Say ….
Blue diamond chalk????????????????
Thanks!
Blue diamond chalk????????????????
Thanks!
Is TRIANGLE CHALK Any good ???? Is it COMPARABLE TO
- Thread starter Duane Remick
- Start date
https://billiards.colostate.edu/bd_articles/2018/dec18
Here is the bottomline and you are going to hear a lot of different opinions and some are going to be
biased for reasons not worth discussing since your question is really about Triangle pool chalk.
A highly regarded source for information is Dr. Dave Alciatore (https://billiards.colostate.edu). He's.
objectively analyzed different brands of chalk. The so called premium chalks allegedly perform better
but the truth is as Dr. Dave confirmed is when you apply chalk properly (avoid coring the pool chalk),
"all brands of chalk performed the same" and there isn't any advantage one brand has over any
other is terms of better friction, contact, etc. In other words, they all did the same thing and none of
the brands tested exhibited any superiority except for how many shots could be taken before having to
reapply chalk. For some players that is a good thing, especially if they have a inconsistent preshot
routine. They feel the chalk performs better and I suppose it does in that you do not need to apply it
as often. But you can use any pool hall chalk which is free and if you applied it after every shot, as
Dr. Dave's analytical test results confirmed, your cue will perform the same as with any other brand.
There is another consideration to ponder when it comes to pool chalks. The cleanliness aspect for
your ferrules, hands, shafts, and table cloth. Without a doubt, although all chalks are alike when you
apply chalk after every shot, which is a great habit to use as a preshot routine, some brands of chalk
are just more messy. And cleanliness is an important consideration for the majority of players which
is why premium chalk have added appeal since that's something you can actually see & appreciate.
Visit Dr. Dave's website and research his coverage of pool chalks: for simplicity, below is the bottomline scoop.
Dr. Dave is a PBIA Advanced Instructor, Dean of the Billiard University, and author of the book:
The Illustrated Principles of Pool and Billiards and numerous instructional DVD series, all available at: DrDaveBilliards.com.
"After all of the chalk testing I have done over the years, my conclusions have not changed:
1.) If you chalk properly before each shot (like most good players do), it does not really matter which
chalk brand you use. They all have very similar miscue limits, so the amount of sidespin you can apply is
practically the same with all chalks. Now, if you want to go many shots without chalking, or if you do not chalk
properly, you might prefer one of the chalks that remains effective on the tip longer, as shown by the numberof-shots-before-miscue tests.
2.) Some chalks do tend to stick to the CB more than others, so cling/skid/kick could happen more frequently with these chalks.
3.) Regardless of the type of chalk used, if a chalk mark ends up at the contact point between the CB and object ball,
cling/skid/kick (in other words, a “bad hit”) will occur. Based on everything I have observed and learned, my advice is:
a.) Do not worry so much about the chalk you use. If you are miscuing, it is probably because of you, not the chalk.
b.) Make sure you chalk carefully and properly before each shot. See the end of online video NV J.7 for a useful chalking advice.
c.) Clean chalk marks off the CB every chance you get (before each break and every time you have ball in hand)."
Matt B.
Here is the bottomline and you are going to hear a lot of different opinions and some are going to be
biased for reasons not worth discussing since your question is really about Triangle pool chalk.
A highly regarded source for information is Dr. Dave Alciatore (https://billiards.colostate.edu). He's.
objectively analyzed different brands of chalk. The so called premium chalks allegedly perform better
but the truth is as Dr. Dave confirmed is when you apply chalk properly (avoid coring the pool chalk),
"all brands of chalk performed the same" and there isn't any advantage one brand has over any
other is terms of better friction, contact, etc. In other words, they all did the same thing and none of
the brands tested exhibited any superiority except for how many shots could be taken before having to
reapply chalk. For some players that is a good thing, especially if they have a inconsistent preshot
routine. They feel the chalk performs better and I suppose it does in that you do not need to apply it
as often. But you can use any pool hall chalk which is free and if you applied it after every shot, as
Dr. Dave's analytical test results confirmed, your cue will perform the same as with any other brand.
There is another consideration to ponder when it comes to pool chalks. The cleanliness aspect for
your ferrules, hands, shafts, and table cloth. Without a doubt, although all chalks are alike when you
apply chalk after every shot, which is a great habit to use as a preshot routine, some brands of chalk
are just more messy. And cleanliness is an important consideration for the majority of players which
is why premium chalk have added appeal since that's something you can actually see & appreciate.
Visit Dr. Dave's website and research his coverage of pool chalks: for simplicity, below is the bottomline scoop.
Dr. Dave is a PBIA Advanced Instructor, Dean of the Billiard University, and author of the book:
The Illustrated Principles of Pool and Billiards and numerous instructional DVD series, all available at: DrDaveBilliards.com.
"After all of the chalk testing I have done over the years, my conclusions have not changed:
1.) If you chalk properly before each shot (like most good players do), it does not really matter which
chalk brand you use. They all have very similar miscue limits, so the amount of sidespin you can apply is
practically the same with all chalks. Now, if you want to go many shots without chalking, or if you do not chalk
properly, you might prefer one of the chalks that remains effective on the tip longer, as shown by the numberof-shots-before-miscue tests.
2.) Some chalks do tend to stick to the CB more than others, so cling/skid/kick could happen more frequently with these chalks.
3.) Regardless of the type of chalk used, if a chalk mark ends up at the contact point between the CB and object ball,
cling/skid/kick (in other words, a “bad hit”) will occur. Based on everything I have observed and learned, my advice is:
a.) Do not worry so much about the chalk you use. If you are miscuing, it is probably because of you, not the chalk.
b.) Make sure you chalk carefully and properly before each shot. See the end of online video NV J.7 for a useful chalking advice.
c.) Clean chalk marks off the CB every chance you get (before each break and every time you have ball in hand)."
Matt B.
There is only one place I play in that uses Triangle chalk, it has 3C tables and I think that chalk is more of a 3C or european brand chalk.
It seemed as good as Masters. Was not as smooth as Blue Diamond or Magic chalk but less gritty than Masters.
It seemed as good as Masters. Was not as smooth as Blue Diamond or Magic chalk but less gritty than Masters.
If you chalk every shot, I think Triangle, Masters are the best. Blue Diamond are slightly better but it depends if you want to spend a little more when you chalked every shot it doesn't really matter at all.
House chalk everywhere I play is Masters and it's good. Blue Diamond is a little better but a lot less messy. And, I easily recognize 'my' chalk amongst all the Masters if I happen to leave it on the table.
Apples and oranges. Triangle is very good chalk, very smooth, doesn't adhere to the tip as easily as some. But stays clean on balls, cloth, etc.
Blue Diamond, also very smooth, goes on very easy, but goes on the cue ball very easy as well. It depends on what you're looking for.
All the best,
WW
I enjoy Magic Chalk the best, but I find that chalk is the one item that is silly to spend too much money on.
Triangle chalk and Master chalk are closely priced and both very inexpensive chalks.
For the cost of one cube of Magic or Blue Diamond chalk you can buy two dozen Triangle chalks.
And for the cost of one cube of Kamui chalk you can buy an entire gross (144) of Triangle chalks.
How did chalk become so expensive? It's silly.
Triangle chalk and Master chalk are closely priced and both very inexpensive chalks.
For the cost of one cube of Magic or Blue Diamond chalk you can buy two dozen Triangle chalks.
And for the cost of one cube of Kamui chalk you can buy an entire gross (144) of Triangle chalks.
How did chalk become so expensive? It's silly.
Not a chalk expert or great player, but I've liked Master Chalk and that's all I've had at home. On a whim I tried some Kamui and didn't like it. Stuck to the cue ball, kind of greasy (best word I can come up with) in application, and instead of chalking every time was constantly looking at the tip to see if it was needing more. Probably works great for a lot of people. So next I ordered some Magic Chalk to try. I think the Master Chalk is fine and have plenty, but I really am liking this Magic Chalk experiment. Fun to try something different.
There is Master chalk and then there is everything else. 
I was introduced to Triangle chalk at the 211 in Seattle back in the 1980's. The owner favored 3 cushion and put out triangle chalk on all tables.
I have been using Triangle ever since. To me it seems just a little harder than Master but the same grit. This seems to make it less likely to get excess chalk on the tip. Sometimes using softer chalk I will get a little ridge of excess chalk.
I have been using Triangle ever since. To me it seems just a little harder than Master but the same grit. This seems to make it less likely to get excess chalk on the tip. Sometimes using softer chalk I will get a little ridge of excess chalk.
To me, the chalk situation isn't unlike beer industry. Not too long ago, most folks were fine drinking Miller High Life or Budweiser (Triangle and Master chalk). Then came craft beers like Sam Adams (Blue Diamond). Now, we have a flood of premium craft beer, with prices ranging up to $30 per cube.
$10 + chalk cubes and $500 shafts are slowly becoming the norm.
When players that can't make a run of 3 balls are paying $500 for shafts, we have issues.
But then again, when you have a $500 shaft, an $800 beak cue a $350 set of balls and a $400 case, you need to match it with some $30 chalk LOL
Triangle is common in the UK for snooker. Widely used and it is usually the standard chalk provided in the snooker hall. It is a good, clean chalk, effective if used every shot. There is some variation between colours. The light green is the most commonly used for snooker, but there is a dark green which is slightly moister and adheres better to the tip. There is also a triangle 'pro' chalk, but this is very messy.
If people want to see my chalk comparison videos and see the results of all of my testing, everything is available here:
chalk comparison resource page
Enjoy,
Dave
chalk comparison resource page
Enjoy,
Dave
It all comes down to a personal preference. If you like it then go with it. I see where most
people here on AZ really like Magic Chalk, I think it's crap, several steps below Master,
Personally I use Brunswick Gold Crown - Green, some people here think that's crap.
I just think it works best for me, and Ihave tried many from the $30 chalk all the way
down to a chunk of drywall (no kidding), I even tried to make my own, but the Brunswick
turned out to work the best for me.
In the end, I think that if you chalk between every shot or two and make sure to chalk up
before what you might think of as an important shot, the brand of chalk really doesn't make
a whole lotta difference. Go with what you like, it'll be best for you
people here on AZ really like Magic Chalk, I think it's crap, several steps below Master,
Personally I use Brunswick Gold Crown - Green, some people here think that's crap.
I just think it works best for me, and Ihave tried many from the $30 chalk all the way
down to a chunk of drywall (no kidding), I even tried to make my own, but the Brunswick
turned out to work the best for me.
In the end, I think that if you chalk between every shot or two and make sure to chalk up
before what you might think of as an important shot, the brand of chalk really doesn't make
a whole lotta difference. Go with what you like, it'll be best for you
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I do not think that MC or BD or Kamui or any other brand that comes to mind that’s overpriced is crap.
People pay what they can afford. If what they buy makes them feel better or causes them to think they
play better, go for it. The same is true about pool cues. People pay what they can afford and that could
be $100, $1,0000 or $10,000. No one should criticize another man about how he spends his money. But
when that player with a $3000 custom cue, crafted leather case and designer pool chalk struggles to just
run 1/2 dozen balls, well, just view that player as living proof it’s always the Indian and never the arrow.
People pay what they can afford. If what they buy makes them feel better or causes them to think they
play better, go for it. The same is true about pool cues. People pay what they can afford and that could
be $100, $1,0000 or $10,000. No one should criticize another man about how he spends his money. But
when that player with a $3000 custom cue, crafted leather case and designer pool chalk struggles to just
run 1/2 dozen balls, well, just view that player as living proof it’s always the Indian and never the arrow.