Boule busters

For several years French boules makers have been pointing out that the "no name" boules on the market (made in China as we all know) are filled with sand & rubbish.
Obut f.ex. has a comparison on their website with photos. One could merely dismiss it as "sour grapes" for not being able to compete with Chinese prices. And whether they're recyclable or not is rather irrelevant.

BUT they are absolutely right that a ball full of sand and stones is a far cry from a hollow boule, which is what they should be: hollow, and consisting of metal only, i.e steel, bronze or any other alloy.

I wanted to break one open myself and see with my own eyes what the story is. Without the right tools that's not an easy task. But a friend of a friend here in NC did have the solution:



Fast & easy, for a good shot at least, which he was!



Some of the filling flew out on impact, but below you see the result close-up: sand, stones, pieces of wood, rubbish indeed. You also see how thin the wall is, as compared to a genuine, hollow boule. About half the thickness.


(click on the image for details)

So if you ever wondered why those "no name" boules don't always roll straight, now you know why!