This is one of those counter-intuitive things in life though, the fact he did not retake is clear evidence of his objectiveness.
Kamui Chalk - MY Review
- Thread starter JB Cases
- Start date
This is one of those counter-intuitive things in life though, the fact he did not retake is clear evidence of his objectiveness.
Well I guess I would have instantly realized that to do a good and fair test I'd better stop the tape and get warmed up or do the video another time when I'm already warmed up. In my opinion that would not be counter-intuitive.
Again, I really appreciate John's devotion to the game and I loved the video. I just commented on how I would have done it and if someone wants to send me a cube of Kamui I'd be happy to do a video as well.
Yesterday, I tried my friends kamui chalk (for a few racks) he recently purchased and I was was very impressed to be honest, as I did not miscue once even when using extreme draw shots the length of the table. I kept reaching for the chalk after every shot and my friend kept saying no you don't chalk after every shot, chalking once a game is more than plenty enough. I've been playing pool for 38 years and chalking instinctively after every shot, so It would be extremely difficult for me to get used to that and don't know that I would be able to, as chalking is part of my rhythm. But as for the performance of the chalk, I thought it was great. As for the price, I do think $25 is a rip off (for what they have in it costwise vs what they charge), but I buy stuff all the time that isn't nearly worth what I payed for it. I have loved the game of pool since I was 8 years old and certainly would not let $25 keep me from improving my game even if it is something as simple as a piece of chalk. Thanks for the review John!
Well I often do these videos on a whim without scripting. I should have warmed up a little bit for sure and got my arm loose. But I thought that is so ironic to miscue on the very first shot that I left it in.The reason I said Masters is proven at the end is because it is. I have never said that Masters is bad chalk. It's the standard for a reason and that reason is not because they out market the competition. Silver Cup has been in the market for a while now and they don't have nearly the penetration that Masters has.
The downside though is that Masters is widely counterfeited outside the USA. That's why I made a point of saying that the piece I demonstrated was from Chris' Billiards in Chicago. Pat Johnson was with me when I bought six pieces.
I have no affiliation with Tweeten or Kamui and since I am morally forbidden from doing video comparisons of cases I have to take my frustration out another way
All the shots were done with about 1.5tips outside spin so they were near the miscue limit anyway. Couple that with my herky-jerky stroke and more miscues will happen anyway.
I do agree that getting loose and warmed up probably played a big factor. I think I will repeat the test again and warm up on video with progressive applications of spin and no mention of what chalk is on the cue. Then test Masters first then Kamui then the combination.
Meanwhile, has anyone seen SoftShot? I am waiting for him to embarrass me by making all the same shots using drywall...........
JB,
I thought this was an excellent review, and that you have consistently backed up your arguments with solid points.
However,
I also think The Chinchilla is correct.
I am a chalker. I recently bought the Kamui, and I agree with JB on every single point 100%, except for the one about it being easy to break a chalking habit. I can get into rhythm when I can see the table perfectly, and I have no question about where I'm going. But, when I need to engage my brain, then I become a chalk-a-holic. And I can't break it. I tried a few times now, and it has not worked.
But, I do agree that it can be done. I also agree that this chalk can be a game-changer in either direction.
The bottom line is exactly as JB said. It is elitist, and segragating at this point. The chalk works, no doubt about it. But it should be available at a fraction of the cost. Someone will find a formula that is about the same and offer it for $4.00, or wherabouts, and make a killing. If the price were more reasonable, I think every actual pool player would probably use it.(I realise there would still be some hold outs)
Anyway, thank you both JB, and Chinchilla. Both arguments were well thought out and well executed, and gave us all some very good points, and much to think about.
Braden
I thought this was an excellent review, and that you have consistently backed up your arguments with solid points.
However,
I also think The Chinchilla is correct.
I am a chalker. I recently bought the Kamui, and I agree with JB on every single point 100%, except for the one about it being easy to break a chalking habit. I can get into rhythm when I can see the table perfectly, and I have no question about where I'm going. But, when I need to engage my brain, then I become a chalk-a-holic. And I can't break it. I tried a few times now, and it has not worked.
But, I do agree that it can be done. I also agree that this chalk can be a game-changer in either direction.
The bottom line is exactly as JB said. It is elitist, and segragating at this point. The chalk works, no doubt about it. But it should be available at a fraction of the cost. Someone will find a formula that is about the same and offer it for $4.00, or wherabouts, and make a killing. If the price were more reasonable, I think every actual pool player would probably use it.(I realise there would still be some hold outs)
Anyway, thank you both JB, and Chinchilla. Both arguments were well thought out and well executed, and gave us all some very good points, and much to think about.
Braden
Still looking for SoftShot? Is he crawfishing as predicted?
I still like the Kamui/Masters combination. Here is what I really like.... I like having a nice layer of Kamui on my tip and then using any other chalk on top of it. For some reason I feel that the Kamui augments the other chalk.
I gave away the cube I used in the video and yesterday I played a couple sets using whatever chalk was on the tables very sparingly and just mainly relied on the Kamui chalk that was left on my tip from two days prior.
I still like the Kamui/Masters combination. Here is what I really like.... I like having a nice layer of Kamui on my tip and then using any other chalk on top of it. For some reason I feel that the Kamui augments the other chalk.
I gave away the cube I used in the video and yesterday I played a couple sets using whatever chalk was on the tables very sparingly and just mainly relied on the Kamui chalk that was left on my tip from two days prior.
Quoted to preserve the claim. Patiently waiting to be embarassed by you using drywall to spin the ball as mauch as I did. As you can see I am not that great a player so you should have no problem spinning the ball as much as me or more - using drywall as you claimed.
Yes, John, thank you for making the video. I can tell towards the end of the video that the summer time is not over for you. I did find another Kamui chalk video that was uncut, to show consistency... one shot repeated. The only thing this guy did not do is switch over to Masters and do the same stroke... Maybe he did in another video? But I am eager to share with everyone that you all should do a simple test and not "rush" your shots. Watch this video. I appreciate all of your feedback, and I assure all of you that we "Kamui" are never satisfied with the products we produce.
Thank you for being our customer,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SI8hcyoCz1U&NR=1
With all due respect I was doing extreme spin shots, draw with left and right spin, follow with left and right, which should be what Kamui Chalk claims to help with.
Don't bother with the marketingspeak with me John. I like the chalk, it's nice, it's interesting. It doesn't really "perform" THAT much better than Masters in my opinion. It's cleaner. It "feels" nicer to play with. It "feels" like I can get more spin with it even though that didn't really show up in the video clearly.
The point I wanted to make is to show a test for myself and others how it compares with no bias, no bullshit, I PAID the prices $28 a cube and extra for shipping. It's mine to do with what I want to do with it.
Instead of telling me what test I should be doing and showing me a video of a guy doing 7 minutes of basic draw shots why don't YOU "Kamui" do some videos to back up your claims?
These are your claims: my comments in red
• Not abrasive to your tip (I don't know what this really means and why it matters)
• Coats evenly (So does Masters)
• Decreases miscuing (does it? - Proof????)
• Stays on your tip longer (I agree with this)
• Increases friction on the cue ball (How does it do this? Proof?)
KAMUI Chalk consists of much finer particles than standard chalk designed to maximize friction and offer a larger sweet spot to generate more spin to the cue ball. Reducing slippage decreases deflection, giving the player a more accurate aim when english is applied. MAP $27.95
Again proof? You claim that it reduces deflection and that's a TALL claim. Predator and OB Shafts and Meucci and many others claim to reduce deflection through precise engineering of multiple laminated shafts with endmass reducing techniques. Their products cost hundreds of dollars. Your chalk doesn't reduce the endmass which is a known factor in deflection reduction, with the converse being that increasing endmass increases deflection. So how exactly does your chalk reduce deflection and do you have any proof of this claim or does it just sound good in the ad copy?
Look I have nothing against innovation. I respect Hiraoka's vision here. But frankly the price is out of line when there is no hard proof to back up the claims. I went to Predator and I saw their machine do it's thing. I saw the proof with my own eyes that their shafts work as claimed at least as far as deflection is concerned. That's why I believe them and others when they want to sell $200 shafts. I have no problem whatsoever selling those shafts because I know they work. Whether they "feel" good is another topic but they certainly work as claimed.
I want you to PROVE your claims. Enough with the bullshit marketingspeak and simply prove it on video with simple tests that anyone can follow and duplicate. Surely you can build some sort of simple testing apparatus and show us all that simply using your chalk reduces deflection measurably. Or drop the claim.
Regarding comparison to Masters chalk. Listen, you don't really want to go there. You really don't. For EVER Master's has been used to play HIGH LEVEL pool, trick shots, masse' contests, you name it. It works to allow the ball to be spun as much as humanly possibly by using a pool cue. NOW if you do want to go there then I again I suggest you show some proof. Go get Semih Sayginer and Mike Massey and let them compare it on video. IF they say that they can get more spin using Kamui then it's the truth because no one gets more spin with 'regular' chalk than these two. (ok Jamison, you get more spin but sorry they are more famous)
I compared the chalk to Master's on the spur of the moment just because I felt like doing it to see what would happen. No bias. No agenda. Simply because I am curious. Obviously my "testing" is not conclusive, it's amateurish, rushed, unstructured, etc.... but it's not biased and not intended to be negatively oriented towards Kamui. Masters is proven, it works and makes no claims.
I suggest that if you want an UNBIASED, comprehensive and fair review then you will send your chalk to http://www.billiardreview.net/
But first I'd do some internal reflection to be sure that your product matches your claims.
Hi John,
All I was trying to do is thank you for your efforts and I was suggesting a consistent shot...
AND I was NOT "going there" with Masters. Since you were comparing Masters is why I "suggested"... that simple.
You are correct about coming out with data "proof". We are working on something that is easy to comprehend in regards to data.
The actual "proof" is in the experience of the player with the product.
Our first objective was to get it out to the public once a version was satisfactory (#98) we are still working on this project and we are not finished. You may call it "marketingspeak" but this is our value in our business. We are always looking at improving our product, we will never stop.
As for your comments in red these are my answers below:
• Not abrasive to your tip (I don't know what this really means and why it matters)
If your standard chalk is abrasive.(whatever brand it may be).. How fast will your tip wear away? If you grind down your layered tip at a fast rate where is the consistency in the flex of the tip... The closer the tip gets to the ferrule, the less flex the tip will have. = an inconsistency. Reducing the friction allows the player to enjoy the tip longer which then allows the player to grow their game, having a more consistent performance from the tip.
• Coats evenly (So does Masters)
True, but I think we made a mistake in this bullet point because it goes along with "stays on tip longer". What we mean by this is the "fine" particulate of the Kamui compound fits into the porosity of any leather tip consistently. So you get an appearance of a nice even coating and it stays on the tip longer because of this virtue.
• Decreases miscuing (does it? - Proof????)
In time we will show this.
• Stays on your tip longer (I agree with this)
• Increases friction on the cue ball (How does it do this? Proof?)
In time we will show this.
The link below is to our page where you can download the .pdf
http://www.kamuibrand.com/billiard-en/?page_id=1611
This .pdf is a simple illustration of our findings with this compound.(more data to come in the future)
I too was a skeptic in the beginning. But the more time I spend with the chalk the more I understand and feel the difference.
John, again, thank you for your time and your patience with us as we continue to roll out this "still new" product.
All I was trying to do is thank you for your efforts and I was suggesting a consistent shot...
AND I was NOT "going there" with Masters. Since you were comparing Masters is why I "suggested"... that simple.
You are correct about coming out with data "proof". We are working on something that is easy to comprehend in regards to data.
The actual "proof" is in the experience of the player with the product.
Our first objective was to get it out to the public once a version was satisfactory (#98) we are still working on this project and we are not finished. You may call it "marketingspeak" but this is our value in our business. We are always looking at improving our product, we will never stop.
As for your comments in red these are my answers below:
• Not abrasive to your tip (I don't know what this really means and why it matters)
If your standard chalk is abrasive.(whatever brand it may be).. How fast will your tip wear away? If you grind down your layered tip at a fast rate where is the consistency in the flex of the tip... The closer the tip gets to the ferrule, the less flex the tip will have. = an inconsistency. Reducing the friction allows the player to enjoy the tip longer which then allows the player to grow their game, having a more consistent performance from the tip.
• Coats evenly (So does Masters)
True, but I think we made a mistake in this bullet point because it goes along with "stays on tip longer". What we mean by this is the "fine" particulate of the Kamui compound fits into the porosity of any leather tip consistently. So you get an appearance of a nice even coating and it stays on the tip longer because of this virtue.
• Decreases miscuing (does it? - Proof????)
In time we will show this.
• Stays on your tip longer (I agree with this)
• Increases friction on the cue ball (How does it do this? Proof?)
In time we will show this.
The link below is to our page where you can download the .pdf
http://www.kamuibrand.com/billiard-en/?page_id=1611
This .pdf is a simple illustration of our findings with this compound.(more data to come in the future)
I too was a skeptic in the beginning. But the more time I spend with the chalk the more I understand and feel the difference.
John, again, thank you for your time and your patience with us as we continue to roll out this "still new" product.
With all due respect I was doing extreme spin shots, draw with left and right spin, follow with left and right, which should be what Kamui Chalk claims to help with.
Don't bother with the marketingspeak with me John. I like the chalk, it's nice, it's interesting. It doesn't really "perform" THAT much better than Masters in my opinion. It's cleaner. It "feels" nicer to play with. It "feels" like I can get more spin with it even though that didn't really show up in the video clearly.
The point I wanted to make is to show a test for myself and others how it compares with no bias, no bullshit, I PAID the prices $28 a cube and extra for shipping. It's mine to do with what I want to do with it.
Instead of telling me what test I should be doing and showing me a video of a guy doing 7 minutes of basic draw shots why don't YOU "Kamui" do some videos to back up your claims?
These are your claims: my comments in red
• Not abrasive to your tip (I don't know what this really means and why it matters)
• Coats evenly (So does Masters)
• Decreases miscuing (does it? - Proof????)
• Stays on your tip longer (I agree with this)
• Increases friction on the cue ball (How does it do this? Proof?)
KAMUI Chalk consists of much finer particles than standard chalk designed to maximize friction and offer a larger sweet spot to generate more spin to the cue ball. Reducing slippage decreases deflection, giving the player a more accurate aim when english is applied. MAP $27.95
Again proof? You claim that it reduces deflection and that's a TALL claim. Predator and OB Shafts and Meucci and many others claim to reduce deflection through precise engineering of multiple laminated shafts with endmass reducing techniques. Their products cost hundreds of dollars. Your chalk doesn't reduce the endmass which is a known factor in deflection reduction, with the converse being that increasing endmass increases deflection. So how exactly does your chalk reduce deflection and do you have any proof of this claim or does it just sound good in the ad copy?
Look I have nothing against innovation. I respect Hiraoka's vision here. But frankly the price is out of line when there is no hard proof to back up the claims. I went to Predator and I saw their machine do it's thing. I saw the proof with my own eyes that their shafts work as claimed at least as far as deflection is concerned. That's why I believe them and others when they want to sell $200 shafts. I have no problem whatsoever selling those shafts because I know they work. Whether they "feel" good is another topic but they certainly work as claimed.
I want you to PROVE your claims. Enough with the bullshit marketingspeak and simply prove it on video with simple tests that anyone can follow and duplicate. Surely you can build some sort of simple testing apparatus and show us all that simply using your chalk reduces deflection measurably. Or drop the claim.
Regarding comparison to Masters chalk. Listen, you don't really want to go there. You really don't. For EVER Master's has been used to play HIGH LEVEL pool, trick shots, masse' contests, you name it. It works to allow the ball to be spun as much as humanly possibly by using a pool cue. NOW if you do want to go there then I again I suggest you show some proof. Go get Semih Sayginer and Mike Massey and let them compare it on video. IF they say that they can get more spin using Kamui then it's the truth because no one gets more spin with 'regular' chalk than these two. (ok Jamison, you get more spin but sorry they are more famous)
I compared the chalk to Master's on the spur of the moment just because I felt like doing it to see what would happen. No bias. No agenda. Simply because I am curious. Obviously my "testing" is not conclusive, it's amateurish, rushed, unstructured, etc.... but it's not biased and not intended to be negatively oriented towards Kamui. Masters is proven, it works and makes no claims.
I suggest that if you want an UNBIASED, comprehensive and fair review then you will send your chalk to http://www.billiardreview.net/
But first I'd do some internal reflection to be sure that your product matches your claims.
Well I put the ball in the same location for about 30ish shots and shot the same shot with for different tip offsets.
I didn't intend to make it a comparison to Masters but it just happened that way. Comparisons are inevitable and better to just do it and see what happens rather than endlessly talk (argue) about it.
Good. When trying to introduce a product that is so far above the status quo on price people start to feel like you are selling bottled air.
Well........that's always a great fall back line when there is no quantifiable measurements to point to. So if a player gets some and his experience is that it does not work as well as .14ct Masters is that acceptable proof as well or is the player just not good enough or sensitive enough to make that judgement?
So you are experimenting on your customers and they are paying a premium price to fund further research?
Kamui Chalk is not the only thing that can add spin.Please forgive me but I am in the leather business and this doesn't wash. I'd be willing to bet you a very expensive drink on how long it will take you to wear down a leather tip using the "most abrasive" chalk brand you have come across. I don't care if it's Pioneer, Sportcraft, Silver Cup, Masters etc... I will give you one year and as many pieces of chalk as it takes and I will bet that you cannot reduce the tip size by half before you give up.
The speculations on how much a player can "grow" their game based on tip longevity are stretching at best. Plus you sell a tip tool which you claim prolongs the life of the tip and allows chalk to adhere better so can't a player also grow their game that way?
Why would any other chalk inconsistently fit into the "porosity" of the tip? I don't think we are measuring microns here. I can certainly agree that there are particle sizes of unimaginable fineness that are made to do incredible things. I deal with bonding disparate surfaces all the time and have to figure out which glue combined with which preparation method works best.
I don't think appearance is a big deal. All of us know how to dress a tip for maximum chalk adherence.
But I agree that it does go on nicely and stays on longer. And this is why I think that it makes a nice foundation to lay Masters chalk over it.
Great. Looking forward to real and repeatable examples.
Ok but honestly could you not have avoided a lot of controversy by showing it from the beginning?
It's a fluffy ad with no substance.
This has nothing to do with being a skeptic. In fact I have been a huge supporter of the possibility that you created magic long before I got a piece of chalk to use. (I bought two) Your comment above though is more fluff and elitist. It does not entertain the CONVERSE experience wherein someone spends plenty of time with the chalk and is not able to "understand and feel" the difference. I mean John really if you think that a positive reaction is valid then you also have to allow that a negative reaction is valid as well.
[/QUOTE]
Sure, I paid the money and I don't miss it. I like to be able to say I have hands-on experience with things I talk about. I am not sure how a $28 piece of chalk gets rolled out that is not already tested and quantified beyond reproach. I have rushed products to market before as well but generally mine are priced well in the "great value" range compared to the competition. I can't imagine putting out a $5000 cue case that wasn't able to withstand every imaginable inspection and comparison from every possible angle.
:smile:..........
2 years of research.
Hi John,
Thank you for your reply to my reply. Good products take time to develop and at some point it is ready for the market. But it would be wrong for a company not to improve on what they have already produced. Over the past several years you produced thousand of cases and have improved on them every year. Right? I am sure you seek feedback from your customers and improve your product from their suggestions. This is one of the actions we take to be a great tip maker. And I am sure you do this as well.
Apple does this, Ford, Chevrolet, Hewlett Packard, Sony, Panasonic, JBCASES, and Kamui.
2 years of research, in the background of the photo is over 100 different compounds that we tested and never sold to our customers... In fact, a couple versions we gave out for feedback, Like we did with #98 before the colorful packaging.
Please be patient with us as we are all working hard to make better products for our customers. We are here for the long run, and we appreciate our supporting customers, and how we show our appreciation back is to improve on our products.
Hi John,
Thank you for your reply to my reply. Good products take time to develop and at some point it is ready for the market. But it would be wrong for a company not to improve on what they have already produced. Over the past several years you produced thousand of cases and have improved on them every year. Right? I am sure you seek feedback from your customers and improve your product from their suggestions. This is one of the actions we take to be a great tip maker. And I am sure you do this as well.
Apple does this, Ford, Chevrolet, Hewlett Packard, Sony, Panasonic, JBCASES, and Kamui.
2 years of research, in the background of the photo is over 100 different compounds that we tested and never sold to our customers... In fact, a couple versions we gave out for feedback, Like we did with #98 before the colorful packaging.
Please be patient with us as we are all working hard to make better products for our customers. We are here for the long run, and we appreciate our supporting customers, and how we show our appreciation back is to improve on our products.
It was a joke. The point is that for $28 a cube you should probably not say that the product is still a work in progress. Look man, it's simple, if you want to be here then you have to be able to withstand being questioned on every angle.
You want some feedback? How about don't make the chalk SMALLER than what's already familiar to people. How about you produce marketing material that is LONG on DATA and video proof and very short on pushing emotional buttons. Your statement is that a player must be good enough to "understand" your chalk.
Also dude, please stop it, most companies don't really "design by consumer" and I highly doubt that Kamui is any different. Sure you make take suggestions but let's just drop the "marketing" for a moment....how much can a "consumer" tell you about making a tip that you didn't know already? I mean there were already 20 brands of layered tips on the market BEFORE Kamui arrived that were doing fine serving consumer needs and since Kamui's arrival there are now probably 10 new brands. Every one of these brands claims to be the best with best techniques. Does Kamui make a milk-soaked tip? After all this is the tip that the rumor and legend has it that Efren uses.....they sell well on AZB and some members swear by them.
The point is that you can let your hair down here and just be real. You don't need to speak in corporate-speak. Tell us why the chalk is worth $28 using real language instead of bullet points. The problem with bullet points is that they are easily stopped by the kevlar of logic. To play here you need to be more real. AZB is great for marketing your product but you have to hang out and be one of the crowd.
That is a nice image. Much better than the nonsensical pdf you liked to earlier.
I think your customers would prefer that you show your appreciation by making the chalk less expensive so that they don't have "justify" it to everyone they meet nor guard it jealously whenever they are out in public.
Drop the act. This isn't MSNBC. This is AZB and if you really value feedback then it's smart to listen a little bit to the voices of dissent. NO matter how good your product is there will always be those who are for it and those who are against it. So the more ammunition that you provide to the haters the more they will use it gleefully against you.
Be real and do real things and people will come to respect you and your product.
And please make the freaking package easier to get into.
P.S. Spending $35/year for a club membership to support the site is also considered to be in good taste for those of us who "market" our stuff on AZB.
I am waiting for Master or Silver Cup to figure out the secret to this product, and make their own version. Two to a box like Blue Diamond at 10 BUCKS A BOX........LOL.
Here is Kamui vs. Masters Take 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekGhSBJGmSU
I really do feel that the Kamui gives me a little more and I think that might come through on the video.
However I COMPLETELY and TOTALLY AGREE with everyone who talks about the stroke. With a proper stroke you can do magic with just about any chalk. IF Kamui really does all that it claims then combined with a good stroke it should be the best of all worlds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekGhSBJGmSU
I really do feel that the Kamui gives me a little more and I think that might come through on the video.
However I COMPLETELY and TOTALLY AGREE with everyone who talks about the stroke. With a proper stroke you can do magic with just about any chalk. IF Kamui really does all that it claims then combined with a good stroke it should be the best of all worlds.
Hi John,
Nice video for "take 2". Right now I am working on translating tech data about the chalk... more to come. And today, I will be a full fledged AZ member. ;-)
Nice video for "take 2". Right now I am working on translating tech data about the chalk... more to come. And today, I will be a full fledged AZ member. ;-)
I think based on the video I am convinced that:
1. The Kamui chalk will not make me a better player, or make me make shots, or play better position, or have better cue ball control.
2. It is grossly overpriced and does not offer significant rewards over masters (I actually preferred the shots with masters)
3. There is truth in the saying "beat you with a broom handle." A $35 piece of chalk will not replace a good stroke.
I was sitting on the fence before thinking that I could get more spin or accuracy from a piece of chalk and have the upper hand when playing games. But now I realize the fact is that there is no amount of "magic chalk" that will improve my game. It is all in the delivery of the cue and practice.
Another point I'd like to mention is that while it is marketed as being longer lasting, I would rather use my masters or blue diamond and be able to readjust myself in a shot by standing up and rechalking. I can't imagine doing that with a $35 piece of chalk, swiping it multiple times on the cue tip as I stroll around the table. Routine is important when shooting under pressure, there is a reason that pro's have consistent warm up strokes and resettle themselves after being disturbed.
My 2c.
1. The Kamui chalk will not make me a better player, or make me make shots, or play better position, or have better cue ball control.
2. It is grossly overpriced and does not offer significant rewards over masters (I actually preferred the shots with masters)
3. There is truth in the saying "beat you with a broom handle." A $35 piece of chalk will not replace a good stroke.
I was sitting on the fence before thinking that I could get more spin or accuracy from a piece of chalk and have the upper hand when playing games. But now I realize the fact is that there is no amount of "magic chalk" that will improve my game. It is all in the delivery of the cue and practice.
Another point I'd like to mention is that while it is marketed as being longer lasting, I would rather use my masters or blue diamond and be able to readjust myself in a shot by standing up and rechalking. I can't imagine doing that with a $35 piece of chalk, swiping it multiple times on the cue tip as I stroll around the table. Routine is important when shooting under pressure, there is a reason that pro's have consistent warm up strokes and resettle themselves after being disturbed.
My 2c.