Are we all playing with the same leather (layered / solid) tip after 4-6 months?

[mjantti]

Great experience.
I think almost everyone that plays layered tips has had problems with layers while shaping. Not good when it happens before a match.
Solid tips never separate when shaping.
There must be a thousand layered tips out there to choose from and they are expensive especially considering the install.
Triangles are about a buck apiece.

Everyone chooses their tips and chalks, but if you play a LOT the cost of tips and chalks might become a factor. My ideology is that if I feel that I give weight while saving a buck/euro or two, in the long run it will become much more expensive. That’s why I don’t mind investing a few dozen bucks annually to get everything right for me.

I feel that some players take (unnecessary) pride on choosing the cheapest equipment around. Happens also with people who try to find the magic bullet and invest a lot more than necessary

 

[philly]

Everyone chooses their tips and chalks, but if you play a LOT the cost of tips and chalks might become a factor. My ideology is that if I feel that I give weight while saving a buck/euro or two, in the long run it will become much more expensive. That’s why I don’t mind investing a few dozen bucks annually to get everything right for me.

I feel that some players take (unnecessary) pride on choosing the cheapest equipment around. Happens also with people who try to find the magic bullet and invest a lot more than necessary

Sounds like you are trying to improve your game.
Sort of think it's about what you feel comfortable with.

 

[billiards_watch]

I prefer the water buffalos that was soaked in some special concoction. LOL

One piece all the way.

 

[Matt_24]

Tried doing a search for this and didn't find anything.

Going to one of my old league spots to get some tip work. Usually I get G2, Kamikaze brown or similar layer tips installed. They are usually medium (old preference) and lately soft. I also request the installer do an inward taper on the new tips to help compensate for any mushrooming. This is a nice setup that I appreciate.

Given that context, we all know leather tips harden after a period of time. Given that this happens (usually in 3 to 6 months, maybe longer given conditions), do we all end up playing with the same hardness and characteristic tip if we keep them on for an average of twice the first half of the paying time (3 to 6 months = factory hardness to getting harder, 6 to 12 months = hardening to a consistent measurement no matter what the original factory hardness)?

Quality tip installers are a very, very rare thing here the last 5 years in the Seattle / King County and surrounding areas and we have a healthy pool scene. Yes, I could seek out a new tip every 4.5 months (on average) with a dedicated 40 or more minute drive.

I guess a decent amount of hardness measurements would have to be taken over time over multiple players, but was just thinking about it as I'm about to head out. Also, is another reason why I've went to soft because maybe I get a little more playing time before the hardness averages out, possibly...

If I'm running out well, I'll keep a tip for years LOL. If I start dogging it, I might replace tip, shaft....or entire cue.

 

[Flakeandrun]

Depends how much you like to waste money... If it feels right, and I haven't replaced it within a week, then a tip is lasting me about a year. But then I have limited experience so far. I used MW super tips for snooker for a few years, and then also my first year and a half or so of playing pool. Switched to Thoroughbred for a few months now and I like it a lot (It has a lot of life left in it). I have never liked the feel of ZAN tips, have cut them off the 3/4 Mezz shafts I had owned previously. Gave each of them a little time, but not my cup of tea. ZEN tips are also not my cup of tea for the American table. They are labelled M, but are much too hard (I did leave one on my CQ shaft, and it plays nicely for the Chinese table imo)

 

[sbrownn]

After playing quite well multiple days in a row after getting my recent factory authentic soft G2 put on from a trusted installer, I have to say find a tip that feels right for you and replace it every 4 to 6 months. If it is a layered tip, do no poke it or extensively shape it.

 

[mjantti]

Sounds like you are trying to improve your game.
Sort of think it's about what you feel comfortable with.

Exactly. Additionally I can pretty much tell what piece of equipment is truly beneficial for me in addition to the psychological effect of shooting with new equipment. For instance after changing from regular Master/Kamui chalk to Taom. Taom singlehandedly eliminated all kicks.

It also helps that I don’t change cues/shafts too often, last year I finally gave in and after almost 20 years I switched from my high deflection Scruggs to a local cuemaker with Revo shaft. Planning to stick with this combo for a long time. During 20 years I tried out a LOT of different cues and shafts.

My point is that I don’t mind investing money on something I can truly count on; I never want to blame my equipment. It’s always the Indian, not the arrow.

 

[philly]

Exactly. Additionally I can pretty much tell what piece of equipment is truly beneficial for me in addition to the psychological effect of shooting with new equipment. For instance after changing from regular Master/Kamui chalk to Taom. Taom singlehandedly eliminated all kicks.

It also helps that I don’t change cues/shafts too often, last year I finally gave in and after almost 20 years I switched from my high deflection Scruggs to a local cuemaker with Revo shaft. Planning to stick with this combo for a long time. During 20 years I tried out a LOT of different cues and shafts.

My point is that I don’t mind investing money on something I can truly count on; I never want to blame my equipment. It’s always the Indian, not the arrow.

Agreed.
Tried a cf shaft.
Didnt work for me.
I like a wood shaft apparently.
It's all about the taper on a shaft for me, what makes me feel comfortable.
Currently having a cue built and it will come with a kielwood shaft. I gave the maker one of my shafts to duplicate the thickness and taper of it for the new kielwood shaft.

 

[mjantti]

Agreed.
Tried a cf shaft.
Didnt work for me.
I like a wood shaft apparently.
It's all about the taper on a shaft for me, what makes me feel comfortable.
Currently having a cue built and it will come with a kielwood shaft. I gave the maker one of my shafts to duplicate the thickness and taper of it for the new kielwood shaft.

Incidently it was the taper I really liked on my Revo. And the hit, which is totally different than the first batch or Revos I tried. Honestly I never thought I would go for a Revo but somehow the combination felt really comfortable, plus the local club happened to have the 30” radial one in stock. The longer Revo is hard to find.

I don’t care what people say, for me I can create a lot more power with Revo than a wooden shaft. Probably will need to go through some other tips than Zan. I used to play with Kamui S for a long time over a decade ago until the quality started going down. Kamui tip with Kamui chalk was a killer combo back then, but the kicks were there ruining my 14.1 high run attempts

I have been eyeing on Hsunami kielwood, would be really nice to try it out.

 

[mjantti]

I have to add that I don’t fry my brain thinking there might be a better feeling setup for me somewhere in the universe. I am happy with the current setup and sort of admire people who are always changing everything and doubting their decisions. They provide a nice handicap for players who stick up with one set and grow into it month after month and year after year.

 

[philly]

Incidently it was the taper I really liked on my Revo. And the hit, which is totally different than the first batch or Revos I tried. Honestly I never thought I would go for a Revo but somehow the combination felt really comfortable, plus the local club happened to have the 30” radial one in stock. The longer Revo is hard to find.

I don’t care what people say, for me I can create a lot more power with Revo than a wooden shaft. Probably will need to go through some other tips than Zan. I used to play with Kamui S for a long time over a decade ago until the quality started going down. Kamui tip with Kamui chalk was a killer combo back then, but the kicks were there ruining my 14.1 high run attempts

I have been eyeing on Hsunami kielwood, would be really nice to try it out.

Funny but my foray into cf was an 11.8 revo. As narrow as it was it felt like a broomstick. Taper thickened up very quickly. I play with a 12.25 with a very long taper. Hard pressed Triangle tips.
Like a hard hit.

 

[Korsakoff]

Did you mean to say 4-6 years?

I have non-primary shafts I haven't used that have tips Richard Black put on in 1989 that are still on there and look pretty good. I may have to check them out and see how they hit.

Scott Gilmore (who does all the repair/restoration work for Richard now) told me that they get in a big shipment of tips. They spend a while in an afternoon sorting through them, throwing away more than they keep. Then, they split what they decided to keep.

I have a number of shafts with those tips. They do the trick for me.