> I repress just about every tip I put on,even Elk Masters,unless specifically asked NOT to. When people started bringing me small repairs like this,I didn't repress them,and had most people come back and complain that it had mushroomed and expected me to either fix it or replace the tip for free. I solved this by pressing everything,and cutting/sanding the tip on a very slight taper,so when it eventually mushrooms,which just about all of them do at some point,it comes back to flush,or very close. I even try and teach people how to use something simple and readily available such as a small piece of an old leather wallet,or an index card to condition their tips. Most just pull out the good old green 400 grit Scotch-Brite pad and "slick" up their shaft that was sealed,waxed,and burnished to the point of appearing to be clearcoated. I agree that Triangle tips play much better when repressed and thinned down,and also agree that the overall quality of tips has declined,even over the last 10 years. Earl Strickland and I discussed this point one day at Joe Blackburn's booth at the U.S. Open,while both waiting on repairs. He said that he finds it very difficult to find quality tips,even from brands that he said used to be great,and that back when he really started to gain prominence,that he could often go an entire rack without rechalking,because the quality of the raw leather was better than now. His explanation for this phenomena? Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone,or RBGH as it is known for farmers. This is basically a steroid/Miracle-Grow type stuff fed to cattle to grow a full sized,meat producing animal in less time,as opposed to the older,natural process,which also makes for a better quality hide. It makes sense in an Earl sort of way. At the time,he was using hand picked Triangles,buying 5 boxes at a time and picking out the "whitest" looking ones,claiming they had more "grit" in them. I find the whitish looking ones to be firmer/denser,sometimes dramtically so. I have completely stopped looking for the perfect tip,having found it in the good old one piece Sumo,or other high quality WB,repressed until dead flat and bulging slightly. As far as the laminated stuff,I was really fond of the original XH Moori,back when there were 5 grades,as well as the Talisman UH or XH,but had too many of them come apart. As a repairman that doesn't get the volume of repairs that most of the guys on this forum do,it no longer makes sense for me to even keep more than a 10 pack of assorted Talisman stuff on hand,practically no one around here will spend the extra money on them. Back when I first discovered Moori's,I bought 20,at 20 a pop,thinking that once people back home discovered them,and realized their advantages,they would sell quickly and would pay for the initial investment. The result? I actually installed 2 out of the whole lot for customers,the rest were either used on my own cues or installed for friends. NO one else I tried to expose to them wanted to pay the kind of price they command,even doing the work for 5 bucks and selling them the tip at cost. I'm sure this will change once I start going out and setting up at tournaments though. Tommy D.
I heard something somewhere about a bluer looking triange tip. but none of my two boxes have any of them. BTW I do press them in a vise. any suggestions? is there a special way to install these tips. I do very good tip work & just dont understand what the problem is. TIA
I don't try to press so hard that I sqeeze juice from them or anything.
