Lepro Tips

Jason Koopman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
What method do you guys use to select a good Lepro. I did a search and found some good advice such as choosing ones with a smooth back, using 15mm as they are cut from a different section, sanding the back, dropping them in water and dicarding the floaters. I will try these methods, but are there any other tricks of the trade you guys are willing to share. I'm not being cheap at all as I've tried the Kamui nd Everest tips (I did like them), but I just prefer the feel of a great Lepro. Thanks in advance.
 

patrickcues

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I take and drop them on there sides. I listen for the harder sounding ones and use them. Order the double pressed from tweeten directly. There a little better!!
 

patrickcues

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Patrick, didn't someone mention at one time that the 15mm is the way to go these days?
They might have. I have used some and still same problem as before. I talked to tweeten about this and so did another builder. You know what there answer to this was. " WE DONT CARE" we sell so many quality is a second because most people dont know the diferrence. I told them that is why most of us cue builders are using something different!
 

Jason Koopman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I take and drop them on there sides. I listen for the harder sounding ones and use them. Order the double pressed from tweeten directly. There a little better!!
Many thanks for the response. Is there a website for tweeten or a phone number I can call? My search only brought up distributors.
 

patrickcues

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Yea I will have to find it for you! I will look and see if I still have it and send it over to you!
 

Dave38

theemperorhasnoclotheson
Silver Member
I have 13, and 14 mm Lepros that are just sitting there as I don't care to spend that much time and effort to figure out 'which ones make the grade' I use triangles now instead and have had a 100 times better ratio of good to bad. Just my own experiance. I personally shoot with them, I can masse and also shoot normal and get great english and on my weekend cue for the bar tables, I even break with it and it holds it's shape very well and still gives great grip for shooting. I have tried many times with the Lepros for masse shots and breaking and they just don't do as well for my tastes.
Dave
 

Cue Crazy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have 13, and 14 mm Lepros that are just sitting there as I don't care to spend that much time and effort to figure out 'which ones make the grade' I use triangles now instead and have had a 100 times better ratio of good to bad. Just my own experiance. I personally shoot with them, I can masse and also shoot normal and get great english and on my weekend cue for the bar tables, I even break with it and it holds it's shape very well and still gives great grip for shooting. I have tried many times with the Lepros for masse shots and breaking and they just don't do as well for my tastes.
Dave

For several years now, I have turned a lot of old school lepro users onto triangles, and the response has been good. Some of them like the softer feel the way they come in the box, while others prefer when I soak and press them. They seem to appreciate that they are less maintenance, and in fact often mention that. Greg
 

Sheldon

dontneednostinkintitle
Silver Member
Super easy, just tap them in a hard surface. Tile or metal works good, I use the tubular bed rail on my Porper lathe. The rotten tips will make more of a slapping sound, the good ones will make a "tink" sound. The higher the tone, the harder the tip. Once I learned to do this, I almost never put on another bad single-layer tip. Elk Masters are a bit harder to grade, since they are generally softer, but you'll develop an ear for it!
 

cueman

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
I have not tried the tap and listen methods above. But one thing I have found on LePros through the years is to look out for one or two deep grooves going through the back. I press them before installing them and some of those with the groove will split when pressing them. I am not looking for a smooth back as the ones with a textured pattern on the back seem fine. But stay away from the ones with deep grooves. A lot of the hardness issues are solved just by pressing them before installing them. Also never use dull tooling on a LePro. It will just puff up and be ruined. I have found about 90% of LePros without the deep grooves to be fine tips if pressed before installing.
The same goes for Triangles. Elk Masters are another story. They tend to be more unpredictable. If they would make them thicker then the milk duds made out of them might become more popular.
 

OneIron

On the snap, Vinny!
Silver Member
LePro tips

I don't like installing LePro's due to low yield of good tips in a box. The smooth backed one's seem to work better but it's infuriating to install a LePro only to have cut it off and re-install. I probably average about 15 to 20% of good tips in a box. Strangely enough, the last box I purchased from Atlal is probably about 80% good quality. Pure blind luck or maybe better things to come? Btw, I press all LePros, Triangles, and Elkmasters.
 

Tommy-D

World's best B player...
Silver Member
> I guess I'm the guy on the other side of the fence here,lol. Out of my last box,I had 2 cut funny and fluff up,no others. The only negative words about them were from guys with a mushy stroke that couldn't draw with them ;).

I finished off that box recently,along with the Triangles I bought at the same time. NONE of those went bad.

The boxes of both I have now were made in 2010,and so far are pretty sweet.

I press all one piece tips though. Tommy D.
 

cuemaker03

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
> I guess I'm the guy on the other side of the fence here,lol. Out of my last box,I had 2 cut funny and fluff up,no others. The only negative words about them were from guys with a mushy stroke that couldn't draw with them ;).

I finished off that box recently,along with the Triangles I bought at the same time. NONE of those went bad.

The boxes of both I have now were made in 2010,and so far are pretty sweet.

I press all one piece tips though. Tommy D.

I'm glad to hear that. Tweetens has a lot of work to do if they are to regain their former glory in the marketplace.
 

conetip

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I don't like installing LePro's due to low yield of good tips in a box. The smooth backed one's seem to work better but it's infuriating to install a LePro only to have cut it off and re-install. I probably average about 15 to 20% of good tips in a box. Strangely enough, the last box I purchased from Atlal is probably about 80% good quality. Pure blind luck or maybe better things to come? Btw, I press all LePros, Triangles, and Elkmasters.


I now only install laminated tips,(buffalo, milk duds, )as the 1 pc tips.
Anything else is just not worth my time.
Be blowed if I am going to put on a tip and then have to replace it because it is was junk to start with.
When customers want those other tips, I refuse to do them.
I can not see the point of $20 in labor to save a few bucks on a tip.
 

rhncue

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
As most on this forum know, I'm very opinionated and don't mind in the least saying what I feel. When people ask questions on work or materials when they come into my shop I don't hold anything back. I let everyone know my disdain about the quality of Tweeten products. I let them know that if they demand a LePro I will certainly install one but their chance of getting a good one is slim. I try to push my finger nail into the side of the tip before installation and if it's to soft I discard but other than that the customer get's what they desired - a low quality tip. I have also found that the installer destroys many tips when installing by not having the right equipment or technique when trimming the tip. The tooling needs to be very sharp and I don't believe that a razor blade, laid on it's side to trim a tip is nearly sharp enough. When doing this in this manner you are not cutting with the sharp edge but merely scraping the material exerting to much friction, pressure and heat breaking the leather down.

Dick
 

pescadoman

Randy
Silver Member
Hate hate hate. Was doing house cues with em real cheap when I was learning....learned to hate them. Guess I should have pressed them, but I just smacked em with a hammer a few times. Many simply fell apart when cut.

I can't think of any that didn't look like a mushroom after a week.

They require upkeep and alot of players not only don't want to deal with it, lack the tools and knowledge to do so....

I would much rather make the same money and use a layered tip that I have confidence in.........

If I know the person and they really want one...I'll do it, but I really like to take them down closer to the ferrule than with other tips.
 

Charlie Edwards

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
As most on this forum know, I'm very opinionated and don't mind in the least saying what I feel. When people ask questions on work or materials when they come into my shop I don't hold anything back. I let everyone know my disdain about the quality of Tweeten products. I let them know that if they demand a LePro I will certainly install one but their chance of getting a good one is slim. I try to push my finger nail into the side of the tip before installation and if it's to soft I discard but other than that the customer get's what they desired - a low quality tip. I have also found that the installer destroys many tips when installing by not having the right equipment or technique when trimming the tip. The tooling needs to be very sharp and I don't believe that a razor blade, laid on it's side to trim a tip is nearly sharp enough. When doing this in this manner you are not cutting with the sharp edge but merely scraping the material exerting to much friction, pressure and heat breaking the leather down.

Dick

Thanks, Dick, for this great information. Care to share with us your preferred method of trimming down the side of the tip?
 

Lexicologist71

Rabid Schuler fanatic
Silver Member
I've always like Triangle. I don't even stock LePro. I like the feel of them, but I don't like the way they play. They just won't hold chalk like a Triangle. Your mileage may vary.
 
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