Got my first break cue!

C

CageyCraigey

Member
Hi Everyone!

New player here. Played four months, APA Level 4.

I love my Imperial Drifter Sneaky Pete cue, so ordered another one from them that arrived today, this time it weighs 20 ounces. I want to put a hard tip on there. Can you please recommend some tips I should consider before I take it to a billiard store on Monday to get it completed.

Thank you,

Craig
 
CageyCraigey said:
Hi Everyone!

New player here. Played four months, APA Level 4.

I love my Imperial Drifter Sneaky Pete cue, so ordered another one from them that arrived today, this time it weighs 20 ounces. I want to put a hard tip on there. Can you please recommend some tips I should consider before I take it to a billiard store on Monday to get it completed.

Thank you,

Craig
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Craig,

If you want strictly a break cue tip, I just installed a Kamui Sai Control Break Tip. It is hard leather and if you perform
a search on Az for Kamui Sai Break Tips, you will see my posts and comments, as well as close up photos of the tip.

Absolutely unanimous agreement by everyone that’s tried my cue breaking racks was this tip actually sounds like a
phenolic tip it was that loud. I installed it on a wooden break cue, a 30+ years old Stinger Break/Jump Cue. Now aside
from the acoustics on the break, the OB spread was great, off the rails, and balls were pocketed on the break shot.

Now I don’t achieve what others did today because my break is the weakest part of my game as my posts will attest. But I like the way my cue performed versus before and I feel a lot more confident now playing with this new break tip. It was also recommended to me that Samsara makes a very good break tip but I use Kamui tips on almost all my cues.

Matt
 
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Man you’ve been playing a few months and are already an APA 4. Wish some people on my team would put in that much effort instead of just thinking they will get better without any. Congrats.

I’m no help on break cue tips. I’m an odd one out who prefers an elkmaster to break with.
 
Willowbrook Wolfy said:
Man you’ve been playing a few months and are already an APA 4. Wish some people on my team would put in that much effort instead of just thinking they will get better without any. Congrats.

I’m no help on break cue tips. I’m an odd one out who prefers an elkmaster to break with.
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Thank you. I love playing. Played snooker in the UK when I was a kid but that was nearly thirty years ago. I have built my game around very good safety play. I still roll a few too many balls but am getting there. Do you have a slightly heavier cue you use your Elkmaster with?
 
Bavafongoul said:
Craig,

If you want strictly a break cue tip, I just installed a Kamui Sai Control Break Tip. It is hard leather and if you perform
a search on Az for Kamui Sai Break Tips, you will see my posts and comments, as well as close up photos of the tip.

Absolutely unanimous agreement by everyone that’s tried my cue breaking racks was this tip actually sounds like a
phenolic tip it was that loud. I installed it on a wooden break cue, a 30+ years old Stinger Break/Jump Cue. Now aside
from the acoustics on the break, the OB spread was great, off the rails, and balls were pocketed on the break shot.

Now I don’t achieve what others did today because my break is the weakest part of my game as my posts will attest. But I like the way my cue performed versus before and I feel a lot more confident now playing with this new break tip. It was also recommended to me that Samsara makes a very good break tip but I use Kamui tips on almost all my cues.

Matt
Click to expand...

Matt,

Thank you. I will look up both Kamui and Samsara.

Thanks

Craig
 
Smutzc said:
Welcome Craig, just out of curiosity, what got you playing pool recently ?
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I play golf to a fairy decent level 9 hcap but have a degenerative bone disease that not even daily narcotic painkillers can manage. I am having experimental treatment and surgery next month. But in December, I was nearly incapacitated and knew I had to go out and do something to keep me looking forward. I saw there was a well appointed pool hall around the corner, went along a few times, heard about the APA league and started playing. Now I play 2-3 evenings per week for three or four hours at a time. Can be hard to find opponents though.
 
CageyCraigey said:
I play golf to a fairy decent level 9 hcap but have a degenerative bone disease that not even daily narcotic painkillers can manage. I am having experimental treatment and surgery next month. But in December, I was nearly incapacitated and knew I had to go out and do something to keep me looking forward. I saw there was a well appointed pool hall around the corner, went along a few times, heard about the APA league and started playing. Now I play 2-3 evenings per week for three or four hours at a time. Can be hard to find opponents though.
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That’s an inspiring story, I’m sorry to hear about the health issues. Most people would not have the will to look forward like you ! Good luck with your pool game! I’m sure you have ran across a few YouTube channels for pool. In case you want to learn more about the game Dr.Dave has a ton of great videos and Niels The terminator Feijen, just to name a few ! Godspeed my friend !
 
Along with a break tip you might want to consider a ferrule change. If your cue has a soft ferrule on it, that will be detrimental to the performance of your new break tip. I've even had problems with getting some to stay on caused by the flex of a soft ferrule. Brian.
 
a1712 said:
Along with a break tip you might want to consider a ferrule change. If your cue has a soft ferrule on it, that will be detrimental to the performance of your new break tip. I've even had problems with getting some to stay on caused by the flex of a soft ferrule. Brian.
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Brian. My ferrule is just a white plastic one..is that sufficient? Thanks
 
Look at Taom break/jump tips.

You won’t know how the ferrule will hold up until you retip and start cracking racks. If the ferrule cracks or splits (unlikely to happen anytime soon), you will need to replace. I’d say don’t worry about it for now.
 
CageyCraigey said:
Brian. My ferrule is just a white plastic one..is that sufficient? Thanks
Click to expand...
Absolutely fine….ferrules are pretty durable. Over the past 6 decades of playing pool in different cities
that I’ve lived ranging from coast to coast and the mid states, I cannot recall seeing any player at a
pool hall or a tournament break their cue’s ferrule from hitting the cue ball hard. And I’ve seen some
players with a canon ball break pound the racks and their cue’s ferrules were never damaged. Now I
have seen tips come off and fly across a room but the ferrules always were okay. I do not recommend
breaking with an ivory ferrule only because it’s become increasingly hard regulatory wise to replace them
if it was ever damaged. IMO, nothing has been invented so far to perform better than a ivory ferrule does.
 

CageyCraigey said:
Brian. My ferrule is just a white plastic one..is that sufficient? Thanks
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Your cue wasn't made to be a break cue. If you go to have a break tip put on, it might be perfectly fine, it might not. I'm not questioning the durability of a plastic ferrule, I'm questioning the hardness of it. Soft flexes, the flex can cause a hard break tip to pop off. If you're going to do it and you have it at your repairman's shop, he can install something better, canvas phenolic comes to mind. Brian.
 
in addition to the recommendations here, I would ask your local "pool guy" what he might suggest. Good luck, and welcome to the addiction.
 
Cues were made to hit pool balls…..soft and hard. I don’t know the answer to this question but when did break cues first come into fashion? Probably over a century of pool playing before break cues became functionally popular. Cues have changed over the last 15-20 years but cue anatomy hasn’t. I have a Schon Runde made in 1984 with Micarta ferrules and break cues were not the trend back at that time. That cue was used to break many thousands of racks of balls and all of that cue’s shaft ferrules still look brand new. But times have changed and there isn’t any good reason to needlessly flatten and change the contour shape of the tip on your playing cue from breaking. Nonetheless, when you replace your tip, ask the person to look at your ferrule’s condition. FYI, a 7/8” & 1” ferrules seem to hold up as well as a shorter ferrule length. I think the best approach right now is to pose your question in the cue maker’s section where the more knowledgeable cue building expertise is likely found. I’m just sharing my opinions based on my pool playing experience & limited knowledge of cues.
 
CageyCraigey said:
Thank you. I love playing. Played snooker in the UK when I was a kid but that was nearly thirty years ago. I have built my game around very good safety play. I still roll a few too many balls but am getting there. Do you have a slightly heavier cue you use your Elkmaster with?
Click to expand...
No. The only reason I stick with elkmaster is because back when I started playing break cues weren’t as popular. Most would just grab a house cue off the wall to break with. They usually had elkys on them back then. Or if traveling light you just used a house cue to break and play with. So that and they are cheap!
 
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Thanks to everyone for the replies. A further question, please.

I have read online that getting a harder tip on a break cue also means there is more of a chance of a miscue on an off center strike of the cue ball. At my humble APA Level 4, I don't want to give that potential disadvantage away, so is that a legit concern that it might just be better to use a regular tip for now or go all in on a harder tip as in the long run it should pay off?

Thanks.
 
ask your local pool cue guy.....perhaps a medium hard tip would suit you better.
I would stick with a leather tip, rather than phenolic or other material. These are really hard.
 
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