Kamui Chalk - MY Review

softshot

Simplify
Silver Member
Well then ok, I will hold you to it. I will do a video with ten spin shots and you do the same ten shots with drywall on the tip.

Going to the table now.

has anyone seen John?

maybe he was beat up by chalk thugs on his way to the table... flash around that big money chalk in the wrong neighborhood and you're just asking for it LOL
 

sfleinen

14.1 & One Pocket Addict
Gold Member
Silver Member
has anyone seen John?

maybe he was beat up by chalk thugs on his way to the table... flash around that big money chalk in the wrong neighborhood and you're just asking for it LOL

LOL! So I guess we should start calling it "Ka-bling-bling" chalk? :D

-Sean
 

cuesblues

cue accumulator
Silver Member
has anyone seen John?

maybe he was beat up by chalk thugs on his way to the table... flash around that big money chalk in the wrong neighborhood and you're just asking for it LOL


I can start a ruckus over any chalk, it doesn't have to be Kamui.
I've always said, if you get into a fight over using your own chalk, you may be in the wrong bar.
 

JB Cases

www.jbcases.com
Silver Member
has anyone seen John?

maybe he was beat up by chalk thugs on his way to the table... flash around that big money chalk in the wrong neighborhood and you're just asking for it LOL

Sorry got busy with actual work and when I got back in the afternoon it was too hot to play. I tried and with sweat dripping on the table I was uncomfortable.

I will try again this weekend sometime, probably somewhere with air conditioning.

Meanwhile though you can put up your video of you doing a bunch of shots with a lot of spin using drywall instead of chalk.

Nothing stopping you from proving that drywall works. Obviously if you can make the shots which require a lot of spin then one can't realistically do any better with Kamui can they?

So let's see yours, no need to wait for mine.
 

stunshotDAVE

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
kamui baloney

amusing to look into the worm can,,, i am a lowly 7hcp, i have not "miss-cued in i don't know when. 2 or 3 years.

oh yeah, i remember, i won a pitcher drank it, played like a 4, miss- cued, then was it was time to pack it in and just relax, no more silly attempts at the game.
 

cuejo

Cue Repair tech
Silver Member
When all the kamui chalk hoopla started, I thought it was a big rip-off and cash grab.

After using the same cube of kamui...for the last few months,
I can honestly say that I will not use any other chalk.

Until version .99 comes out at least.

This chalk lasts forever! I still chalk after every shot, no difference to my pre shot or chalking routine.

Even chalking after every shot, this stuff is easily lasting twice as long as blue diamond.

I dont really understand why everyone and there dog has to bash kamui over their price.....

The going rate is...whatever the market will bear right?

At least if people are going to complain about the chalk , you should have at least tried it.

I have a feeling that this cube is going to outlast the tip that I installed the same week the chalk came in!
 

AuntyDan

/* Insert skill here */
Silver Member
A short list of things that you dont NEED but a lot of people buy.

$50 a dozen golf balls
Premium gas
$300 pairs of shoes
$5 milkshakes ;)

Woah, woah WOAH there buddy! There is no reason to go dragging milkshakes at any price into this whole megillah. They have never done any harm to anyone. :)

And talking of which, I honestly don't understand people who want to stop other people spending what they want on a piece of chalk. No-one is forcing them to change their chalk (Pros in sponsored tournaments aside) and it's not like Kamui will be buying out Tweeten any time soon and forcing this great evil upon anyone unwilling to drink their blue Cool-aid.

I usually use Masters Blue (never cared what flag or otherwise was on the packet myself) and chalk on every shot. I recently played for an afternoon on a friend's home table with Kamui chalk. What I personally liked was the huge reduction in chalk-related mess, both on my hands, cue and the table. I can absolutely see this being a boon to people with home tables where you don't have to worry about losing $25 every time someone grabs your chalk. (Although personally I use one of those chalk holder thingys, so no-one would gets to steal mine unless they want to get very personal with my back pocket.) For home table owners I'd imagine the reduction in wear on your balls and cloth would be noticeable over time. I'd also imagine it will cause less wear on your tip over time too.

It did take some getting used to though. I over-applied it the first time and this did result in blue marks on the cue ball. From what I could see they wiped off a bit easier than regular chalk does being made of a more smooth material. I can certainly see myself getting confident enough with it to chalk only once a rack. The main problem would be, as others have mentioned, figuring out a way to build this into your playing routine.

I was also put off by the fact they have packaged it in a shorter-than standard block, which is annoying given the exorbitant price and also means it won't fit nicely in existing chalk holder thingys.

But no matter what, there is one very key thing for which we should all be praising Kamui for IMHO. At least they are actually going out and attempting to improve and develop our equipment. Compared to almost every other major sport we are still living in the dark ages. If you look at how far Tennis has come in the last 20 years or so it is just a joke compared to Billiards. They've gone from rickety old wooden rackets with natural gut strings to the most advanced synthetic materials and construction techniques available anywhere. In the meantime we are still arguing over which type of dead mammal tooth we can legally shave down and use to decorate our dead tree branches.

I love Kamui tips and I'm sure I could learn to love their chalk too, if only I wasn't such a cheap bastard. (Hey, at least I am willing to admit it!)
 

Bambu

Dave Manasseri
Silver Member
Dam I hate myself sometimes. I really want to try the chalk, but I guess I'm just too cheap. I also dont want to have to make any shooting adjustments. I'm afraid the kamui chalk might actually grab and spin more than usual, the same way a soft kamui black tip does(IMHO). I didnt like the extra swerve I felt.
 

AtLarge

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
... This chalk lasts forever! I still chalk after every shot, no difference to my pre shot or chalking routine. ...

Kamui chalk stays on the tip much better than other chalk, right? So if you chalk after every shot, wouldn't it build up...and up...and up -- to create some unwanted thickness of glop, which would then transfer more easily to the cue ball and possibly lead to more skids? Just asking about your experience; I have not tried it yet.
 

cuejo

Cue Repair tech
Silver Member
Kamui chalk stays on the tip much better than other chalk, right? So if you chalk after every shot, wouldn't it build up...and up...and up -- to create some unwanted thickness of glop, which would then transfer more easily to the cue ball and possibly lead to more skids? Just asking about your experience; I have not tried it yet.

I dont see it building up a ton on my tip, mind you I also dont slather chalk like I'm grinding it in, I feather it on lightly.
If I could figure out how to post pics on here, I would post a pic of my months old cube to show the wear.

Once it becomes readily available, I will stock a few peices....like a drug, I'm sure once a customer tries it, it will be a no brainer re-sale later.
 

Mitchxout

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
But no matter what, there is one very key thing for which we should all be praising Kamui for IMHO. At least they are actually going out and attempting to improve and develop our equipment. Compared to almost every other major sport we are still living in the dark ages. If you look at how far Tennis has come in the last 20 years or so it is just a joke compared to Billiards. They've gone from rickety old wooden rackets with natural gut strings to the most advanced synthetic materials and construction techniques available anywhere. In the meantime we are still arguing over which type of dead mammal tooth we can legally shave down and use to decorate our dead tree branches.

I don't think comparing pool cues to tennis rackets is a fair comparison. Tennis balls fly at over 100mph and there's major compression of the ball and flex of the racket.

An acoustic guitar, I believe, would be a better example. It's an instrument, not a war club. Btw, how important is a guitar pick? How much do they cost? If they were $25 would they have to be gold plated?
 

JB Cases

www.jbcases.com
Silver Member
more sipn??? are you sure??

tell you what lets put the hype to rest..

you post a vid of you shooting a shot that you believe is only possible with the increased spin of your miracle chalk..

and I will post a vid of me shooting the same shot and chalking with a chunk of drywall..

I say magic chalk is nothing but hype and marketing

Ok here is your chance to show us that drywall is as good or better than chalk.

I had time yesterday at lunch so I did a video of me shooting some shots with Kamui chalk, with Masters chalk and with a combination of Kamui and Master's chalk.

Let's see your video of you shooting the same spin shots using drywall.

Warning this video is about 25 minutes long. I shoot a bunch of shots, there is some irony present, it's hot and I am pressed for time since my staff wants the table to play their lunchtime pool.

The point is not to advertise FOR Kamui chalk and this video IS NOT a testimonial to it's "greatness". It's just me messing around to see what happens for the sole purpose of proving that YOU won't post a video of yourself using drywall and successfully making these shots. Along the way though I found that I like the combination of Kamui and Masters best so I will be messing around with that more with other shots to see if there really is a difference.

Later WHEN I HAVE TIME (and if I have desire) - I will do a close up video where I TRY to see how Kamui chalk stacks up using a training ball to measure the actual hits on the ball.

I would ENCOURAGE Kamui to make their own videos showing claimed performance improvements in a methodical and logical way. If they say that the chalk reduces deflection then I expect to see something that makes this claim meaningful and provable. Like say some sort of a mechanical testing device similar to Meucci's or Predator's or even Dr. Dave's.

Anyway here is MY informal, unscripted, hurried and clearly amateurish test of Kamui vs. Masters. You all can now argue over what it means.

All I want to see is softshot backing up his claims and shooting these shots with drywall.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2FOwZATKX4
 

JB Cases

www.jbcases.com
Silver Member
I don't think comparing pool cues to tennis rackets is a fair comparison. Tennis balls fly at over 100mph and there's major compression of the ball and flex of the racket.

An acoustic guitar, I believe, would be a better example. It's an instrument, not a war club. Btw, how important is a guitar pick? How much do they cost? If they were $25 would they have to be gold plated?

The comparison is that materials evolve and equipment evolves with it.

Apparently guitar picks range from a few cents per to close to $5000.

Google Search on Guitar Picks

Apparently there is a lot of discussion among guitarists on the performance/value of guitar picks. Who would have ever thought that a group of people would be discussing the performance aspects of such a common and "cheap" part of their activity?

I am guessing that you can find the same type of discussion in any activity. I bet goat herders in northern Goatakistan have heated discussions about which type of tree is best to make staffs from and in what season it's best to make them. Yussuf, you are a stone cold sucker for traveling two days to find the perfect olive tree.....everyone knows that the common date tree here in abundance produces perfect good staffs. Yussuf - If you would try my staff and compare it's lightness and strength to your clumsy one you would know that I can beat many more goats each day than you can without getting tired and so my goats are better behaved making it easier for me to catch the ones I want to lie with....
 

Pete

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Ok here is your chance to show us that drywall is as good or better than chalk.

I had time yesterday at lunch so I did a video of me shooting some shots with Kamui chalk, with Masters chalk and with a combination of Kamui and Master's chalk.

Let's see your video of you shooting the same spin shots using drywall.

Warning this video is about 25 minutes long. I shoot a bunch of shots, there is some irony present, it's hot and I am pressed for time since my staff wants the table to play their lunchtime pool.

The point is not to advertise FOR Kamui chalk and this video IS NOT a testimonial to it's "greatness". It's just me messing around to see what happens for the sole purpose of proving that YOU won't post a video of yourself using drywall and successfully making these shots. Along the way though I found that I like the combination of Kamui and Masters best so I will be messing around with that more with other shots to see if there really is a difference.

Later WHEN I HAVE TIME (and if I have desire) - I will do a close up video where I TRY to see how Kamui chalk stacks up using a training ball to measure the actual hits on the ball.

I would ENCOURAGE Kamui to make their own videos showing claimed performance improvements in a methodical and logical way. If they say that the chalk reduces deflection then I expect to see something that makes this claim meaningful and provable. Like say some sort of a mechanical testing device similar to Meucci's or Predator's or even Dr. Dave's.

Anyway here is MY informal, unscripted, hurried and clearly amateurish test of Kamui vs. Masters. You all can now argue over what it means.

All I want to see is softshot backing up his claims and shooting these shots with drywall.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2FOwZATKX4

Saw your video. First off, I think it takes real guts to put yourself out there for people to see. Second, damn it looks real hot there. Third, thanks for showing the chalk in use. I think your end result might be a great way to go.

Thanks.

Pete
 

gromulan

Reality police
Silver Member
Ok here is your chance to show us that drywall is as good or better than chalk.

I had time yesterday at lunch so I did a video of me shooting some shots with Kamui chalk, with Masters chalk and with a combination of Kamui and Master's chalk.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2FOwZATKX4

Nice video. I might do something similar soon when I do some Kamui testing myself. Also gotta hand it to you for putting yourself out there. Let's see if softshot gives it a try with drywall. He might have a chance, if memory serves drywall dust and billiard chalk share a lot of the same properties.

BTW, if you slow your stroke down a little I think you'd improve your strike on the ball a lot. You seem to have a tendency to jab right now. Think slow and smooth.
 
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JB Cases

www.jbcases.com
Silver Member
Nice video. I might do something similar soon when I do some Kamui testing myself. Also gotta hand it to you for putting yourself out there. Let's see if softshot gives it a try with drywall. He might have a chance, if memory serves drywall dust and billiard chalk share a lot of the same properties.

BTW, if you slow your stroke down a little I think you'd improve your strike on the ball a lot. You seem to have a tendency to jab right now. Think slow and smooth.

Thanks. I have a tendency to revert to the worst of my stroking habits when under pressure. I did take stroke lessons here from a good coach and actually my stroke is way better than in this video when I am calm and focused.

One other problem that perhaps a few folks can relate to is back pain. Once or twice a year my back gets really bad and it hurts to play. It's been this way for several weeks now and so I don't get down like I should. You all can see it on the video but I am straining to bend down as far as I did.

One of these days I will enclose the table in it's own room and make it air conditioned. Then I can relax a little and not always be under pressure when trying to make a video. Maybe do some stretching before hand to limber up the back :)

I just shot a few racks with Kamui only, scuffed up the tip a little bit and everything was fine. I think that the jury is still out on the adding more spin thing. For some reason at the moment I feel that on some shots it's allows me to add wicked spin but on others I feel hesitant, I don't know why.

I still don't know if it's worth $25 to me had I been able to try it out a lot before hand. Somehow I feel that it goes on very smoothly and is better overall. BUT it didn't pass the initial unscripted seat-of-the pants test comparison convincingly enough. I need to try it under fire in a real game for moolah.
 

Luxury

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
One thing I truly appreciate about John is that he does not ever do a take two when it comes to his videos. I was truly on the edge of my seat for the video as I've been really considering becoming a Kamui chalk guy.

Thanks for making it.

It seemed ironic that you kept insisting this wasn't a commercial for Kamui and that you aren't affiliated when in the end it seemed like you should have been saying that you weren't a Master's chalk rep.

I have to admit that after miscuing on the very first shot I would have done a retake. As bad as you made Kamui chalk look though I could tell that it was because you started with the Kamui while you weren't warmed up.

You really should have gotten warmed up before starting the testing so that the last chalk test wouldn't have had such a huge advantage. Of course I can understand in that heat with limited time why it was rushed.

But thanks a ton for the video. I've been anxious to see it and now I'm anxious to see SoftShot's. I have a hunch he will be posting one.
 
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