v-10 for me!
$30 for a piece of chalk...What's your favorite chalk to use?
- Thread starter edwu
- Start date
I just got taom v10 and honestly I prefer kamui.
I Don’t have any mess issue’s and I know I‘ve said this before lol but people just over chalk lol I started chalking 1 time a game when I started using kamui and I never mis cue. No issue whats so ever. For a while I was just using predator chalk because my kamui was finely used up and I used it the same way. 1 time before each rack started And I just lightly brush it on. I know a lot of people it’s part of your pre shot routine and I get it but in my opinion it’s not necessary
Edit to say complaining about the cost is just silly to me.. The way I chalk a piece lasts me for more than 18 months. That’s a dollar and change a month lol if that’s a problem you probably can’t afford to play pool to begin with.
. If your happy with masters and it works for you by all means keep using it but the reason being cost is kind of silly.
I Don’t have any mess issue’s and I know I‘ve said this before lol but people just over chalk lol I started chalking 1 time a game when I started using kamui and I never mis cue. No issue whats so ever. For a while I was just using predator chalk because my kamui was finely used up and I used it the same way. 1 time before each rack started And I just lightly brush it on. I know a lot of people it’s part of your pre shot routine and I get it but in my opinion it’s not necessary
Edit to say complaining about the cost is just silly to me.. The way I chalk a piece lasts me for more than 18 months. That’s a dollar and change a month lol if that’s a problem you probably can’t afford to play pool to begin with.
. If your happy with masters and it works for you by all means keep using it but the reason being cost is kind of silly.I have both right now and can tell zero diff. BTW, the only change made to their chalk was back in the 90's sometime when they de-leaded it. As for the 'may be reasons' deal i'm not going down 'chalk conspiracy lane' anytime soon.
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I have all of them, and I've recently switched back to Roku 6 from v10. I just think it has a little grittier feel, which I like.I just got taom v10 and honestly I prefer kamui.
I Don’t have any mess issue’s and I know I‘ve said this before lol but people just over chalk lol I started chalking 1 time a game when I started using kamui and I never mis cue. No issue whats so ever. For a while I was just using predator chalk because my kamui was finely used up and I used it the same way. 1 time before each rack started And I just lightly brush it on. I know a lot of people it’s part of your pre shot routine and I get it but in my opinion it’s not necessary
Edit to say complaining about the cost is just silly to me.. The way I chalk a piece lasts me for more than 18 months. That’s a dollar and change a month lol if that’s a problem you probably can’t afford to play pool to begin with.
I've done a complete 180 on this subject in the past 3 months. I have a lifetime supply of Masters, and never expected to try anything different. Then son in law gave me a round of Taom for Christmas. I liked it, and soon realized it stuck better, lasted longer, and left much less dust on my table than anything I'd ever used.
If I didn't have a home table, it probably would not matter. But after experiencing the benefits of the TAOM, I intend to remove all the Masters from the pool room and have several rounds of TAOM for me and everyone else who plays on the table. The reduced mess and need to clean as often is a major consideration. But I'm convinced that the TAOM actually performs better as well.
In 2004, I bought a carton of Blue Diamond chalk…..50 pieces (25 boxes). Along the way, I experimented
with upscale brands and still have them in my chalk chest. Chalking less isn’t an issue for me since I usually
chalk every shot lightly brushing my tip with the cube. When I do occasionally skip, rest assured it’s because
the next shot I’m stroking the CB center hit. I carry my chalk for the past 1/4 century using a leather pouch so
the chalk is only inches away all the time. Nonetheless, chalking after every shot has become part of my pre-
shot routine so if I don’t do it, something just feels odd or off if you catch my drift. I’m used to doing this the
same way all the time so changing the routine becomes more of a distraction or hindrance rather than helpful.
The main reason I went to BD was the cleanliness aspect and when I bought a large supply, there weren’t many
brands that produced the same cleanliness. Chalk stains disappeared on my fingers and since my cue ferrules
are ivory, chalk stains never happened. My buddy gave me a piece of Taom chalk and I do like it better than BD
except for its shape which I dislike a lot. But if I lose a piece of BD chalk, which has happened in a tournament,
I’m not annoyed or bothered. When the piece of chalk starts to get smaller from use, I just replace it if the shape
doesn’t look right. Since I apply chalk by brushing instead of twisting the chalk and coring it, my chalk typically
wears evenly so it retains its cube shape pretty long. In other words, I pay attention to how I chalk instead of just
blindly picking up the chalk vs. rubbing or twisting it on the cue’s tip but pay closer attention to the tip’s contour.
Using and “adhering” to a pre-shot routine helps me focus on the shot in front of me and the destination I have in
mind for the CB afterward. Part of that routine is not entering the shadow zone until I’ve evaluated the shot and
what I want to happen after pocketing the OB. When I am ready to execute, I apply chalk to my cue tip & approach
the table, assume my stance, and execute 2, 3 at most, practice strokes and shoot. If I am in stance longer than that,
I step away and reset. Something wasn’t right or I was thinking about something when my mind should be blank….just
the shot and delivering the stroke I intended. Chalking is as important to me in my pre-shot routine as much as my
practice strokes. It’s the way I was taught to play by my step-dad who hustled pool in the 30’s until WWII down in NYC
Bowery District. A good player could make more than a week’s wages, sometimes a couple of weeks, in an afternoon.
He taught me so much but two things still ring in my ears that he preached religiously. Always leave your opponent a sense of hope while they empty their wallet because a man with hope is more generous. The other was….Always be a gracious winner and no matter what, always lose with dignity. So when it came to pool, he drummed into me that you can stroke you cue like it was a Stradivarius violin or use it like it’s a fiddle. Entirely different movements but both will produce the acoustical sounds you wanted, when you needed it if you know how to use the bow or pool cue. Another adage was never disrespect your shot
with upscale brands and still have them in my chalk chest. Chalking less isn’t an issue for me since I usually
chalk every shot lightly brushing my tip with the cube. When I do occasionally skip, rest assured it’s because
the next shot I’m stroking the CB center hit. I carry my chalk for the past 1/4 century using a leather pouch so
the chalk is only inches away all the time. Nonetheless, chalking after every shot has become part of my pre-
shot routine so if I don’t do it, something just feels odd or off if you catch my drift. I’m used to doing this the
same way all the time so changing the routine becomes more of a distraction or hindrance rather than helpful.
The main reason I went to BD was the cleanliness aspect and when I bought a large supply, there weren’t many
brands that produced the same cleanliness. Chalk stains disappeared on my fingers and since my cue ferrules
are ivory, chalk stains never happened. My buddy gave me a piece of Taom chalk and I do like it better than BD
except for its shape which I dislike a lot. But if I lose a piece of BD chalk, which has happened in a tournament,
I’m not annoyed or bothered. When the piece of chalk starts to get smaller from use, I just replace it if the shape
doesn’t look right. Since I apply chalk by brushing instead of twisting the chalk and coring it, my chalk typically
wears evenly so it retains its cube shape pretty long. In other words, I pay attention to how I chalk instead of just
blindly picking up the chalk vs. rubbing or twisting it on the cue’s tip but pay closer attention to the tip’s contour.
Using and “adhering” to a pre-shot routine helps me focus on the shot in front of me and the destination I have in
mind for the CB afterward. Part of that routine is not entering the shadow zone until I’ve evaluated the shot and
what I want to happen after pocketing the OB. When I am ready to execute, I apply chalk to my cue tip & approach
the table, assume my stance, and execute 2, 3 at most, practice strokes and shoot. If I am in stance longer than that,
I step away and reset. Something wasn’t right or I was thinking about something when my mind should be blank….just
the shot and delivering the stroke I intended. Chalking is as important to me in my pre-shot routine as much as my
practice strokes. It’s the way I was taught to play by my step-dad who hustled pool in the 30’s until WWII down in NYC
Bowery District. A good player could make more than a week’s wages, sometimes a couple of weeks, in an afternoon.
He taught me so much but two things still ring in my ears that he preached religiously. Always leave your opponent a sense of hope while they empty their wallet because a man with hope is more generous. The other was….Always be a gracious winner and no matter what, always lose with dignity. So when it came to pool, he drummed into me that you can stroke you cue like it was a Stradivarius violin or use it like it’s a fiddle. Entirely different movements but both will produce the acoustical sounds you wanted, when you needed it if you know how to use the bow or pool cue. Another adage was never disrespect your shot
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I haven’t tried Roku. Is it softer than the v10?
Masters and triangle work great. Triangle covers better and seems fresher in my opinion than masters. Both blue versions. They say the color doesn't effect performance but I swear any color other than blue is shit. TAOM is good for your home table to keep it clean. No sense using it out. There is no point when everyone is using messy chalk
No, it's not softer. It's not much harder either -- I just like it because it feels more like a "chalk" than a "paste". But it's still a very clean chalk. Not as clean as V10, but pretty darn close.
Roku leaves a mess on the balls, Taom V10 is just so much cleaner. They simply aren't in the same category.
I never thought I would switch from Masters or Triangle, but Taom is so clean, it blows my mind.
If you were waiting for a sign to make the switch, this is it. Do it.
I never thought I would switch from Masters or Triangle, but Taom is so clean, it blows my mind.
If you were waiting for a sign to make the switch, this is it. Do it.
Das Cue-Boot
Active member
I got some Taom Pyro on a lark, and found it was really clean, worked really well and was on schedule to last for years. Just because I bought some V10 and found it worked just as well, was even cleaner and will last even longer. All my dusty chalks are living out the rest of their miserable lives dusting up tables at non-profits that I donated them to, and happily I don't have to vacuum up after playing. Unless there is something that people say is better or just as good for a lower price than V10, I'm not going back.
I just wish they offered the V10 in blue as well. Yes, it’s clean, but green chalk marks still show up some on our tournament blue Simonis, particularly on draw shots when the tip follows through to the cloth.
I got to ask how much are you chalking? I haven’t noticed a single mark on my blue cloth but I only chalk up once in between each game.
I grab a few newer cubes of Masters at the pool room and put them in my case to use.
Masters works just fine and it's free.
Masters works just fine and it's free.
Yes, I chalk up virtually every shot. 50+ year habits are hard to break!