Holy Crap! Which tools do I get?!?!??

8

8-Ball Player

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have been reserching online for a long time and still dont know if I need all of these items: Tip shaper/scuffer, tip pik, tip shaver, tip tapper, and tip conditioner. Lol, I know I need a scuffer, but how in the heck do you know if you need all this stuff. Sorry, Im just a little frustrated because I need to order soon and dont want to spend 50 bucks on all these tools.

Any help would be app.

Thanks in advance.
 
The only thing I carry is my trusty Brad scuffer I've had for about 15 yrs.
But thats just me. I have some straight razors to trim mushrooming tips and a piece of leather to burnish. Other then that for me all, that other stuff is a waste of money.


Shane

8-Ball Player said:
I have been reserching online for a long time and still dont know if I need all of these items: Tip shaper/scuffer, tip pik, tip shaver, tip tapper, and tip conditioner. Lol, I know I need a scuffer, but how in the heck do you know if you need all this stuff. Sorry, Im just a little frustrated because I need to order soon and dont want to spend 50 bucks on all these tools.

Any help would be app.

Thanks in advance.
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I think I have purchased just about every style of tip tools out there. The only ones I ever use are a tip shaper (an absolute must). I have both nickel and dime shapers. both are real cheap. And a porcupine tip poker/tapper.

I rarely use the poker. I rarely use any tools to be honest. I shoot about 5 hours every day too.

Most of the stuff is gimmicks (sp?) and I fell for them all :) I still like having them just incase. Its not like they are expensive. Usually a few bucks each.

besides, how often to you se good players tending to their tip? (yeah, i know some do) But most never do. Its really the bangers who do all that stuff in any effort to improve.


Anyways, I got em all. used them until I realized i was just wearing out my tip :) I use the tip pik every couple months and the shaper when ever i put a new tip on. My tips keep their shape if i do not break with them.

I also read once that chalking your tip keeps is shaped. maybe thats why I never need to do anything about it. its not like I ignore it. i look at it every day and i know what i am looking for...


My advice - buy them all since its cheap. but definitely get a shaper and a pik first.
 
CaptiveBred said:
I think I have purchased just about every style of tip tools out there. The only ones I ever use are a tip shaper (an absolute must). I have both nickel and dime shapers. both are real cheap. And a porcupine tip poker/tapper.

I rarely use the poker. I rarely use any tools to be honest. I shoot about 5 hours every day too.

Most of the stuff is gimmicks (sp?) and I fell for them all :) I still like having them just incase. Its not like they are expensive. Usually a few bucks each.

besides, how often to you se good players tending to their tip? (yeah, i know some do) But most never do. Its really the bangers who do all that stuff in any effort to improve.


Anyways, I got em all. used them until I realized i was just wearing out my tip :) I use the tip pik every couple months and the shaper when ever i put a new tip on. My tips keep their shape if i do not break with them.

I also read once that chalking your tip keeps is shaped. maybe thats why I never need to do anything about it. its not like I ignore it. i look at it every day and i know what i am looking for...


My advice - buy them all since its cheap. but definitely get a shaper and a pik first.
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Thank you so much, thats just the post I needed!

To the previous post... with the peice of leather, do you just burmish the sides, or the top of the tip as well?
 
buy ruff sandpapper to scuff the tipp... and a rubber band to hold your cue together when its apart..................

thats all you need .... 'bout 2 dollars
 
All you need for a tip is a simple and durable scuffer. Quality tips don't wear down enough to need a trimmer, shaper, etc. So don't bother. Scuffing on occasion is ideal... anything else might even delaminate your tip (if it's layered)

For the shaft I use q-smooth papers then slipstic and I just bought a q-wiz (steve mizerak!) leather shaft burnisher and that thing along with slipstic is absolutely magic.
 
I'd buy an ultimate tip tool.
That's all
I keep a Willard's dime shaper on my keychain. But that's mainly for shaping house cues when I make those unscheduled trips to the pool hall.
 
Hierovision said:
Quality tips don't wear down enough to need a trimmer, shaper, etc.
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umm... no. All leather tips flatten and mushroom. The softer the tip, the faster this happens. Eventually you will probably need to use a shaper on them, unless you intend to just replace the tip when this happens.
 
I guess I'm spoiled by my sniper. Have been using it for about 15-20 hours a week since December and it's as good as new. Last night I played for 25 minutes without chalking and didn't realize it.

I've been told by a few cuemakers that if/when a layered tip gets out of shape to take it to the house cueman and have him shape it, as opposed to shaping it with a shaper that grinds and damages layers.
 
Hierovision said:
I guess I'm spoiled by my sniper. Have been using it for about 15-20 hours a week since December and it's as good as new. Last night I played for 25 minutes without chalking and didn't realize it.

I've been told by a few cuemakers that if/when a layered tip gets out of shape to take it to the house cueman and have him shape it, as opposed to shaping it with a shaper that grinds and damages layers.
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It's true that getting a house-pro to shape it is better, but it also costs money, so I guess it just depends on how much he's willing to spend.

Sounds like your tip is good quality, what hardness is it? Maybe I should give Sniper a try next time I need to get my tip replaced.
 
It's a medium-hard according to Tiger, but it feels between soft-medium to me. Here's the link: http://www.tigerproducts.com/store/product.php?productid=16181&cat=108&page=1

It's a great tip and still holds chalk like it did when it arrived. I've scuffed it twice since I got it, and only lightly. It holds chalk as well as a fresh everest tip (had a z-shaft for a couple years) and only needs a scuffing every few months... if that, I'm kind of picky. I'm trying out a Talisman-M on the Josey when I get it since I've never tried one, but it's likely I'll have it changed to a Sniper if it's not my style.
 
8-Ball Player said:
I have been reserching online for a long time and still dont know if I need all of these items: Tip shaper/scuffer, tip pik, tip shaver, tip tapper, and tip conditioner. Lol, I know I need a scuffer, but how in the heck do you know if you need all this stuff. Sorry, Im just a little frustrated because I need to order soon and dont want to spend 50 bucks on all these tools.

Any help would be app.

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

You don't need any of them. You need a piece of sandpaper to rough up your tip very occassionally, a damp (not wet) paper towel to clean your shaft, a piece of cotton (or towel or microfiber thingy) to wipe the shaft down, and a piece of leather to burnish it. Also I'll clean the shaft with a little Rain-x (yes, the windshield product) on a kleenex or paper towel as necessary.

I've bought every conceivable gadget and accessory under the sun and that's all I use. However, I understand, you'll have to buy them all to find I for yourself, just as I had to. :)
 
smokeandapancak said:
buy ruff sandpapper to scuff the tipp... and a rubber band to hold your cue together when its apart..................

thats all you need .... 'bout 2 dollars
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good one...funny
 
8-Ball Player said:
... and dont want to spend 50 bucks on all these tools.
...
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Don't get any of that crap. Go to the hardware store and get some #200, #600 and #1200 sandpaper. Glue the #200 to a small square of plywood. Use it to rough your tip by rolling -- NOT SCRAPING!!! -- it across the tip, leaving the impression of the grit in the surface of the tip. Do this rarely. Use the #600 for very coarse cleaning of your shaft, rarely. Use the #1200 (or finer) to clean/smooth your shaft later when a damp towel isn't enough.

If you put on your own tip, and are handy with tools, all you need is glue, sandpaper and a sharp knife. With just those, and some time and effort, you can make a tip look just like factory-installed. You should learn how to do this.
 
I have a Williard nickel shaper and a Shadow Tip Pik. I've been playing for half a year now with a triangle tip and only tip pik'ed it once lightly. It surely holds it shape and requires no shaping. I've seen someone shaping with the Williard and the tip looked so painful afterward. I'm not sure I'm cruel enough to do it to mine when it's out of shape.

My experience with a Sniper tip is that it doesn't need nothing at all.

It seems sandpaper is versatile and easy to use. I'll try it next time. It is also a good idea to tip pik those house cues having tips that don't look like leather at all; some look like plastic jelly bean. The Shadow tip pik is cool too; without a cap.

Bob Jewett said:
If you put on your own tip, and are handy with tools, all you need is glue, sandpaper and a sharp knife. With just those, and some time and effort, you can make a tip look just like factory-installed. You should learn how to do this.
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I don't know any pro in my area to replace a cue tip for me so I would want to learn to do it. Are there any tutorials on the web or somewhere that I can learn from? Thanks in advance.
 
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Thanks for your post everyone. I have used some fine sandpaper on my Players cue tip, which is a Le Pro... It seems that I only play for 10 min. and it is flat as a pancake again... Im going to buy a Mcdermott soon enough, and the triangle tip should last a little bit longer, as long as I dont break with it correct?
 
8-Ball Player said:
I have been reserching online for a long time and still dont know if I need all of these items: Tip shaper/scuffer, tip pik, tip shaver, tip tapper, and tip conditioner. Lol, I know I need a scuffer, but how in the heck do you know if you need all this stuff. Sorry, Im just a little frustrated because I need to order soon and dont want to spend 50 bucks on all these tools.

Any help would be app.

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

That's a no. You do not need any of them. You need something that will shape/scuff; that's only 1 single item that you should have around. Depending on the tip you use, you may not even need to keep it on you...I scuff up about once a week if I'm playing heavily using a Triangle.

I use the 9" sandpaper shaper, the best tool going... I have a tapper, but I never use it...it would come in handy if you had to smuggle a tool around in your pocket, but if you can rock out your case all of the time just use nine-inches of the manliest tool going: the 9" sandpaper shaper. :p
 
8-Ball Player said:
Thanks for your post everyone. I have used some fine sandpaper on my Players cue tip, which is a Le Pro... It seems that I only play for 10 min. and it is flat as a pancake again... Im going to buy a Mcdermott soon enough, and the triangle tip should last a little bit longer, as long as I dont break with it correct?
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Dude
If you flatten the tip out after 10 min
Or even 1 week
You are hitting WAY TOO HARD
 
McDermott is a good brand. Their cues have a lot of good soft feel, even with the triangle tip. Don't break with it. Don't hit so hard. Use just enough force to do what you in in least amount of movement.
 
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