Kamui Tip mushroom and chalking application

[MitchAlsup]

I started trying softer tips about a year ago. Mostly unltraskins but this is the first kamui tip since the cue came with a kamui tip. I play anywhere from 30-60 minutes around 5 days a week and sometimes 2 hours in a practice session. I do a lot of artistic pool too so that might be a part it.

I use a Hard tip, and have to perform maintanence on the tip about twice a year (almost whether it needs it or not); while the tip lastsabout 15 months; even with a dime tip radius. I break with the cue 20% of the time--generally fairly soft with the play cue.

I play 3 hours a day, 5 days a week, solo; so I'm taking a shot about every 10 seconds. Lots of strokes....

On the other hand, I can only draw back 12 diamonds wth the hard tip and a level cue. 15 diamonds with a 20 degree elevation of the but.

 

[briankenobi]

So this is what it looks like now. I haven't had it cut down yet. I just noticed that it isn't as "raised up" as others I see.

 

[Roadking]

I've been using a Kamui Black Soft for a lil while and IMO they don't mushroom.
Now I don't break with mine. I just use a Willard scuffer dime shape too ruff it up every couple weeks. Best tip I've used.

 

[x3dnd3x]

From the picture, haven't really mushroom much yet. Play awhile more and trim away the excess.

So this is what it looks like now. I haven't had it cut down yet. I just noticed that it isn't as "raised up" as others I see.

 

[Blue Hog ridr]

I bought a box of Emerald tips. I'm always changing to try everything out. That way I can tell my customers what I think of the tips that I carry.

I do believe that you or just about anyone would like an Emerald. They do play well.

My all time favorite tip, and I don't see my opinion changing in the future is the Ultra Skin.

If you haven't tried one, do so and then you'll know what the rest of us do.

 

[bbb]

I use a Hard tip, and have to perform maintanence on the tip about twice a year (almost whether it needs it or not); while the tip lastsabout 15 months; even with a dime tip radius. I break with the cue 20% of the time--generally fairly soft with the play cue.

I play 3 hours a day, 5 days a week, solo; so I'm taking a shot about every 10 seconds. Lots of strokes....

On the other hand, I can only draw back 12 diamonds wth the hard tip and a level cue. 15 diamonds with a 20 degree elevation of the but.

show off..........
just kidding ...wish i had your stroke....:thumbup:
sorry.... back to topic

 

[x3dnd3x]

I bought a box of Emerald tips. I'm always changing to try everything out. That way I can tell my customers what I think of the tips that I carry.

I do believe that you or just about anyone would like an Emerald. They do play well.

My all time favorite tip, and I don't see my opinion changing in the future is the Ultra Skin.

If you haven't tried one, do so and then you'll know what the rest of us do.

I do not like the Emerald. Do correct me if I'm wrong, I heard Mika Immonen were using Emeralds for quite awhile before he changed to Kamui Black. The Emeralds to me were pretty hard.

 

[Flintlock]

I've been using a Kamui Black Soft for a lil while and IMO they don't mushroom.
Now I don't break with mine. I just use a Willard scuffer dime shape too ruff it up every couple weeks. Best tip I've used.

This.

I have yet to see one of my Kamui SS mushroom. However, since they're so soft, they will flatten out like any tip over time. I also use the Willard scuffer, but only when absolutely necessary. Kamui's gator grip tool really works well. I use it at the beginning of the night, just light enough to bring up the leather so that the chalk takes well. If you find that you don't have to 'rocket pool' a lot, I think you should have a good experience with how the tip performs over it's lifetime. With any tip, especially a softer tip, they will dry out over time, so be aware of that as well. If you're really mushrooming, you may want to go up a hardness level like the other guys said.

 

[KMRUNOUT]

It's hard to imagine your chalking technique effecting the mushrooming of the tip. The chalk just isn't hard enough and your hand can't exert enough pressure to have that kind of effect.

Are you using the cue to break also? Do you hit mostly center CB? Hard?

I've had Kamui Black Soft and UltraSkin Soft with no mushrooming on either.

I think you are not right here. Consider that the chalk is abrasive, and think about how many times you scrape it across the tip. A LOT. The long term shape of your tip is affected by your chalking habits more than anything else. A properly installed Kamui should not mushroom too much at all. I am an authorized installer for Kamui and I've installed many many tips...mostly Kamui but many other types too. The way I do it, it is highly unlikely that even a super soft will mushroom much, if at all.

Maybe breaking really hard 100's of times might flatten it a bit, but not too much.

Just my $0.02

KMRUNOUT

 

[The Renfro]

I think you are not right here. Consider that the chalk is abrasive, and think about how many times you scrape it across the tip. A LOT. The long term shape of your tip is affected by your chalking habits more than anything else. A properly installed Kamui should not mushroom too much at all. I am an authorized installer for Kamui and I've installed many many tips...mostly Kamui but many other types too. The way I do it, it is highly unlikely that even a super soft will mushroom much, if at all.

Maybe breaking really hard 100's of times might flatten it a bit, but not too much.

Just my $0.02

KMRUNOUT

Any of the major chalks on the market will NOT wear your tip just thru application... Chalk has to balance staying in cube form and sticking to the tip and they err on the sticking to the tip side... Silver cup is the furthest to the staying in cube form equation and may sand the tip thru repeated application but it doesn't really have enough adhesion to remove tip material before dislodging abrasives from the cube....

 

[bdorman]

I think you are not right here. Consider that the chalk is abrasive, and think about how many times you scrape it across the tip. A LOT. The long term shape of your tip is affected by your chalking habits more than anything else. A properly installed Kamui should not mushroom too much at all. I am an authorized installer for Kamui and I've installed many many tips...mostly Kamui but many other types too. The way I do it, it is highly unlikely that even a super soft will mushroom much, if at all.



Maybe breaking really hard 100's of times might flatten it a bit, but not too much.



Just my $0.02



KMRUNOUT

I agree that aggressive chalking will wear down a tip. I don't think it will cause it to mushroom though. Sorry if I wasn't clear on that before.

 

[TomHay]

Hey everyone. I have a kamui black soft on my McDermott cue that I got new about 6 weeks ago. The tip seems to be flattening out already. My last cue has had all the soft tips that ultraskin had and they seemed to do the same thing to some extint. I am thinking it might be how I am chalking. I am ashamed that after playing for 23 years, I don't know a lot of about tip matienence and such. Any thoughts on the chalking application? I will be posting pics of my tip this evening and even a video on how I chalk to get your feed back.

Thanks everyone in advance.

Sounds like you might need to go to a harder tip.

 

[Vince_Former_BB]

Aaaaaaaaabsolutely agree with you. A cube of chalk should have that X shape across the top. You should brush it on not grind it into your tip.

 

[Ty-Tanic]

I use a Kamui super soft tip and I have never had it flatten out or mushroom on me. I think maybe you just have a hard stoke that you use consistently. I have a Kamui soft tip on my break cue and it takes very little maintenance to keep up. I would think this is caused by your stroke and cue placement on the ball.