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Halfjack87

Halfjack87

In Training
Silver Member
# - # - THIS IS NOT ANOTHER "WHICH TIP IS BEST?" THREAD! - # - #

When I got my pool room and started training, 8 months ago, I ended up getting myself a cheap Lucky cue with a 12mm Kamui clear black soft tip.

I REALLY like what I have, but do experience the 'glazing' hardening of the tip, fairly quickly if I don't keep up with it - as others have commented on other threads.

I'm wondering which other tips might be less reactive, but should be similar in play?

I know SOME of you guys try a million tips - let me know what you think.

# - # - THIS IS NOT ANOTHER "WHICH TIP IS BEST?" THREAD! - # - #
 
Halfjack87 said:
# - # - THIS IS NOT ANOTHER "WHICH TIP IS BEST?" THREAD! - # - #

When I got my pool room and started training, 8 months ago, I ended up getting myself a cheap Lucky cue with a 12mm Kamui clear black soft tip.

I REALLY like what I have, but do experience the 'glazing' hardening of the tip, fairly quickly if I don't keep up with it - as others have commented on other threads.

I'm wondering which other tips might be less reactive, but should be similar in play?

I know SOME of you guys try a million tips - let me know what you think.

# - # - THIS IS NOT ANOTHER "WHICH TIP IS BEST?" THREAD! - # - #
Click to expand...

I am sure you will get a lot of feedback. Here's mine. I have been playing with Talisman medium for the last three years. It does not glaze nor mushroom and I feel I have excellent control of english with it. The guy that put my last Talisman on told me it was the softest medium he has ever worked with. They are about $7. I play about 15 to 20 hours a week and they last me about 8 months give or take. This is, though, another which tip is best thread.
 
Get the Kamui Gator grip tool, that will break the glazing and if you use it every 6racks or so keeps the tip playing more consistently, you'll never have to guess how much spin you'll have because of glazing etc.

Also consider switching to Kamui 0.98b chalk and chalk lightly, that will also slow glazing and keep up consistency.
 
Yep, own the tip tool (last 4ever), need to use it more often. That's on me, and I've been using it more often since noticing the difference - temporarily fixes the problem each time. Thanks!

Was wondering which tips might play similarly, but might not require as much maintenance... :rolleyes:
 
So far I have loved the G2's almost as much as the original Moori Medium and Hard tips. I play with a G2 Hard and love it. It keeps it's shape and I don't have to do anything to it.
 
I've tried several different layered tips, it is my experience that they all start to glaze after 6-8 months of use (depending on how much you play). You just have to keep up with the tip maintenance after that or buy a new tip.
 
An UltraSkin Soft or ProSoft plays very much like a Kamui Soft, but it doesn't glaze over as quickly or severely. I second the recommendation of the Kamui Gator Grip. It scuffs the tip nicely without tearing up the leather. I still use my Last4ever tip tool for shaping, burnishing, etc. but the Gator is a better scuffer.
 
Halfjack87 said:
Yep, own the tip tool (last 4ever), need to use it more often. That's on me, and I've been using it more often since noticing the difference - temporarily fixes the problem each time. Thanks!

Was wondering which tips might play similarly, but might not require as much maintenance... :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I should clarify. I play with Kamui black tips. You don't need to change! Gator grip tool! seriously. It's not at all like the last4ever (which I use for shaping) the gator grip is specially designed to break the glazing, lifting the leather fibers up making the tip fuzzy again without removing any leather, so you can use it all the time. It takes literally 8-12 seconds to just roll your tip against the tool and then all the glazing is gone and the tip surface is opened up a and ready to hold chalk.

Yes at first the price for such a simple tool seems a little like you're being had, but it really does make the Kamui black tips operate perfectly so if you want to stay with Kamui black, it's completely worth it.
 
I have Kamui blacks and ultraskins. Ifavor the ultraskins medium soft. They are much less expensive and I can't tell the difference between the two... based on my own tests, whihc are anything but scientific.

If any one can please let me know the difference other than price.

I have the last4ever tool also and love it. It is nice to have an all in 1 tool that lasts forever and does not take out space in the bag.

I hope to run into someone that has a gator grip so I can see how different it would be compared to the scuffer/fluffer for the abovementioned tool.

Unfortunately in my league I am the early adopter and gadgetman.... so I will have to wait to next vegas convention to see the gator work.

OK I threw in the towel and bought the box kamui gator and love it.
 
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Gorramjayne said:
I should clarify. I play with Kamui black tips. You don't need to change! Gator grip tool! seriously. It's not at all like the last4ever (which I use for shaping) the gator grip is specially designed to break the glazing, lifting the leather fibers up making the tip fuzzy again without removing any leather, so you can use it all the time. It takes literally 8-12 seconds to just roll your tip against the tool and then all the glazing is gone and the tip surface is opened up a and ready to hold chalk.

Yes at first the price for such a simple tool seems a little like you're being had, but it really does make the Kamui black tips operate perfectly so if you want to stay with Kamui black, it's completely worth it.
Click to expand...

For $35, I'll give it a shot! :smile: (Just ordered it will have it on Thursday.)
 
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Gorramjayne said:
I should clarify. I play with Kamui black tips. You don't need to change! Gator grip tool! seriously. It's not at all like the last4ever (which I use for shaping) the gator grip is specially designed to break the glazing, lifting the leather fibers up making the tip fuzzy again without removing any leather, so you can use it all the time. It takes literally 8-12 seconds to just roll your tip against the tool and then all the glazing is gone and the tip surface is opened up a and ready to hold chalk.

Yes at first the price for such a simple tool seems a little like you're being had, but it really does make the Kamui black tips operate perfectly so if you want to stay with Kamui black, it's completely worth it.
Click to expand...

I actually was hesitant to buy the gator grip. It seemed excessively expensive compared to a nail file. If I were to lose mine tomorrow I would definitely buy another one. It's the only thing I use now. Roughing tools like sandpaper etc, don't do the same thing as the gator grip.
 
Gator Grip Tool

When I used Kamui tips, I too had problems with glazing over and the tip did not take chalk easily.
I have had the Kamui Gator Grip tool for 3 years. It does a very good job of breaking the glaze up, agitating the leather fibers and making the tip fuzzy again. This allows the tip to hold chalk better and reduces miscues. I would agree that the treatment lasts for ~10 racks before the leather fiber become impacted again. I too am an early adopter and have to have all of the gadgets. I paid $40 at that time. It does take a small amount of leather off the tip with each use.
I was ordering some stuff from Cue Components last year and saw that they sold a similar Morakami Gator Shaper. They were $13.95 each so I ordered one. It is essentially the same as the Kamui. They both work equally well. I keep one in my pool cue case and one in my billiard cue case. They are both excellent products. The Morakami is more reasonable priced.
They work by rolling the flat metal scuffing surface (1.5 x 2 inch) lightly over the tip. The scuffing surface grabs the leather fibers and lifts them up. It is not like a conventional file or nail file. It is much gentler than sand paper.
I was happy with the $40 Kamui tool. The $13.95 Morakami tool is nearly identical and works equally well. I have many other tip tools and don't use any of them anymore. For mushrooming or shaping, I use my lathe.
 
Good to know. I sat on the sidelines for several yrs but finally broke down and got the gator. Well worth it. I had looked into the morakami tool, but was trigger shy on trying it since it has a different pattern on it's metal plate which did not look as good as the Kamui. Now I know, I can tell my friends.
 
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