LOL. I just saw it now. I will give you FULL credit for the remark. Measureman will live forever on the Magic chalk website !!!!
Chalk test, pictures and thoughts on different chalks.
- Thread starter Kimmo H.
- Start date
LOL. I just saw it now. I will give you FULL credit for the remark. Measureman will live forever on the Magic chalk website !!!!
I agree. The fact is that there isnt much room for improvement in chalk as it has been good enough for several decades already. Nothing wrong with the most basic chalks in my opinion and I'm sure any pro could play just as well with a piece of triangle or master. The benefit of having a "nicer" chalk may not be as much the chalk itself but more so knowing that you have a good piece on your hands, therefore a more confident stroke
Some chalks do apply better than others though and that may be a benefit for sloppy chalkers and even more so for people like myself who are meticulous about applying it because it is has grown to be part of their PSR.
Will see how many more different brands will be pumped out in the next few years when the subject seems to be somewhat hot. Chalks keep popping up like laminated tips these days
I think with modern cues, better rails, chalk, ball sets, those players would have all been a bit better than they were. Even as early as the 80s and 90s pro events were not up to the standards of today. Have you seen some of the crap racks they played with? I don't mean physical racks, but how the balls were racked. The 9 shot to the corner half the time in some matches, the 100k thing that Earl won, didn't he make 3 9s on the break and a few early combos?
... and much more info (including test results for many other brands) can be found here:
chalk testing resource page
And BTW, pre-flag Master is the exact same as flag Master. For more info, see:
pre-flag vs. flag Master chalk
Regards,
Dave
If you can find the time, try to put all of your chalks through the performance test described and demonstrated here:
chalk testing resource page
If you do, please share your results here.
The tests do take a little time and care, but they are fairly straightforward for anybody to do.
Thanks,
Dave
I am familiar with Dr. Daves test 
I agree with his conclusions, it doesn't matter what you use as long as you chalk before every shot. These tests of mine are purposefully made to show and describe the physical attributes of different chalks, how they feel when applying and how they cover the tip. Another important part of these tests is which chalks are messier than others. As Dr. Dave said too, chalk marks on the balls are responsible for unwanted clings. Its also generally annoying if the chalk makes a huge mess is use
E: I will try to do the tests next week. I have a few days off from work so I have plenty of time on my hands. I'll post the results here then.
I agree with his conclusions, it doesn't matter what you use as long as you chalk before every shot. These tests of mine are purposefully made to show and describe the physical attributes of different chalks, how they feel when applying and how they cover the tip. Another important part of these tests is which chalks are messier than others. As Dr. Dave said too, chalk marks on the balls are responsible for unwanted clings. Its also generally annoying if the chalk makes a huge mess is use
E: I will try to do the tests next week. I have a few days off from work so I have plenty of time on my hands. I'll post the results here then.
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PoolChump
Banned
Just chalk before every shot
Forget about the chalk differences and just chalk before every shot.
I have accumulated a small collection of different chalks over time and today I finally got around to testing them all to compare them. I took a few pictures for your curiousitys sake and to keep tabs how I liked wich chalk. Here is what I came up with after trying more than a dozen of different chalks.
Here is the line up of chalks tried today;
- Kamui 1.21
- Master Sky blue
- Master Blue
- Master Preflag blue
- OB
- Blue Diamond
- Magic Chalk
- Venom
- CUEL
- Triangle Pro chalk (only available in green)
- Triangle blue
- NIR
- Predator 1080
- Molinari
*
- Navigator
(* tested after the initial test on a different day)
I put each and everyone of them through the following testing action:
The test tips are a Taom 2.0 jump and break tip in green and a Milkdud tip as a leather playing tip. Both have been played with for a long time and I did not scuff either tip to provide a consistent testing basis. This is exactly how my tips look when I play so that is what I tested with.
First I wiped both tips clean of any previous chalk to give the chalk a clean surface to take on. I chalked up like I always do, gently wiping through the tips surface until the tip is totally covered in chalk. Note that other chalks took a bit more effort than some others to have the same coverage. I kept notes on the ones that felt difficult to apply evenly and on those that were substantially easier than the others. More on that under each chalk tested later on. I also played with the chalks to have a feeling how they are in action. No surprise there, everyone of them worked like chalk does as I chalk on nearly every shot
Skyblue Master
This is my usual table chalk at home that I have used for the most of my pool career, the sky blue Master chalk. It goes on well, covers the tip nicely and has always been a good solid choice for me. My favourite of Master chalks, the colour is nice on Tournament blue cloth.
Blue Master
A bit darker shade than the skyblue, other than that works pretty much exactly a like.
Preflag master
The iconic Preflag chalk. I dont actually like it as much as the new ones, it feels a bit dryer and the texture is coarse. Doesnt go on as smoothly. I dont care much for this piece but it is old as what and clearly it hasnt been stored properly as the wrapper is faded.
Venom
Venom chalk by Florian *Venom* Kohler. I bought a signed box a while back and decided to include it in the testing. It goes on smooth and has a nice texture but for some reason it seems to leave a quite thin coat especially on the break tip. Works though, decent chalk but I'll leave it on display for now :smile:
NIR
By a recommendation of a friend I got some NIR chalk to try out. Definitely worth the price in my opinion. Goes on the best of all chalks tested, has a fine texture and a deep blue colour. Feels really nice when applying and coats the whole tip very easily. I was impressed with this stuff actually, only down side is that it makes a bit more mess than some of the others tested. Good stuff though, I'll start carrying some around maybe.
Cuel
An odd horse of the bunch, the Cuel chalk. A fairly unknown and an affordable premium chalk I bought out of curiosity. It works fine but seems to leave a layer a bit too thick on the tip, leaves a bit of a mark on the cue ball. Not quite my cup of tea but it doesnt suck either. Mediocre in every way.
Blue Diamond
Made by Longoni and used by many pros including the likes of Niels Feijen is the first premium chalk I stumbled across when I got in to the game.
It goes on nicely and evenly and just simply performs. Only reason I dont use it much is that it tends to stick to the CB a bit. That makes me uncomfortable using it all the time so it just sits in the basket most of the time.
Molinari
One of the worst if not the absolute worst of the tested chalks. It makes a mess, leaves huge chunks of chalk on the tip, stucks to balls and the round shape is even more fun trying to catch than the Predator octagon shape :grin: I hate it, I would not play a rack with this stuff if I had to.
Predator 1080
Used by many sponsored pro players comes the Predator chalk. It has a funny shape that likes to roll on the floor if dropped but it makes up by looking so ace. I used to play with the stuff for a while but I changes back to Master as this too leaves more residue on the cue ball. It is far superior to Molinari for example and I could play with it if asked to so good stuff in my books. Never had much issues with it, just a little messy.
Magic Chalk
The best chalk of the world the label says. The chalk goes on well and works excellently. Stays on well and is generally nice to play with. Leaves a little thicker coat than the likes of Master. Not anything over the top great though, the first cubes I got were A++ but the later ones feel different and leave a bit of a mess behind. A bad box perhaps?
OB chalk
A new contender on the chalk market by OB. Decent chalk, looks pretty and has a premium feel to it. The texture feels coarse but it still goes on pretty well. An okay chalk, nothing wrong with it but I'm a bit OCD how I want my chalk to feel and sound when applying so I haven't kept up with it.
Triangle blue
Old but gold? The house chalk of numerous rooms up here. It is a mediocre chalk in every aspect. It looks okay, it feels okay, it goes on okay and so on. Makes a mess and is a very dark shade of blue so I dont care much for it
Kamui 1.21
The most expensive of the tested chalks, made by Kamui in Japan. The stuff has to be stored in a air tight bag and it feels totally different from normal chalk. It is a very light shade of blue and the texture is very soft, nearly mud like. Leaves a very thick layer of chalk on the tip when applied. Makes a weird noise and feels weird when applying, therefore I kind of disliked it from the get go. Doesnt work any better in my opinion than standard chalks to justify the price tag. In the same boat with Molinari I'd say.
Triangle Pro chalk
The new premium chalk made by Tweeten fibre. Aimed at the market for serious snooker players it only comes in green colour at the time, sadly.
The green is a darker shade than usual green chalks wich is nice. It has a little different texture than oiriginal Triangle a smooth but firm that goes on without much noise when wiping it on. It goes on very easily like NIR and it just feels so comfortable when applying. Surely a giant leap up from standard Triangle, this pro version is a whole different species. Excellent chalk for sure and I have already contacted Tweeten asking if this will be made in blue.
Navigator
A premium chalk from Japan. It is on the pricy side of premiun chalks at 15€ a cube but it seems to be well worth it. Applies evenly and easily, has a perfect texture in my opinion with its dry but smooth feeling composition. Feels like a perfect cube of Master but is noticeably cleaner to use. Minimum chalk marks left on balls and on the table. The wrapper is bright blue, nothing too fancy there. My favourite thing about this chalk is that it is nearly impossible to apply too much of it and therefore its very clean in use. Doesnt leave excess on either tip but still provides an even, total coverage for the tip. I like this a lot and I will continue to use it for more time before I give my final verdict on it. So far it is becoming my favourite of chalks tested.
That was all I got for today. Hopefully someone found that useful or interesting. I sure enjoyed writing it all up for you to see and to revisit the older chalks today.
Forget about the chalk differences and just chalk before every shot.
While all of the chalks tested worked as expected, I have run into chalks that just didn't work very well. I would get miscues with the tip well inside the normal range. Usually these were brands I had never heard of (typically in a bar or rec center), but it has also happened with name brands that were old and maybe not stored correctly.
Related to which, it's surprising how many players depend on the room/club/tournament to provide chalk for them. I think chalk is important enough to make sure you have a piece that works for you.
Related to which, it's surprising how many players depend on the room/club/tournament to provide chalk for them. I think chalk is important enough to make sure you have a piece that works for you.
Related to which, it's surprising how many players depend on the room/club/tournament to provide chalk for them. I think chalk is important enough to make sure you have a piece that works for you.[/QUOTE]
Bob I agree. It is funny how many good shortstops dont even have their own cue
Bob I agree. It is funny how many good shortstops dont even have their own cue
Or you could understand that there are people that are deeply annoyed about the need to chalk before EACH shot.
I am one of them. It distracts me, makes my shafts dirty and it bores me out of my mind.
I find it nice to read about opinions about equipment.
Cheers!
M
I tested all the chalks that I have on hand today and here are the test variables and results:
I used a familiar chalk to get a grip how far off I am able to hit the CB while still maintaining a consistent path for the CB to follow. I then placed my notes in a spot where I had a benchmark to make sure the CB took the desired path and was struck in a similiar way to others. I gave myself a path around 15cm wide from the spot towards the corner pocket where my notes were placed. I was amazed actually by my own ability to control the CB with such extreme spin. Succes rate for the shots was around 90% of the 339 shots tested, with many of the misses coming from certain brand of chalks. More on that later on. The conditions were near perfect, 22c regulated room temperature, clean table with Simonis 860HR with brand new Aramith measles ball used to make sure there are as few variables as I can have. All chalks have been in the room for atleast a week in the open except for Kamui wich is advised to be kept in an air tight bag where it has been stored in since I got it.
I wiped off all old chalk with a clean paper towel, then scuffed the tip evenly with Gator Grip tip tool and applied chalk like I always do, wiping it on the tip. Then I shot the shots while keeping the shafts logo always pointing upwards to only use one part of the tip for the experiment and kept a loggers count on paper to keep track how many times I could do the shot before miscuing. I then scuffed the tip gently again, applied the same chalk again and repeated the test to make sure I get somewhat consistent results.
Here are the numbers for different brands.
Number of shots with maximum sidespin before miscuing:
NIR: 7, 9
OB: 11, 7
Master: 8, 11
BD: 8, 12
Predator: 9, 11
Venom: 11, 12
Triangle: 12, 14
Mezz Smary chalk: 13, 15
Cuel: 15, 13
Triangle Pro: 19, 11
Magic chalk: 15, 16
Molinari: 19,13
Kamui 1.21: 17, 20
Navigator: 18, 21
There are some slight difference to dr. Daves numbers but that is something that cant be avoided with all the variables involved in a test like this. I did my best to keep the test as reliable as I could, taking break whenever I started to feel fatigue and tested all the chalks on the same day. I was able to keep the cue balls path pretty much dead on same with most of the tested chalk untill the last few shots when the tip started to slip on the balls surface. Only chalks I had some issues staying on line were Predator to some degree and Molinari to an extent. I was constantly under spinning a tiny amount with the Predator chalk and I was totally lost with the molinari. I cant understand why it is but I repeated the test for it after the rest and it just plays weird to me
In addition to that I kept a record on wich of the tested chalks left excessive chalk marks on the cue ball. The following brands left a chalk mark that was noticeably more visible than the others; OB, Cuel, Predator, Kamui and Molinari. Molinari got a mention of its own on my spreadsheet, the chalk marks on the first few shots were very large, enough that I wouldnt feel the least comfortable shooting with that kind of mark on the ball.
Here is a picture of my notes, I apologise for my terrible handwriting :thumbup:
Notes
And a picture of the setup, balls showing the CB path for tested shots. CB had to travel from between the CB and the corner of the notebook for the shot to be counted as succesfull.
Cue ball path
Cue used for these tests was a Barnhart merry widow with a Jacoby Edge hybrid shaft at 12.5mm that has a Precision Medium laminated tip on it.
*click*
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Thank you for sharing your results. It is interesting to see how other people's results compare to mine. It sounds like you used near-maximum sidespin for this test. That is very different than what I did. That could partly explain the differences in the results. Also, the tip type and hardness could also be a factor.
Again, thank you for your time and effort.
Good work,
Dave
There seems to be a big difference between the good and bad chalks, but less so between the good and very good. Mostly it's the feel of the grit and how it looks to coat the tip.
For me, even though I don't see any difference in mis-cues or how long I can shoot before I think I better chalk again, the Magic and Blue Diamond chalk feel smoother going on, they feel like I am coating the tip, while Masters and Predator and a few others feel more like I am grinding at the tip.
I have not tried Kamui though, that seems to be an exception in feel.
For me, even though I don't see any difference in mis-cues or how long I can shoot before I think I better chalk again, the Magic and Blue Diamond chalk feel smoother going on, they feel like I am coating the tip, while Masters and Predator and a few others feel more like I am grinding at the tip.
I have not tried Kamui though, that seems to be an exception in feel.