Kamui Tip Questions and Advice

briankenobi said:

Hey everyone. I am in the market for a new tip and I have some questions and advice. A little background, I am a mid to high level B player with A level potential. (I don't always play at that level consistantly). I play with a Pechauer cue right now. I am currently using a moori medium tip. I good action with it but seem to get more action with other people's cues with soft tips. I am strongly considering a Kamui Black super soft tip. I don't have a lot of skills in tip maitenence sadly. How much tip maitenence is required for a kamui soft tip? I currently use master chalk. How does the Kamui tips react with master chalk? Also, most of my playing is at home with a measle cue ball and at a bar for an in house league.

So now you guys know the story. Let me know what you guys think.

Thanks everybody.


Brian

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Get an ultraskin soft tip..............

Master chalk works the same on all tips.

Kim

I used to use a Moori medium but changed because it glazed over to easily.

Then I used a Kamui brown medium. Liked it a lot. Used a tip pic and Willards shaper to maintain it like I did the Moori. But, really didn't need to.

Now I use a Kamui black soft. Only maintenance is to chalk before every shot with Blue Diamond chalk. You would probably be fine with Master's chalk (I stopped using it because I found out that I was allergic to it and it made the fingers on my bridge hand turn red and raw).

If you have two shafts for your cue, I'd recommend putting a Kamui brown medium on one shaft and a Kamui black soft on the other and see which one you like the best.

I use Kamui Black Soft, love them...very little maintenance required, if they're installed correctly. The friction of the chalk is enough to keep it shaped right, if you chalk correctly. I might adjust the bevel three or four times in the life of the tip. I lighlty deglaze the tip with a tip pick (don't twist, just poke). I've also got a Kamui Brown Soft, I like it, but not as much as the Black...I really like Milk Duds, and they're cheap, too...every bit as much action as a Kamui or Moori, but don't last as long in my experience.

If I were playing a Super Soft, I'd have the installer cut a few layers off, as they tend to mushroom a bit at first. Moori Medium is an awesome tip, not sure you'll notice too much difference; maybe you should move to a Moori Soft, instead?

I have a Kamui Super Soft tip on one of my cues that I use often. It requires almost no maintenance. The only thing I do once in awhile is scuff the tip with one of their Gator Grip tools. No mushrooming.

Also you should know that their hardness scale registers 1 below normal. So their medium is equivalent to a hard tip by other manufactures. The super soft that I use holds chalk very well but hits more like a medium. Hope that helps.

I recently changed to a kamui black ss no regrets, more control, easier

Try a pressed elkmaster. Holds it shape better than any tip I've tried and hits hard like a hard Kamui brown but you get that single layer tip action. A super soft Kamui will last you a month if you have a big stroke. They squish bad and you'll be shaping it constantly. I've had major issues with layered tips including kamui tips. They play well, but I had 6 or 7 delaminate on me. And ever since switching to the milk dud elkmaster, I've been miscuing with layered tips. I can also draw the ball further with the milk dud. Try a good milk dud or find a good triangle and you might never go back to a layered tip. I gave some A level players in my area a milk dud and I've gotten nothing but exceptional feedback. Layering leather with glue was an attempt to make tips that hold their shape. A milk dud or good triangle will hold it's shape better than anything, so why bother shooting with a tip that's half glue? If you like to use a lot of spin, save the cash and try a milk dud. They are just unbeatable. I hate hearing that tip quality is a matter of opinion. That's just stupid. A tip that holds it's shape better, holds chalk better, grabs the ball better, and jumps better is the better tip. I've used every tip out there I can find other than some of the newer companies, and I can't see myself ever trying a layered tip again. For reference I tested my tips last week. I can draw two tables on a slow Valley with the milk dud from 5-6 feet away 4 out of 5 times. With my Kamui black medium tipped shaft, my biggest stroke will get me one table and back to about the side pockets. I have a third shaft with a layered talisman, same action as the kamui. I have another cue with a triangle on it, and that got me the two tables I got with the milk dud. People roll the ball around and say yeah I like the kamui it has a good ping. But the big draw and follow shots are what tell the story about a tip. Sorry for the novel, I'm just really blown away with this tip, which I've been using for two months, and I had to spit some advice and my experiences your way.

Save your money and get some ultraskin tips. They play just as good as Kamui for just 1/6 of the price of a Kamui.

spindoctor9 said:

Try a pressed elkmaster. Holds it shape better than any tip I've tried and hits hard like a hard Kamui brown but you get that single layer tip action. A super soft Kamui will last you a month if you have a big stroke. They squish bad and you'll be shaping it constantly. I've had major issues with layered tips including kamui tips. They play well, but I had 6 or 7 delaminate on me. And ever since switching to the milk dud elkmaster, I've been miscuing with layered tips. I can also draw the ball further with the milk dud. Try a good milk dud or find a good triangle and you might never go back to a layered tip. I gave some A level players in my area a milk dud and I've gotten nothing but exceptional feedback. Layering leather with glue was an attempt to make tips that hold their shape. A milk dud or good triangle will hold it's shape better than anything, so why bother shooting with a tip that's half glue? If you like to use a lot of spin, save the cash and try a milk dud. They are just unbeatable. I hate hearing that tip quality is a matter of opinion. That's just stupid. A tip that holds it's shape better, holds chalk better, grabs the ball better, and jumps better is the better tip. I've used every tip out there I can find other than some of the newer companies, and I can't see myself ever trying a layered tip again. For reference I tested my tips last week. I can draw two tables on a slow Valley with the milk dud from 5-6 feet away 4 out of 5 times. With my Kamui black medium tipped shaft, my biggest stroke will get me one table and back to about the side pockets. I have a third shaft with a layered talisman, same action as the kamui. I have another cue with a triangle on it, and that got me the two tables I got with the milk dud. People roll the ball around and say yeah I like the kamui it has a good ping. But the big draw and follow shots are what tell the story about a tip. Sorry for the novel, I'm just really blown away with this tip, which I've been using for two months, and I had to spit some advice and my experiences your way.

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Surprised to hear that. I have not had any problems like that at all. In fact just the opposite. I have had one last 10-12 months and I would wager I play more than most people out there.
I wonder if you got a bad one or is it possible that you hit the balls quite a bit harder than most? Do you break with it? I'm not doubting you, it's just that my experience has been quite different.

Cdryden said:

Surprised to hear that. I have not had any problems like that at all. In fact just the opposite. I have had one last 10-12 months and I would wager I play more than most people out there.
I wonder if you got a bad one or is it possible that you hit the balls quite a bit harder than most? Do you break with it? I'm not doubting you, it's just that my experience has been quite different.

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Yes I like to hit extremely hard. When I'm practicing, I can't get into it and have fun unless I'm spinning the ball around the table. It's the critical power shots that we miss, so I like to practice my big stroke as much as possible. And watching the cue ball curve around and reverse is just awesome to me. I've had only 10-20 of probably 100 layered tips stand up to my stroke, but I've never so much as dented or flattened a pressed single layer tip after breaking it in. The Kamui hard was ok but I was not comfortable using maximum english, as I did not feel the tip grabbed like it should so I was afraid of miscuing. Like I said any tip is great for rolling the ball around and playing simple pool, but if you like to stroke the ball like Larry Nevel, I think a single layer tip is the best. I just can't believe the action I'm getting... The ball moves so easily. I decided to try one after hearing Efren say he uses a milk dud and I am thoroughly impressed as you can tell.

No, I did not break with the SS. I probably killed it with draw shots. And I'm picky about my tip being shaped cleanly and evenly, and it's damn near impossible to keep a nice even edge on a layered tip. I do break with milk dud. I have had no urge to use my phenolic tipped Mezz break cue since putting on the dud.

I don't mean to bash on any tip companies or others opinions, I'm just so impressed with this milked and pressed Elkmaster, I feel everyone should try one. Now, I hand picked my own, and consistency may be an issue, so if you want to try one, search AZ for someone who is known to have good ones.

briankenobi said:

@ spindoctor- about how much would one of those milk dud tips cost?

Since you mentioned draw on a slow valley and that is the table my league is, here is my draw on it. I set up a ball 1 diamond away from the corner. I set the cue ball up 1 diamond behind the side pocket. 95% of the time I can get the ball to get between the end rail and the side pocket after hitting the end rail.

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I think most people sell them for around $10. Or you can buy a whole box of Elks for a couple bucks, pick out the few good ones, soak them in milk overnight, and press them in a vice for a day or two, tight but don't over muscle it. The tip will come out thin flat and ugly, but it will swell back up to perfect size when your installer cuts into the seal.

whammo57 said:

Get an ultraskin soft tip..............

Master chalk works the same on all tips.

Kim

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I agree with whammo. Don't buy the Kamui. I had a super soft black and it did mushroom a lot until I took about half of it off. It glazed over all of the time too. I had to scuff it and shape it all the time and it got on my nerves.

I got a medium and soft Ultraskin Layered tip and there is absolutely no maintenance. I left the both tips very high to see if they would mushroom like the supersoft kamui and I've had no mushrooming at all. No glazing over and I've had them for 3 months now. The kamui mushroomed on the first day and was glazing by day 3. I get just as much english with the ultraskin too. I think it might even be more consistant than a kamui too. You will not be dissapointed at all with the ultraskin.

Kamui Black Soft imo

briankenobi said:

do you know of anyone who has any for sale already modified? I am not good with that sort of thing.

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I don't know anyone who stocks them, I think pooldawg might, but your best bet is to post in the wanted/for sale section or just do a search and see if you can find someone selling them. A good hard triangle plays really similar, but has a bit less ping. If you can't find the milk dud try a triangle, but pick one that is not dry or flaky or grey in color. Tap them on a hard surface till you find one that has a solid dense sound (but not a wet sound), and have it cut down fairly short. This, in my opinion, is the secret to a good single layer tip. Layered tips are better than the majority of single layer tips, but when you find a good, consistent single layer tip (usually about two out of ten), you'll love it.

I vote Kamui Black Soft

Kamui black soft for sure...but I reccomend when you have it installed have the installer cut it about half way down so it doesn't look like a birthday cake...the lower they get the better they play IMO..

I use Kamui brown S and like it much better than the black SS. Tips are an individual preference, so you need to find out what works for you, so try some. Also, tip maintenance skills are really easy to learn and at your level you should have them. Also, tip replacement skills are really easy to learn and will save you tons of time and money. Good luck.
:smile: