An observation about Master chalk

N

Nico

Banned
This thread got me thinking I should post the following observation.

I was cleaning a drawer yesterday and came across 4 blue Master chalks I had tucked away. Now these would all be quite old because I switched from blue Master to green about 3 years ago.

What I noticed was that 3 of the chalks were pre-911 as they didn't have the American flag on them. Now these chalks were a very dark shade of blue, almost blue with black mixed in. I thought it might be oxidation so I sanded the top surface of the chalk to bring back the fresh stuff...still the same.

The post-911 Master chalk (with the flag), was several shades lighter in color and didn't seem as gritty as the older 3 chalks.

Now I'm not trying to re-stoke the conspiracy theories about Master changing it's recipe, but I gotta say this... the 3 pre-911 chalks were all from different sources and all the exact same color, much darker than the post-911 chalk. Hmmmm:confused:

I'm starting to believe there is a conspiracy. Oh and by the way, I'm going back to the blue stuff regardless of any shenanigans. The green chalk never did cover my tip as well. I could always see the leather through the chalk, even after freshly scuffing it up. The blue stuff is like a coat of paint, covers that stuff up mad shooter style.:)
 
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I don't play in many events in the U.S. however, I did notice the diff. in Canadian Master Chalk and the U.S. The chalk I use is fine almost like clay and sticks to the tip. The U.S chalk used at the Turning Stone event had large grains and wouldn't stay on the tip. I noticed when the guys broke the balls a chalk cloud would cover the table. I never saw chalk fly off the tip like that. Canadian Master much, much better...I used my own chalk while at Turning Stone.
 
Jason Robichaud said:
I don't play in many events in the U.S. however, I did notice the diff. in Canadian Master Chalk and the U.S. The chalk I use is fine almost like clay and sticks to the tip. The U.S chalk used at the Turning Stone event had large grains and wouldn't stay on the tip. I noticed when the guys broke the balls a chalk cloud would cover the table. I never saw chalk fly off the tip like that. Canadian Master much, much better...I used my own chalk while at Turning Stone.
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Hey man!....taking your chalk home is contraband across the boarder, and you will have to send it to me this instant for reprocessing....

pm me for address...:D


Gerry
 
This pre flag chalk stuff has been posted before.The flag was put on in honor of 911.

At one time apparently Master used a oil based LEAD coloring dye in their chalk formula.This was discontinued because lead is harmful.They now use a water based unleaded coloring dye,henceforth the different shades of blue you are seeing.

Some people swear that the lead based chalk coated better and that they could notice a big difference in cue tip performance.Others say that, that was complete nonsense.

Someone said Earl Strickland uses the lead based chalk and swears by it.I don't know if this rumour is true or not, however, I do know that Earl has the filthiest (ring of blue) ferrule that I've ever seen.I also know that his stroke got him into the Hall of Fame and not some lead based chalk.

RJ
 
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recoveryjones said:
Someone said Earl Strickland uses the lead based chalk and swears by it.I don't know if this rumour is true or not, however, I do know that Earl has the filthiest (ring of blue) ferrule that I've ever seen.I also know that his stroke got him into the Hall of Fame and not some lead based chalk.

RJ
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Lead exposure:

"Lead disrupts the functioning of almost every brain neurotransmitter, says David Bellinger, Ph.D., a psychologist and epidemiologist at Children's Hospital in Boston. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers between the body's nerve cells. The messenger calcium, for example, is essential to nerve impulse transmission, heart activity, and blood clotting, but if it doesn't work right, affected systems may also be askew...Severe lead poisoning can cause subtle loss of recently acquired skills, listlessness, bizarre behavior,......"

Hmmm - lead based chalk and Earl using it? Coincidence? I think not. :p
 
Also sodium and potassium are essential to nerve transmission. Cocaine blocks the inrush of sodium into the nerve itself, hence it's called a sodium blocker. Therefore tactile sensations are numbed.
 
I have noticed a difference myself in between the "flag" version of Master chalk and the older variety. In my opinion, the "flag" version just doesn't coat or adhere to the tip as well as the older variety did. Also, most of the cubes on the "flag" version seem to crack more readily and don't seem to last quite as long as the older variety did.

Thankfully, I still have about a half a gross of the older stuff at home. I use it very sparingly & have put the old stuff in a safe place. Both of the grosses I have are the green variety.
 
rackmsuckr said:
Lead exposure:

"Lead disrupts the functioning of almost every brain neurotransmitter, says David Bellinger, Ph.D., a psychologist and epidemiologist at Children's Hospital in Boston. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers between the body's nerve cells. The messenger calcium, for example, is essential to nerve impulse transmission, heart activity, and blood clotting, but if it doesn't work right, affected systems may also be askew...Severe lead poisoning can cause subtle loss of recently acquired skills, listlessness, bizarre behavior,......"

Hmmm - lead based chalk and Earl using it? Coincidence? I think not. :p
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Bizarre behavior!
LOL!!!!:D
 
recoveryjones said:
This pre flag chalk stuff has been posted before.The flag was put on in honor of 911.

At one time apparently Master used a oil based LEAD coloring dye in their chalk formula.This was discontinued because lead is harmful.They now use a water based unleaded coloring dye,henceforth the different shades of blue you are seeing.

Some people swear that the lead based chalk coated better and that they could notice a big difference in cue tip performance.Others say that, that was complete nonsense.

Someone said Earl Strickland uses the lead based chalk and swears by it.I don't know if this rumour is true or not, however, I do know that Earl has the filthiest (ring of blue) ferrule that I've ever seen.I also know that his stroke got him into the Hall of Fame and not some lead based chalk.

RJ
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I know all about the lead, and the American flag after 911, hence my statement pre and post-911. I read the thread titled "What makes a good Chalk?" and saw something Fred Agnir posted that got me thinking something is definitely up.

Fred mentioned that he had spoken to Skip Nemecek who claimed that blue Master chalk is the same formulation since the companies inception, that they haven't changed a thing.

Now I know this can't be true, especially since the darker color would be consistent with lead being a main ingredient. Since blue is the most common color used, and always has been, maybe Tweeten wants people to think that only the 'other' colors had lead in them.
 
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I, too, own some pre and post 9/11 blue chalk. The pre 9/11, without the flag logo on the label, coats the tip with a finer much finer grain that the post 9/11 which seems literally flakier IMHO. And I'm holding on to my pre 9/11. A much finer product in more ways than one.

The shade of blue, that is, the hue, appears identical to my eyes and I am an expert on color blindness tests and shade distinguishing. Nurses get blown out of the water when they administer the color blindness test to me.

However, I am comparing only one chalk cue to another instead of an entire batch.
 
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Yeah... finally found a post that I totally agree, I thought I was going loonie or something. No one hear agrees that a few years back, we all had chalk that was slightly darker in color and seemed a little more gritty.

these days Tweeten fiber, has no chalk I that seem to like, I've tried Triangle, Blue Diamond and the Blue masters... they all seem like hard clay.

does anyone make a chalk like the old days, yo Earl, where are you buying your chalk these days?
 
rackmsuckr said:
Lead exposure:

"Lead disrupts the functioning of almost every brain neurotransmitter, says David Bellinger, Ph.D., a psychologist and epidemiologist at Children's Hospital in Boston. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers between the body's nerve cells. The messenger calcium, for example, is essential to nerve impulse transmission, heart activity, and blood clotting, but if it doesn't work right, affected systems may also be askew...Severe lead poisoning can cause subtle loss of recently acquired skills, listlessness, bizarre behavior,......"

Hmmm - lead based chalk and Earl using it? Coincidence? I think not. :p
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Dang, you stole my reply... :p Now I got nothing to say except something relevant to the topic. I agree, the older blue chalk stuck more to the tip than green, I think enough people think it that the "myth" part of it is irrelevant. The first time I used the green Masters I was wondering why there was more poweder going everwhere. Dr. dave.. lets see some robot testing action on chalk please.
 
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Jason Robichaud said:
I don't play in many events in the U.S. however, I did notice the diff. in Canadian Master Chalk and the U.S. The chalk I use is fine almost like clay and sticks to the tip. The U.S chalk used at the Turning Stone event had large grains and wouldn't stay on the tip. I noticed when the guys broke the balls a chalk cloud would cover the table. I never saw chalk fly off the tip like that. Canadian Master much, much better...I used my own chalk while at Turning Stone.
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Are lead restrictions less stringent in Canada? Maybe lead is the "secret ingredient".
 
Not to get into the middle of this, but moisture level should have a very large effect on color, no? Do you live somewhere humid? I've had lots of chalks 'go bad' and get all unusable after spending time in Indiana. They are usually quite dark in color when they suck.

/$.02

-s
 
rackmsuckr said:
Lead exposure:

"Lead disrupts the functioning of almost every brain neurotransmitter, says David Bellinger, Ph.D., a psychologist and epidemiologist at Children's Hospital in Boston. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers between the body's nerve cells. The messenger calcium, for example, is essential to nerve impulse transmission, heart activity, and blood clotting, but if it doesn't work right, affected systems may also be askew...Severe lead poisoning can cause subtle loss of recently acquired skills, listlessness, bizarre behavior,......"

Hmmm - lead based chalk and Earl using it? Coincidence? I think not. :p
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Then what explains the continued behavior? :D

BVal
 
I think all this chalk talk is a crock...

I mean honestly. The majority of the chalk conspiracy theorists could probably play without chalk at all (assuming their stroke exists...) and be without miscue.

Y'all chalk too much. (And I talk too much, I know...)
 
Chalk

I bought a gross of the late model blue with the flag. With a gross sitting here I had to experiment so I dried some in the oven. Seemed to make it more like the old green and green in general. Seemed to coat well but came off easily. Worked fine. Then I left a block of chalk on the back patio soaking up south Louisiana humidity for a few months. It got darker, especially on the outside, and much "creamier" for lack of a better word. Went on almost like paste, coated smoothly, worked OK, came off easily since it didn't adhere well to the leather or seem to get into it.

Back to square one!

Someone did give me four cubes of pre-flag green yesterday. I'm going to test it against the post-flag green one of these days.

Hu
 
I use GREEN with, or without Flag, and they all seem the same too me.
cheers.gif
 
Its taken me like 5 years to get through a box of master chalk, the best bang for your buck on the billiard market if you ask me.
 
RunoutalloverU said:
Its taken me like 5 years to get through a box of master chalk, the best bang for your buck on the billiard market if you ask me.
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You don't play enough;) .
 
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