I might be able to help you out. I am an authorized Kamui installer in my area. As such I have installed and played with Almost every variation of tip they make. I play at about an A level, if that means anything or lends any credibility to my assessment of the play characteristics.
Because "how the tip *feels* to the customer" is my primary "product" to sell vs. some other tip installers, knowing what they all feel like is a pretty important thing for me. Of course, even more so I want to know exactly what *I* like!
One factor I don't hear much talk about is your shaft diameter. A larger diameter shaft for some reason makes a tip feel slightly harder, and also less flexible. Surely a length to width thing. So when I make recommendations to people I need to know what shaft they play with. When I transitioned from a 314-2 to my first small diameter shaft, which was a OB Classic Pro, I also tried the same tip, Kamui black soft. The first thing I noticed is that the tip felt like it flexed to the sides so much more using english. Also it kinda gave a spring and then *SNAP* back quality to it, which made it feel like a little or a lot was like an on/off switch. I didn't care for it. So I went to the brown soft. Problem essentially solved. The brown is much less flexible than the black. It gives more the feeling of going through the ball, rather than grabbing the ball. Although the "grip" was almost the same on the brown, the *feeling* of the grip was much more direct and linear. Generally speaking that is the principle performance difference for me between the brown and black. However, I must admit that I love the look of the black better. It burnishes much nicer and just looks better. For me a tip that looks nice and well maintained inspires confidence, and I want all I can get of that.
Next I went from the soft to the medium brown. I believe I also went with the clear. I must say I very much like installing the clears. It couldn't be easier. I swear they feel like they hit a tiny bit more solid for some reason. Anyway, the medium was better to me. More of a crisp direct hit. Really a better choice for my current OB Pro + (11.75mm).
Not satisfied yet, I went for the medium clear black. Bingo for me. I think the medium black is quite a bit harder than the soft. The medium is enough harder that the flexibility issue I didn't like in the soft was gone, I got all the grippiness of the black, I got the nicer look, and man that medium black when nicely burnished, good dome, and kinda tall just hits phenomenal. I've had it for a while now and LOVE it.
I have hit with other peoples super softs. My friend plays with my old cue with a 314-2 shaft. I'm very familiar with it. So the super soft on that one feels incredible. However that cue is very light, has a 12.75mm shaft, and a super firm hit to begin with. Its like a magic blend. I love it. I think the soft black is great on larger diameter shafts.
Basically on a small shaft I wouldn't care for a super soft and even a soft is too soft for me. I like a crisp hit. Not hard hard but firm, woody, and "bright"? if that makes any sense? The medium gets me there for the black and brown. The soft feels more like a medium on a 12.75 shaft. On a bigger shaft, the medium is fairly hard. Too hard for me I think. Soft is nice for most games on a larger shaft.
Gotta try it for yourself. To compare it to the tips you've tried: the super soft is well harder than an elk master, but that's not saying much. LePros can really range, but it seems like the best ones all tend to be medium hard type hits. I think a triangle can get medium hard, maybe hard if pressed. But a regular fresh triangle at medium tall height might be in the neighborhood of the Kamui soft in hardness, maybe the triangle would be a hair harder. I broken in triangle that is fairly packed down but still not old...like say the 3 months point...thats prbably about 70% of the way to the Kamui medium in hardness. Maybe more. Again, triangles do vary from tip to tip.
Kinda rambling I know, but hopefully this helped lol.
KMRUNOUT
