Predator BK3 standard tip, does it need scuffing/shaping?

S

smashmouth

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'm about to order this cue, will I need to scuff and/or shape the tip at all upon arrival?

Reason I ask is because i completely suck at scuffing/shaping and would rather ask seyberst to do for me
 
My 2 cents...
The BK3 comes standard with a phenolic tip. I think you can assume it will be shaped at approx a nickel/quarter radius. Scuffing a phenolic tip is only marginally effective - if you can't hit the cb square, you're gonna have trouble. A phenolic tip for breaking speed almost doesn't warrant chalk - you have to be really accurate if you want to amp it up. I much prefer the Samsara JB tip - but really recommend any other very hard LEATHER tip over phenolic, which, by the way, became illegal as a break cue tip in BCA.
As for your shortcoming in scuffing a tip, you need to get past that - it's a part of normal cue maintenance. I find once a good tip is correctly shaped, it'll play into your shape based on your cueing habits... But, many good tips will distort a bit during the "break-in" period. Unless you have a cue tech readily available to dress/radius your tip on a lathe, you need to get on board with safely, effectively using one of the many tools available for your regular clean up.
 
I replace all shafts with a new one when the tip is worn, been doing that for 20 years, when I first started the local Dufferin store would replace the shaft for free and I got used to that, i get a good year per shaft based on my playtime, I'm a sucker for new shafts and cues so it works out fine

i usually give away cues and shafts that i no longer play with to locals who wanna get into the game, I don't often sell as the amount of lowballing, nickel and diming and overall greed between buyers and sellers in this game is quite pathetic imo

I currently own only three cues and have given away at least two dozen and sold just a few to those who approached me at local rooms and made reasonable offers, I probably would have given those away for free also, I can only recall ever advertising one cue ever for sale locally

I've bought and sold several hundred thousand dollars worth of high end used cars and two channel audio equipment over the years and those used markets are alot easier to deal in than used pool gear, so yeah the old expression I'd rather give it away applies to me
 
been breaking with my BKIII for exactly 1 year now....never had to scuff it and it is shaped about like a nickel....I have had people of have other break cues including a BKII and they all agree, this is the nuts! :thumbup:
 
smashmouth said:
I'm about to order this cue, will I need to scuff and/or shape the tip at all upon arrival?

Reason I ask is because i completely suck at scuffing/shaping and would rather ask seyberst to do for me
Click to expand...

I have a BK2 and I think the BK3 has essentially the same (phenolic) tip.

What I read before (in an AZ thread) and agree with from experience is that scuffing/shaping the phenolic tips is not recommended. I did it a little bit before I read that and quickly stopped because it didn't scuff/shape like a regular tip. More like I was scratching it than shaping it. Didn't do any permanent damage and I haven't touched it since except with the chalk.

I say don't do it. From the time it arrives, all you should ever need to do is chalk it before each break.
 
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smashmouth said:
I replace all shafts with a new one when the tip is worn, been doing that for 20 years, when I first started the local Dufferin store would replace the shaft for free and I got used to that, i get a good year per shaft based on my playtime, I'm a sucker for new shafts and cues so it works out fine

i usually give away cues and shafts that i no longer play with to locals who wanna get into the game, I don't often sell as the amount of lowballing, nickel and diming and overall greed between buyers and sellers in this game is quite pathetic imo

I currently own only three cues and have given away at least two dozen and sold just a few to those who approached me at local rooms and made reasonable offers, I probably would have given those away for free also, I can only recall ever advertising one cue ever for sale locally

I've bought and sold several hundred thousand dollars worth of high end used cars and two channel audio equipment over the years and those used markets are alot easier to deal in than used pool gear, so yeah the old expression I'd rather give it away applies to me
Click to expand...

All the best to you then! I'm sure you make a lot of folks really happy that way:-)
 
thanks although it's less these days I'm afraid, I find people nowadays quite willing to care less when you do them a solid and overall....so infatuated with $$$$ and greed constantly, i also find these same people to lack in most areas and many of these people seem to have plenty of cash to begin with

thanks to the bk3 owners for the input
 
I played with a BK2 with a phenolic tip for close to 2 years as I could never make up my mind on tips and shafts for a new custom I had purchased so it stayed with the cuemaker more than it did with me....

I never took a scuffer to the tip but I did take sandpaper to it quite often just to roughen it up not t the point that I was ever in danger of it changing shape... This was the only way I could play with it and not be afraid of misscues... Even then without chalking regularly a misscue was coming and forget about using masters...

Hit it with a piece of sandpaper whenever it's not holding chalk... If it's purely break duty I bet you won't have to do it more than once every week or 2..... Depedning on how much breaking you do vs racking of course LOL
 
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