June 1997 the company was registered “dormant.”
The quality of their tables is still well respected today and there is a lively second hand market in Karnehm & Hillman tables.
John A Smith
Cues n Views
