How Are Single Layered Tips Made?

buckshotshoey

buckshotshoey

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Something I've wondered about for a long time. Google search revealed nothing. YouTube? Nothing. What's the big secret?

I can only guess, but I think they would have to be made by pressing stacks of ground leather fibers. I don't know of any animal skin thick enough. Not only that, but an animal skin varies in density from the hair side to the meat side.

How are the leather fibers held together? Natrual process when leather is pressed? Presumably under heat and high temperature?

I did find this about Layered tips though...

Scientist explains why laminated tips perform as they do

Regarding the largely unresolved question (in scientific terms) about the often-cited performance superiority of laminated tips versus traditional single-layer ones, a few years ago I contacted Jack H. Koehler who is renowned in pool circles for his scientific analysis and explanations about the...
forums.azbilliards.com
 
Cow leather comes in different "weights". If you look at some saddles you'll see leather as thick as any of the single layer tips. When I was making holsters and belts "a hundred years ago" I used mostly 8 oz. weight. I also did floral carving for a local saddle maker and some of the panels he gave me were three times as thick as my hide leather. I don't recall what weight they were. Pig leather is another story as I have no experience with swine except for shooting them and barbecue.
 
buckshotshoey said:
Something I've wondered about for a long time. Google search revealed nothing. YouTube? Nothing. What's the big secret?

I can only guess, but I think they would have to be made by pressing stacks of ground leather fibers. I don't know of any animal skin thick enough. Not only that, but an animal skin varies in density from the hair side to the meat side.

How are the leather fibers held together? Natrual process when leather is pressed? Presumably under heat and high temperature?

I did find this about Layered tips though...

Scientist explains why laminated tips perform as they do

Regarding the largely unresolved question (in scientific terms) about the often-cited performance superiority of laminated tips versus traditional single-layer ones, a few years ago I contacted Jack H. Koehler who is renowned in pool circles for his scientific analysis and explanations about the...
forums.azbilliards.com
Click to expand...
They use water-buffalo hides. The shoulder area is the best for tips. Leather is tanned then tips are punched out, pressed, shaped. AFAIK no single layer tips use 'ground leather fibers'. This vid give some glimpses into the process:
The tanning and pressing are how they adjust the firmness.
 
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BTW, those ElkPros in the video are pretty nice tips. A friend tried them and they hit good. Kinda pricey at around 20bux each with shipping. tough to find the 14mm size.
 
garczar said:
BTW, those ElkPros in the video are pretty nice tips. A friend tried them and they hit good. Kinda pricey at around 20bux each with shipping. tough to find the 14mm size.
Click to expand...
I had my Peradon custom fitted with a medium Elk Pro. Great feeling tip. Might have preferred the soft one, in hindsight, but it keeps its shape and holds chalk well.
 
buckshotshoey said:
Something I've wondered about for a long time. Google search revealed nothing. YouTube? Nothing. What's the big secret?

I can only guess, but I think they would have to be made by pressing stacks of ground leather fibers. I don't know of any animal skin thick enough. Not only that, but an animal skin varies in density from the hair side to the meat side.

How are the leather fibers held together? Natrual process when leather is pressed? Presumably under heat and high temperature?

I did find this about Layered tips though...

Scientist explains why laminated tips perform as they do

Regarding the largely unresolved question (in scientific terms) about the often-cited performance superiority of laminated tips versus traditional single-layer ones, a few years ago I contacted Jack H. Koehler who is renowned in pool circles for his scientific analysis and explanations about the...
forums.azbilliards.com
Click to expand...
You should be able to open this up:

Tips - Sept2004.pdf

drive.google.com drive.google.com
 
RickLafayette said:
Cow leather comes in different "weights". If you look at some saddles you'll see leather as thick as any of the single layer tips. When I was making holsters and belts "a hundred years ago" I used mostly 8 oz. weight. I also did floral carving for a local saddle maker and some of the panels he gave me were three times as thick as my hide leather. I don't recall what weight they were. Pig leather is another story as I have no experience with swine except for shooting them and barbecue.
Click to expand...
All Tweeten tips (LePros, Triangles, Elk Master) are water Buffalo. See my Tips article from … 19 years ago!!! Wow! It’s been that long!!!!
 
So... Water Buffalo is the only hide thick enough to make a tip? Other then something exotic like elephant or hippo?
 
buckshotshoey said:
So... Water Buffalo is the only hide thick enough to make a tip? Other then something exotic like elephant or hippo?
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probably other animals have thick enough hides, but maybe not appropriate for a tip? Killing a hippo to make tips might not have been well received.... I think the last time we discussed this water buffalo idea, Manwon said that cowhide was used on Champion tips.
 
Unsplit cowhide is pretty thick. The stuff u see used for boots belts car seats whatever has been split.
Tweeten is based out of Chicago . I imagine at onetime they might have gotten their leather from Horween?

It would be a fairly simple process. Probably a big ass leather die and some kind of press.

A little story. I like to fish and 20 yrs ago I caught so many big bass on Pork skin lures from strike King and uncle Josh.
They has to quit selling the lures because pig hides were too thin To manufacture the lures properly anymore. Something about the hogs grow so fast...but the hides are super thin these days. *I just looked and I guess they are back on market. Uncle josh found a new supplier "
(probably china. ) lol. Now if I can find me a jar of strike king "pork o" baits
 
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Banger said:
Hippos kill about 500 people each year, so it seems like a reasonable trade.
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When I worked in Colombia, Pablo Escobar was gone but his pet hippos were set loose in the rivers. Since then feral hippos have become major pests and hazards, and there is real consideration of culling them. Might be a business opportunity there to figure out what section of hippo hide would be best for tips.
 
buckshotshoey said:
So... Water Buffalo is the only hide thick enough to make a tip? Other then something exotic like elephant or hippo?
Click to expand...
No, the old French Champion tips are calf skin leather. Still the best tips ever imo (single or layered). I am not speaking about Chandiverts btw... I recently retried one of the Chandiverts I bought and it just bought back old memories of why I avoided them when they were being made.
 
One of my cues has a Sniper on one shaft and a Le Pro on the other and I cant tell the difference in play ability.
The only difference I know of is about $15 difference in the installed price.
 
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