Benefits of a hard tip

buckshotshoey

buckshotshoey

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I used to use Le pros, and Tiger Everest, and Tiger Onyx..... all of which are mediums. I quit using the Lepro because of constant maintenance. Mushrooming, glazing, and they would change hardness over the life of the tip. Everest and Onyx were ok. But they also got harder over time, and required occasional reshaping.

My game seemed to improve when the tips were at the end of their life. So that, and the rising costs of the Tiger products, I decided to try a Moori hard. I play very well with them at installation. My current one has been on the cue for 2 years. And I haven't reshaped it since install. It does not glaze. I don't miscues unless it's a really crappy stroke.

2 things....
First is after play, I wipe the chalk off with the palm of my hand. And I vigorously rub the tip with the palm until I feel a heat build up. I'm using the oil in my hand to condition the tip after every use. When I get the shaft back out, the tip holds chalk like it was magnetic.

Does anyone else do this to their tips? I've heard of people using saliva to condition the leather.

Second.... why do some of you like a soft, or super soft tip? Is it just feel? Or do you think you get more spin on the cue ball? I can get so much spin with the hard tip, it gets me in trouble many times. And I will over draw many times. I even over draw the steel core mud balls at times.

Would like to know the make and firmness of tips you all use and why you like them. I for one like the merit a hard leather tip offers.
 
9andout

9andout

Gunnin' for a 3 pack!!
Silver Member
buckshotshoey said:
I used to use Le pros, and Tiger Everest, and Tiger Onyx..... all of which are mediums. I quit using the Lepro because of constant maintenance. Mushrooming, glazing, and they would change hardness over the life of the tip. Everest and Onyx were ok. But they also got harder over time, and required occasional reshaping.

My game seemed to improve when the tips were at the end of their life. So that, and the rising costs of the Tiger products, I decided to try a Moori hard. I play very well with them at installation. My current one has been on the cue for 2 years. And I haven't reshaped it since install. It does not glaze. I don't miscues unless it's a really crappy stroke.

2 things....
First is after play, I wipe the chalk off with the palm of my hand. And I vigorously rub the tip with the palm until I feel a heat build up. I'm using the oil in my hand to condition the tip after every use. When I get the shaft back out, the tip holds chalk like it was magnetic.

Does anyone else do this to their tips? I've heard of people using saliva to condition the leather.

Second.... why do some of you like a soft, or super soft tip? Is it just feel? Or do you think you get more spin on the cue ball? I can get so much spin with the hard tip, it gets me in trouble many times. And I will over draw many times. I even over draw the steel core mud balls at times.

Would like to know the make and firmness of tips you all use and why you like them. I for one like the merit a hard leather tip offers.
Click to expand...
Buckshot you're serving up a lot of softball's lol
This thread could go off the rails real quick. :grin:
 
buckshotshoey

buckshotshoey

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It could I suppose. Not my intention. Just looking for opinions.... Not arguments. The leather conditioning for example. How many do it? How often do you have to replace a soft tip? Does anyone else experience a high end (Kamui or Predator for example) soft tip get harder near the end of its life? Do you have to tip pick your tips? That's what I'm looking for.
 
Last edited:
K

Koop

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have similar results. I love a soft tip that hardens over time but, for whatever reason, I don't like a hard tip out of the gate. Maybe it's just a mental thing but I like a tip that delivers kind of a thud, not a ping.
 
9andout

9andout

Gunnin' for a 3 pack!!
Silver Member
buckshotshoey said:
It could I suppose. Not my intention. Just looking for opinions.... Not arguments. The leather conditioning for example. How many do it? How often do you have to replace a soft tip? Does anyone else experience a high end (Kamui or Predator for example) soft tip get harder near the end of its life? That's what I'm looking for.
Click to expand...
I have a Samsara soft. Been on for at least 8 months. Hasn't seemed to change.
***Not sure if I would notice much though.
Have Kamui SS on my bar cue. Over a year. Not used much.
 
buckshotshoey

buckshotshoey

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Koop said:
I have similar results. I love a soft tip that hardens over time but, for whatever reason, I don't like a hard tip out of the gate. Maybe it's just a mental thing but I like a tip that delivers kind of a thud, not a ping.
Click to expand...

So for you its more the "feel"?
 
buckshotshoey

buckshotshoey

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
9andout said:
I have a Samsara soft. Been on for at least 8 months. Hasn't seemed to change.
***Not sure if I would notice much though.
Have Kamui SS on my bar cue. Over a year. Not used much.
Click to expand...

But i am guessing you notice it a lot when you put a new tip on?
Does it affect you game at all?
It sure did mine.
 
Moet.1977

Moet.1977

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Never seen anyone rubbing there tip with there palm have seen people clean the tip so their case doesn't get chalk
in it.
For me I like a medium to hard tip, usally start with a medium that way as it wears down some seems to compress
and get harder. I also seem to play better when a tip is getting closer to its end.
 
M

mrkdenton

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I use lepro tips. And I actually do the same thing with my palm t clean of tip. Lol. I also take my finger and thumb and get Alittle oil from my skin around my nose/cheek area and burnish my sides of the tip with my oil from face. Lmao. It works really great. :)
 
buckshotshoey

buckshotshoey

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
mrkdenton said:
I use lepro tips. And I actually do the same thing with my palm t clean of tip. Lol. I also take my finger and thumb and get Alittle oil from my skin around my nose/cheek area and burnish my sides of the tip with my oil from face. Lmao. It works really great. :)
Click to expand...

I seen an article where Minnesota Fats would carry his spare tips around in his pocket. He would put his hand in his pocket and handle them for a month or longer before he would install them on his cue. He was tanning the leather with skin oil. Thats where i got the idea (at least I hope thats what he was doing in his pocket!)

Then i thought about the American Indian would infuse saliva to leather. The enzymes in the saliva would alter (harden) the leather without making it brittle. A good player in my area uses saliva on the side of the tip, then burnishes it. He said it holds its shape better.

When I started doing the palm oil trick, I noticed that chalk would adhere better, and would continue to do so.
 
Last edited:
philly

philly

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hard pressed Triangles. Single layer. Never need any maintenance and are about a buck apiece.
 
Sedog

Sedog

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Koop said:
Flattery gets you everywhere!
Click to expand...
I used to use a soft or medium tip but was constantly reshaping and started experiencing glazing quite often. I decided to try a milk dud by Pooldawg, on here. It works great. I even put it on my break stick. It breaks great and it is also a good shooter in a pinch. Never had to reshape but need to scuff occasionally. The milk dud is a hard tip that plays very good, try it.
 
K

Koop

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Sedog said:
I used to use a soft or medium tip but was constantly reshaping and started experiencing glazing quite often. I decided to try a milk dud by Pooldawg, on here. It works great. I even put it on my break stick. It breaks great and it is also a good shooter in a pinch. Never had to reshape but need to scuff occasionally. The milk dud is a hard tip that plays very good, try it.
Click to expand...

Funny you mention that. I loved it too but it's too hard for my liking. I do have one still installed to break with but I went back to Blue Diamonds for my playing cue.
I do agree, Jeff does an awesome job for short money but it played too hard for me.
 
Patrick Johnson

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
buckshotshoey said:
I used to use Le pros, and Tiger Everest, and Tiger Onyx..... all of which are mediums. I quit using the Lepro because of constant maintenance. Mushrooming, glazing, and they would change hardness over the life of the tip. Everest and Onyx were ok. But they also got harder over time, and required occasional reshaping.
Click to expand...
These are all the reasons I like hard tips (UltraSkin hard layered tips are the best value I've found). I just Tip Pik them daily and they hold chalk well, never glaze over (contrary to popular belief, this causes no damage at all to these layered tips).

I can get so much spin with the hard tip, it gets me in trouble many times. And I will over draw many times. I even over draw the steel core mud balls at times.
Click to expand...
It's possible that the slightly harder (less "cushioned") hit from a harder tip produces slightly more CB speed and RPMs, which can produce slightly more draw/follow.

But the spin-to-speed ratio remains the same for the same tip offset on the CB, and spin/speed ratio determines the amount of sidespin effect (angle change off the rail) - so you should see no real change there.

pj
chgo
 
buckshotshoey

buckshotshoey

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Sedog said:
I used to use a soft or medium tip but was constantly reshaping and started experiencing glazing quite often. I decided to try a milk dud by Pooldawg, on here. It works great. I even put it on my break stick. It breaks great and it is also a good shooter in a pinch. Never had to reshape but need to scuff occasionally. The milk dud is a hard tip that plays very good, try it.
Click to expand...

Glad you brought that up. I think milk does near the same thing as saliva..... Just quicker when soaking them.
And it makes the tip harder but still playable?
I guess I should try one someday. I've gotten so used to layered tips over the years.
 
fastone371

fastone371

Certifiable
Silver Member
buckshotshoey said:
I used to use Le pros, and Tiger Everest, and Tiger Onyx..... all of which are mediums. I quit using the Lepro because of constant maintenance. Mushrooming, glazing, and they would change hardness over the life of the tip. Everest and Onyx were ok. But they also got harder over time, and required occasional reshaping.

My game seemed to improve when the tips were at the end of their life. So that, and the rising costs of the Tiger products, I decided to try a Moori hard. I play very well with them at installation. My current one has been on the cue for 2 years. And I haven't reshaped it since install. It does not glaze. I don't miscues unless it's a really crappy stroke.

2 things....
First is after play, I wipe the chalk off with the palm of my hand. And I vigorously rub the tip with the palm until I feel a heat build up. I'm using the oil in my hand to condition the tip after every use. When I get the shaft back out, the tip holds chalk like it was magnetic.

Does anyone else do this to their tips? I've heard of people using saliva to condition the leather.

Second.... why do some of you like a soft, or super soft tip? Is it just feel? Or do you think you get more spin on the cue ball? I can get so much spin with the hard tip, it gets me in trouble many times. And I will over draw many times. I even over draw the steel core mud balls at times.

Would like to know the make and firmness of tips you all use and why you like them. I for one like the merit a hard leather tip offers.
Click to expand...

I completely agree with you. I used to use Kamui softs until I bought a new shaft that came with a Tiger Everest. I like the Everest the best when the red warning layer is almost exposed. I have had the last one on for about a year now. I did not shape it at all for the first couple months, when I finally did reshape it it must have been compressed well because I have not had to shape for 7-8 months. I break with my playing cue most of the time too. It is my opinion that nothing can kill the feel of a cue more than a soft tip, I ask people who I shoot with why they use soft and super oft tips and none really seem to have any answer. I know from trying out cues that other people have which brands I would never consider buying, it may just be because of the soft tip but I hate the way they feel and have no other baseline for them. i wipe my tip off with a towel every time it goes in the case, I will have to try the body oil thing and see how that works. I will also probably try a Moori hard on one of my spare cues, thank you for the good info. :smile:
 
measureman

measureman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have Triangles on all my shafts(4).
I play and put the shaft away then take it out and play again.
No maintenance or other OCD rituals.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top