The Man Behind the Billiard Table: A Craftsman's 20 Years of Dedication and Innovation

He crouches beside the billiard table, a piece of fine sandpaper in hand, meticulously smoothing the wood joints along the cushion. The workshop is quiet, broken only by the soft rasp of sandpaper against timber. This motion, he has repeated for twenty years.

His name is Zhu Weixing, the founder of Starplus Workshop. Many people, upon first hearing the name "Starplus Workshop," assume it's a time-honored brand. In reality, it started as just a "workshop"—a small, humble operation.

It All Started with a Second-Hand Sock Machine

The story's beginning has little to do with billiard tables.

In the late 1980s, Zhu Weixing's father used a second-hand domestic sock-knitting machine and converted it into equipment capable of producing the then-trendy pantyhose. Thanks to the fashionable designs, distributors flocked to purchase, and eventually, the products were exported to Mongolia and Russia. Back then, most businesses lacked brand awareness, but Zhu Weixing took note of a crucial lesson: even if you start with a modified sock machine, you must have your own name.

In 2012, he registered the trademark "Starplus Workshop." The brand's tagline: "All greatness begins from the ground up."

This phrase later became the cornerstone of Starplus Workshop's entire corporate philosophy. And the word "ground"—extending from socks to sports flooring, and then to billiard tables—seemed to have paved the way all along.

From Socks to Billiard Tables: The Logic Behind the Crossover

Many people find it puzzling: how did a brand that started with socks end up making billiard tables?

Zhu Weixing's answer is straightforward: "We're not switching industries; we're extending along the same logic—anything related to sports, anything users use daily, we aim to perfect."

Starplus Workshop's billiard table product line, from the Wei's T01 round-leg model to the T05 gold-flower-leg steel-cushion extended version, and the T08 Chinese Eight-Ball large gold round-leg model, each has undergone meticulous refinement. The SQF series for export covers snooker tables, Chinese Eight-Ball, Russian pyramid tables, carom tables, and even foldable billiard tables, amassing over 100,000 positive reviews globally.

But if you think Starplus Workshop's success lies merely in category expansion, you'd be mistaken. What truly anchors it in the fiercely competitive billiard table market is Zhu Weixing's obsession with the "small."

The Philosophy of "Small"

In an era where everyone aims to scale up, Starplus Workshop steadfastly adheres to being "small."

This "small" isn't about size but a mindset—thinking from the minutiae, valuing process details, and paying attention to subtle changes in outcomes. On a billiard table, this translates to aspects you might never notice but that drastically affect the feel of play.

For instance, the wood selection for the cushion rails: Zhu Weixing insists on at least three rounds of manual inspection, ensuring grain, hardness, and moisture content all meet standards before entering the warehouse. For the cloth installation, workers must apply tension at specific angles to guarantee the ball rolls in a straight, stable trajectory across the table. Even the seemingly simple ball return system—the R&D team repeatedly adjusted the track's slope to prevent harsh collision noises when balls roll back.

"Many companies think about how to make quick money; few think about how to do things solidly and build a century-old brand," says Zhu Weixing. "Too many businesses lack craftsmanship. Stay within your area of expertise, turn it into specialization, and then into distinction."

This philosophy of "slow is fast" has allowed Starplus Workshop to carve its own path in the seemingly traditional category of billiard tables.

The Self-Cultivation of a Billiard Table

Last year, a billiard club owner approached Starplus Workshop, wanting to order tables for his main hall. He had previously used tables from an international brand, but customers constantly complained about sluggish ball returns at the pockets and the cloth pilling after just six months.

Instead of pushing a product, Starplus Workshop's salesperson first asked a few questions: Are your patrons mainly casual players or semi-professionals? What's the lighting layout like in the hall? Has the floor been leveled? With these answers, they consulted the technical team and ultimately recommended the T05 gold-flower-leg steel-cushion extended version—the steel cushion design ensures crisper ball returns, and the cloth, a 9FT wool felt, was tested for durability and roll speed.

Three months later, the owner placed another order. He said, "Customers say the table plays 'crisp'—that sound when the ball drops into the pocket is just clean and sharp."

This kind of word-of-mouth is more convincing than any advertisement.

Master-Level, Not Self-Proclaimed

In 2021, Starplus Workshop upgraded its tagline to "Master-Level · World-Class." When asked how they dare to make such a claim, Zhu Weixing's response is direct: "Masters aren't self-proclaimed; they're made by users. We simply treat every table as if it were our first."

From establishing Guangzhou Starplus Trading Co., Ltd. in 2016, to independently leasing a 600-square-meter space for offices and warehousing, to founding Guangzhou SQF Sports Goods Co., Ltd. for export, Starplus Workshop's steps haven't been fast, but each has been firm. As he says, "All greatness begins from the ground up"—this phrase is both a tagline and the true essence of the company.

Today, Starplus Workshop's billiard tables have reached clubs, hotels, and homes in dozens of countries worldwide. Yet Zhu Weixing still makes it a habit to wander into the workshop when free, crouch down, run his fingers over the cushion joints, and listen to the sandpaper's rasp against the wood.

Twenty years—he's repeated this motion for two decades. And the man behind that billiard table is still polishing his next one.

If you're selecting tables for your club or simply want a billiard table at home that stands the test of time, it's worth looking into Starplus Workshop. See how a brand that emerged from a "small workshop" used the philosophy of "small" to achieve a "grand" vision.