OB Chalk

The OB Chalk is a solid premium offering...

I have had a box of it since the proto run 6-7 months ago and have used it extensively and have taken slides of it and looked at it up close and personal....

The texture is smoother than predator.. The color is not as dark as some so it will have less bleed and be cleaner than some...

They have graded abrasives and plenty of them. So it will outperform standard chalks....

Until a robot is employed I still will argue that the misscue limit using a premium chalk is further out than standard... It would take 30 days for a person to change their subconscious learned limit and be able to deliver a good stroke outside of their safe zone...

I have also experienced too many slips and misscues over the years using standard chalk using a good PSR and chalking every time... based on the minimal abrasives this happens occasionally and will be chalk related... Some times you chalk up and because of the nature of standard chalk all you got was fillers and binders... So all you did was turn the tip blue... I am not sure what the sample size would need to be to detect this but if it happens hill/hill for a trip to vegas, gambling or in a tournament finals, premium chalk is a pretty cheap insurance policy.......

The Renfro said:

Until a robot is employed I still will argue that the miscue limit using a premium chalk is further out than standard... It would take 30 days for a person to change their subconscious learned limit and be able to deliver a good stroke outside of their safe zone.

Click to expand...

Chris,

Below is my standard reply to your standard miscue-limit-test complaint. I personally think carefully-done experiments with actual human players can yield reliable results (sometimes even better than robot test results, which can sometimes be misleading, per the Rules of Robotic Cue Testing list of problems on the robot testing resource page).

From the chalk comparison resource page:

Concerning the miscue limit test, some people have questioned the validity of such a test. This test is actually the easiest to get good and consistent results. If you attempt to hit the CB close to the miscue limit a large number of times, some of the hits will be good (and create near maximum sidespin) and some of the hits will miscue (since you are pushing the limit). The only results that matter are: What was the furthest from center (and the most sidespin) you were able to get on any of the good hits with each of the chalks being compared? Again, if you do a large number of trials with each chalk, the best hit from each will provide a good comparison.

Regards,
Dave

dr_dave said:

Chris,

Below is my standard reply to your standard miscue-limit-test complaint. I personally think carefully-done experiments with actual human players can yield reliable results (sometimes even better than robot test results, which can sometimes be misleading, per the "Rules of CB DeflectionTesting" list of problems on the robot testing resource page).

From the chalk comparison resource page:

Concerning the miscue limit test, some people have questioned the validity of such a test. This test is actually the easiest to get good and consistent results. If you attempt to hit the CB close to the miscue limit a large number of times, some of the hits will be good (and create near maximum sidespin) and some of the hits will miscue (since you are pushing the limit). The only results that matter are: What was the furthest from center (and the most sidespin) you were able to get on any of the good hits with each of the chalks being compared? Again, if you do a large number of trials with each chalk, the best hit from each will provide a good comparison.

Regards,
Dave

Click to expand...

Dave once again I appreciate your reply... I still however am aware that your subconscious effects your stroke and even tho some of the hits will be good and some of them will be bad it's possible none of the strokes were of decent quality...

I understand that you are looking at where the blue mark is and figuring a hit is a hit....

but what part of the tip made contact... What direction was the tip actually travelling... Was it rising? Dropping? Swerving? There is contact and quality of contact in my opinion..

If it was all about hit and where the mark is I have to wonder since beginners have minimal control over their strokes why you don't generally see them accidentally get monster draw or side spin since they are going to "hit" that limit just by accident from time to time.....

The Renfro said:

dr_dave said:

Chris,

Below is my standard reply to your standard miscue-limit-test complaint. I personally think carefully-done experiments with actual human players can yield reliable results (sometimes even better than robot test results, which can sometimes be misleading, per the Rules of Robotic Cue Testing list of problems on the robot testing resource page).

From the chalk comparison resource page:

Concerning the miscue limit test, some people have questioned the validity of such a test. This test is actually the easiest to get good and consistent results. If you attempt to hit the CB close to the miscue limit a large number of times, some of the hits will be good (and create near maximum sidespin) and some of the hits will miscue (since you are pushing the limit). The only results that matter are: What was the furthest from center (and the most sidespin) you were able to get on any of the good hits with each of the chalks being compared? Again, if you do a large number of trials with each chalk, the best hit from each will provide a good comparison.

Click to expand...

Dave once again I appreciate your reply... I still however am aware that your subconscious effects your stroke and even tho some of the hits will be good and some of them will be bad it's possible none of the strokes were of decent quality...

I understand that you are looking at where the blue mark is and figuring a hit is a hit....

but what part of the tip made contact... What direction was the tip actually travelling... Was it rising? Dropping? Swerving? There is contact and quality of contact in my opinion..

If it was all about hit and where the mark is I have to wonder since beginners have minimal control over their strokes why you don't generally see them accidentally get monster draw or side spin since they are going to "hit" that limit just by accident from time to time.....

Click to expand...

I think people should try the test on their own to see what they find. I would be interested to see if anybody measures any obvious difference in miscue limits among different chalks. I wasn't able to measure any with my sets of tests. The miscue-limit test is demonstrated at the 11:43 point in the following video:

NV F.1 - Pool Chalk Experiment - Does the brand really make a difference?

and more info can be found on the chalk comparison resource page.

Regards,
Dave

I occasionally like to just play with my break cue, unchalked (phenolic tip), playing barbox 8 ball against my son just to demonstrate that quality of stroke has a far far far far far far far FARRRRRRRRRRR greater effect on play than any chalk.

He gets the message, as I am capable of putting small packages together playing that way.

Most players play with way too much english, which is why I think they believe $25.00 chalk helps them.

Short Bus Russ

From My Perspective.......

Here's the most important question no one seems inclined to pose........Does any chalk outperform the others after being applied properly?


I really don't care about how many shots I can take before having to apply chalk to avoid miscuing. When I miscue, which every player does occasionally, it's my mechanics and ambitious aim point. I just push my application of side spin stroking the cue ball too far on its perimeter, i.e., masse shots.

It's interesting that players are drawn towards a chalk that lets them chalk less frequently. I think that creates a temptation to be lackadaisical about their pre-shot routines which are important, The reason I don't pay attention to the number of shots one can take before chalking is because I chalk often. My pre-shot routine is to chalk every other shot (Blue Diamond) and often times, every shot..

There might be chalks where one should apply chalk for every single shot because of inferior quality. There are chalks boasting that you can chalk once on Friday and play all weekend long never chalking. How many players ignore good chalking habits and just apply chalk randomly every 5-10-15 shots? If you are that type of player, then buy the chalk that gives you the most shots after a single application.

Personally, I'm not that type pool player & have a pre-shot routine I "always" follow and never deviate. When I was 15 years old and started playing pool 55 years ago, I was taught the right way to chalk. The frequency & proper application of chalk are important requirements.You don't bore or core chalk! So if a player applies chalk every shot, or every other shot in my case, does any chalk perform better?

The aforementioned seems to be the $64 question when it comes to chalk as far as I am concerned? Does Masters, Blue Diamond, Predator, OB, or Kamui or any other brand outperform the others? The scenario of going a dozen or more hits without chalking may sound great but it's meaningless. Let me restate that...... if and when you adhere to a solid pre-shot routine with frequent chalking, it seems meaningless.

Now if Dr. Dave were to report any discernible, meaningful differences in the performance of various brand chalks after application on every single stroke, well, I am all ears & interested in hearing more. But up until the time arrives when a brand chalk just performs better, which to my way of thinking is not being able to going umpteen shots before having to reapply, I'll stick with Blue Diamond......why? Cleanliness.....for my bridge hand (mainly closed bridge), the pool table & pool balls my cue's shafts. That's why I switched to Blue Diamond several years ago and I am not wed to that brand......I'll try OB and I'm really open to trying any chalk to ascertain if there's a better brand, but not because of less application. Like I stated earlier, I religiously follow a pre-shot routine that involves chalking every other shot and depending upon the intensity of the game or match, I'll chalk every shot just to manage my pace of play.

IMO...Too much fascination finding a chalk that allows you to apply it less often than other brand chalks. Players might likely benefit more from paying greater attention to their method of chalk application and just do it. OMG......how hard is it to remember to chalk your cue? Pool isn't a game of speed.... just dexterity..When you target shoot, you must use a loaded weapon; when you play pool, you must chalk your cue.

So until someone can objectively confirm one brand of chalk performs better.....not that the chalk lasts longer, i.e., less chalking, I'll just stick with my current chalk program.


Matt B.

So let's see if I got this correct...

OB Chalk (made in China) cost more than Master's (made in the USA) - and they perform about the same...

Does that sound right to you?

I shoot a lot of draw shots. Just can't get the speed down. So I don't like to use running English when I don't have to use it. I get way down low on the cue ball when needed.

Masters chalk. Works great. Very dirty. Filthy.

Silver cup. Miscue a lot.

Balabushka chalk. Very clean but miscue with it.

Russian Magic chalk. Works maybe a little better than Masters. Very clean. One cube lasts me about three times as long as a cube Masters. My go to Chalk now.

When I run into someone using the new OB chalk I will try it. If it is as good as the Magic chalk I may change to it, since I use OB Shafts.

CallShotCowboy said:

So let's see if I got this correct...

OB Chalk (made in China) cost more than Master's (made in the USA) - and they perform about the same...

Does that sound right to you?

Click to expand...

Nope... You will never have a chalk induced misscue or slippage with the OB where you will with the standard chalks regardless of your PSR..... The sample size was not large enough to establish those occurring with cheaper chalks in the chalk tests... Which is another shortfall in declaring all chalks the same if you chalk every time...

It's like someone saying all tires are the same since they all grip the road...

Quality of connection between tip and cueball is greatly based on the amount of friction that exists... If there is the same amount of friction in a smaller contact patch as a larger one then the quality of connection will be similar... So as less tip catches the cueball as long as the friction is adequate no slip or misscue occurs... Better chalk=better friction=smaller effective contact patch....

Like I said "no robot = no valid results for some of the tests"

Wonder if some of the chalks work better than others if you swoop?

Bavafongoul said:

Here's the most important question no one seems inclined to pose........Does any chalk outperform the others after being applied properly?
...
So if a player applies chalk every shot, or every other shot in my case, does any chalk perform better?
...
Does Masters, Blue Diamond, Predator, OB, or Kamui or any other brand outperform the others?
...
Now if Dr. Dave were to report any discernible, meaningful differences in the performance of various brand chalks after application on every single stroke, well, I am all ears & interested in hearing more.

Click to expand...

Have you watched the entire video and checked out the article and other info on the chalk comparison resource page? I think the page answers your questions fairly well; although, "outperform" might mean different things to different people. For some, it might mean "last longer on the tip." For others, it might mean "result in fewer miscues with good hits." For others, it might mean "allow you to put more spin on the ball (with a larger miscue limit)." For others, it might mean "not cause larger or more-frequent cling." I think all of these interpretations are addressed fairly well in the tests I demonstrate in the video. How do you define "outperform?"

Regards,
Dave

PS: The best thing about the tests I proposed and demonstrated is that anybody can easily do them on their own to compare any chalks they want to see whether or not they get results similar to what I did.

The Renfro said:

The OB Chalk is a solid premium offering...

I have had a box of it since the proto run 6-7 months ago and have used it extensively and have taken slides of it and looked at it up close and personal....

The texture is smoother than predator.. The color is not as dark as some so it will have less bleed and be cleaner than some...

They have graded abrasives and plenty of them. So it will outperform standard chalks....

Until a robot is employed I still will argue that the misscue limit using a premium chalk is further out than standard... It would take 30 days for a person to change their subconscious learned limit and be able to deliver a good stroke outside of their safe zone...

I have also experienced too many slips and misscues over the years using standard chalk using a good PSR and chalking every time... based on the minimal abrasives this happens occasionally and will be chalk related... Some times you chalk up and because of the nature of standard chalk all you got was fillers and binders... So all you did was turn the tip blue... I am not sure what the sample size would need to be to detect this but if it happens hill/hill for a trip to vegas, gambling or in a tournament finals, premium chalk is a pretty cheap insurance policy.......

Click to expand...

Thanks for the feedback Chris, glad you like it!

Yes....I did Dr. Dave.....I can't blame the chalk for hitting too thin, or maybe I can.

p.s. ShakesSea.......Tried MC &.sticking with BD.

BRussell said:

When you say "it doesn't matter" what you mean is that it doesn't affect miscues or amount of english, I assume. But what does matter is how messy that chalk is and how much it sticks to the cue ball, and in that respect, the more expensive chalks like Kamui are worse.

Click to expand...

When I say 'doesn't matter' I was speaking of miscuing.

As to the Kamui, I used to use the Kamui when I used a break cue
with a phenolic tip. Made a world of difference vs. Masters.
I don't use a break cue any more and only break with my player
and lately have completely fallen for the Predator chalk.
Been using them for about a year and I think their chalk is amazing.

I received my order of Rmc about three have used it only since. I really like it and think I'm gonna stay with it. Have tried most all the list.

My box of 48 cubes will be heading over the Atlantic Ocean soon. I'm looking forwards to trying it.

Dave Mackay said:

My box of 48 cubes will be heading over the Atlantic Ocean soon. I'm looking forwards to trying it.

Click to expand...

Hope you enjoy it Dave!

I love OB shafts. I have classic pro + and just got a Control break shaft.
Using the break shaft on an old McDermott but. Every one who has tried it thinks it breaks great.
Currently using Magic Chalk which replaced Blue Diamond as my favorite.
Was thing of trying out the chalk but the shipping to me in NY is almost as much as the chalk.

madhatter44 said:

I love OB shafts. I have classic pro + and just got a Control break shaft.
Using the break shaft on an old McDermott but. Every one who has tried it thinks it breaks great.
Currently using Magic Chalk which replaced Blue Diamond as my favorite.
Was thing of trying out the chalk but the shipping to me in NY is almost as much as the chalk.

Click to expand...

Seyberts has them too.

madhatter44 said:

I love OB shafts. I have classic pro + and just got a Control break shaft.
Using the break shaft on an old McDermott but. Every one who has tried it thinks it breaks great.
Currently using Magic Chalk which replaced Blue Diamond as my favorite.
Was thing of trying out the chalk but the shipping to me in NY is almost as much as the chalk.

Click to expand...

Thanks for being a fan of our products and I understand completely that shipping a single box can be almost as much as the price of the chalk.

Are you going to be at the Super Billiards Expo? If so, we will have a booth there and will have chalk with us for sale.

It looks like they ripped off the magic chalk and just re wraped it..