What Is Up With Master Chalk?

lfigueroa

lfigueroa

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Been a fan Master for years and have had no interest in all the newer chalks.

For quite a while now I have bought the occasional box and take a few new pieces with me to the pool hall or tournament in a pouch. Very recently I bought another box. The first thing I noticed about the chalk cubes in this new box was that the holes in the chalk were drilled/formed a bit deeper than previously. No biggie. But now, having gone though over a dozen pieces, I can tell that, at least from the box I got, the chalk is a different, *much* softer formulation. I mean, I could probably go through a cube of this newer chalk in one extended session of four to six hours.

And my hands.

After just a couple of hours, my chalking hand is blue -- really blue. If I play for four hours or longer, we're talking Smurf hand. I can't imagine how much chalk is landing on the cloth. Anyone else?

Lou Figueroa
two hours play
 

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Smurf hands is why I went with the lighter color blue masters chalk.

Cheapskate Taom.

But I haven't noticed the cube being softer.
 
lfigueroa said:
Been a fan Master for years and have had no interest in all the newer chalks.

For quite a while now I have bought the occasional box and take a few new pieces with me to the pool hall or tournament in a pouch. Very recently I bought another box. The first thing I noticed about the chalk cubes in this new box was that the holes in the chalk were drilled/formed a bit deeper than previously. No biggie. But now, having gone though over a dozen pieces, I can tell that, at least from the box I got, the chalk is a different, *much* softer formulation. I mean, I could probably go through a cube of this newer chalk in one extended session of four to six hours.

And my hands.

After just a couple of hours, my chalking hand is blue -- really blue. If I play for four hours or longer, we're talking Smurf hand. I can't imagine how much chalk is landing on the cloth. Anyone else?

Lou Figueroa
two hours play
Click to expand...
Obviously something is wrong. I'm thinking a One Off thing.
I've complained that Master is too hard. Just the opposite.
Of course if you have patience (I don't) the cube gets softer.

I've never experienced a cube of Masters dusting up like that!!
Not ever... For 40+years.

Of course Master/Tweeten Fibre will back up their products.
Zero Doubts on that!!
 
Lou , I don't have a clue but if this continues I may become a Taom chalk user .

I've tried predator chalk and didn't care for it and traded what I had left over for some masters chalk , which I've got a few cubes remaining that aren't quite as bad as that .
 
lfigueroa said:
Been a fan Master for years and have had no interest in all the newer chalks.

For quite a while now I have bought the occasional box and take a few new pieces with me to the pool hall or tournament in a pouch. Very recently I bought another box. The first thing I noticed about the chalk cubes in this new box was that the holes in the chalk were drilled/formed a bit deeper than previously. No biggie. But now, having gone though over a dozen pieces, I can tell that, at least from the box I got, the chalk is a different, *much* softer formulation. I mean, I could probably go through a cube of this newer chalk in one extended session of four to six hours.

And my hands.

After just a couple of hours, my chalking hand is blue -- really blue. If I play for four hours or longer, we're talking Smurf hand. I can't imagine how much chalk is landing on the cloth. Anyone else?

Lou Figueroa
two hours play
Click to expand...
Reminds me of playing at my local VFW. Can't find the brushes, haven't really
cleaned the cloth or rails in maybe 5 or 6 years???

hank
 
Gross. Been using Taom lately but have used Masters plenty until recently and never experienced anything like that.

Did you buy it from a reputable source? I wouldn’t think anybody would be faking Masters, it’s already dirt cheap, but ya never know if it’s from EBay or something.
 
I’ll second the folks who have had this issue and gone to Taom. My whole hand would turn blue after an extended session on my home table. I switched to Taom and I have only cleaned my table once in about 3 or 4 months and it didn’t need it then. And the Taom lasts forever. You pay $18 or so for a single piece but the last one I had was still looking almost brand new after 4 or 5 months and I lost it. Got another one and it’s still going strong. With the nominal cost of Taom over months or a year vs. the mess of Masters, I’m never going back. I’ll also add, I don’t think Taom performs better in terms of preventing miscues. It’s just incredibly cleaner.
 
Is that your home table? I get cleaner and dirtier chalk. But I always took the severity of it to be more reflective of how recently the the felt has been wiped down with a damp rag.
 
Bad batch, would be my best guess. My time as machine operator in a particle board plant included the glue and material mix.
Anyway operator error is likely.
 
The crappy pool hall i was going to only supplied overused master chalk so i switched to Taom. I used master chalk for over 20+ years too.

As far as the dimple being bigger i would say that they are supplying less to make them money.

As far as being softer, possibly they changed the formula, But i have noticed that humidity effects the feel of the chalk
 
lfigueroa said:
Been a fan Master for years and have had no interest in all the newer chalks.

For quite a while now I have bought the occasional box and take a few new pieces with me to the pool hall or tournament in a pouch. Very recently I bought another box. The first thing I noticed about the chalk cubes in this new box was that the holes in the chalk were drilled/formed a bit deeper than previously. No biggie. But now, having gone though over a dozen pieces, I can tell that, at least from the box I got, the chalk is a different, *much* softer formulation. I mean, I could probably go through a cube of this newer chalk in one extended session of four to six hours.

And my hands.

After just a couple of hours, my chalking hand is blue -- really blue. If I play for four hours or longer, we're talking Smurf hand. I can't imagine how much chalk is landing on the cloth. Anyone else?

Lou Figueroa
two hours play
Click to expand...
Lou, pass your concerns on to the manufacturer. If they don't know there is a problem, they can't fix it.
 
now that you wrote this: 2 or 3 weeks ago at my regular pool hall, my left hand looked the same as yours. Once in a while this happens and I always wondered why just sometimes. The place always has Master and usually plenty and in pretty good shape. We blamed the heat/humidity. It was one of those days much warmer than the day before here in New York and it was pretty packed without AC, yet.

But thinking again I also noticed the 2 cubes we took had slightly different shades. One was more blue, the other more turquoise/petrol. Maybe there is some variance in quality? Plus humidity? With 20+ tables they should have noticed more dirt, but I didn't ask.
 
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