More On Tips - Redux

Cornerman

Cornerman

Cue Author...Sometimes
Silver Member
In light of the current state of tip manufacturers, and the "what's the best tip" posts that come up over and over again, and the creation of false information and the dissemination of such information, I wanted to again share the Tip Article I wrote back in 2004 or so for InsidePOOL.

Lots of information in that article that would still answer many of today's questions. And since we have so many new posters, I figure I'd share it.

In some months to come, I plan on doing another tip article, but I'm too lazy to think about it.

Here's the link to the article: Tip Article Underneath the Layers of Confusion

{edit: thanks to 9Ballr for suggesting to put on a GoogleDrive, so no need for the following: That all being said, if someone has a good way for me to share this article (it's 2Mb), please PM me. I currently have no webpage/blog/etc. for hosting any such articles (that will change sometime in the future). If we can put this up on the interweb, then AZB members can download and read at their leisure.}

Some of the people I interviewed at the time included:

Skip Nemecek - Tweeten Fiber (I visited the shop)
Tony Jones - Talisman
Tony K. - Tiger Products

I also was able to get answers about Hideo Moori from an Rec.Sport.Billiard cohort Tony DeAngelo (who I stole his line that I used at the end of the article). Thank you, Tony.

Also, all photos... I took. Be jealous.
 
Last edited:
Do you have a Dropbox account?
It's free and you could just post a direct link to the file.
You can also do the same if you use Google Drive.
A direct link like that would not compromise your identity in any way.
People do it all the time and it's the only thing one sees once they click the link.
 
9Ballr said:
Do you have a Dropbox account?
It's free and you could just post a direct link to the file.
You can also do the same if you use Google Drive.
A direct link like that would not compromise your identity in any way.
People do it all the time and it's the only thing one sees once they click the link.
Click to expand...

Great suggestion. Done. Tell me if it worked. I set the Privacy to: anyone with the link can open it.

Enjoy.
 
You should read through some of the posts from Renfro about the Outsville tips, lots of good info in those, not just about his tips but also about the industry in general.
 
hang-the-9 said:
You should read through some of the posts from Renfro about the Outsville tips, lots of good info in those, not just about his tips but also about the industry in general.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Chris and I have known each other for years. We talk about tips quite a bit, quite often. My article came out many, many years before Outsville, so my article might be part of his reference material. I really don't recall any other article on single layer and the multi-layer tip revolution that preceded mine.

When the time comes that I'll do an updated tip article, I can't imagine doing so without getting Chris Renfro's input. He's put an amazing amount of effort and knowledge out there.

Freddie
 
Thanks for taking the time to post up and nice article Freddie. Seems in my short time here at AZB that 'Tips' and 'Shaft' questions and conversation seem to be very popular.

To me, having a tip 1st and shaft 2nd you are comfortable and confident with is probably the most important part of our equipment.

Testing and trying tips of various materials, process and manufacturers to find the 'magic' is a very inexpensive compared to $300 shafts and $3k Cues:groucho:

Cheers,

-Kat,
 
Just finished the article.

Excellent read.
I recommend everyone read it....ESPECIALLY...if you write an update.

Lot's of things have chanced in the world of cue tips since you wrote this article 13 years ago.

Thanks a lot for your efforts, and please keep us updated if you write another one.
 
9Ballr said:
Just finished the article.

Excellent read.
I recommend everyone read it....ESPECIALLY...if you write an update.

Lot's of things have chanced in the world of cue tips since you wrote this article 13 years ago.

Thanks a lot for your efforts, and please keep us updated if you write another one.
Click to expand...
Thank you. Oddly enough, with all the additional tips available today, the reason I put the article up was that I realized things haven't changed that much (other than more tip brands).

Much of the same questions people ask today on materials and such... not much different. I found that as fascinating as anything else.

Freddie <~~~ the more things change
 
Cornerman said:
In light of the current state of tip manufacturers, and the "what's the best tip" posts that come up over and over again, and the creation of false information and the dissemination of such information, I wanted to again share the Tip Article I wrote back in 2004 or so for InsidePOOL.

Lots of information in that article that would still answer many of today's questions. And since we have so many new posters, I figure I'd share it.

In some months to come, I plan on doing another tip article, but I'm too lazy to think about it.

Here's the link to the article: Tip Article Underneath the Layers of Confusion

{edit: thanks to 9Ballr for suggesting to put on a GoogleDrive, so no need for the following: That all being said, if someone has a good way for me to share this article (it's 2Mb), please PM me. I currently have no webpage/blog/etc. for hosting any such articles (that will change sometime in the future). If we can put this up on the interweb, then AZB members can download and read at their leisure.}

Some of the people I interviewed at the time included:

Skip Nemecek - Tweeten Fiber (I visited the shop)
Tony Jones - Talisman
Tony K. - Tiger Products

I also was able to get answers about Hideo Moori from an Rec.Sport.Billiard cohort Tony DeAngelo (who I stole his line that I used at the end of the article). Thank you, Tony.

Also, all photos... I took. Be jealous.
Click to expand...

Great article... The ending line was funny & kinda' like finding gold at the end of a rainbow

.
 
Cornerman said:
In light of the current state of tip manufacturers, and the "what's the best tip" posts that come up over and over again, and the creation of false information and the dissemination of such information, I wanted to again share the Tip Article I wrote back in 2004 or so for InsidePOOL.

Lots of information in that article that would still answer many of today's questions. And since we have so many new posters, I figure I'd share it.

In some months to come, I plan on doing another tip article, but I'm too lazy to think about it.

Here's the link to the article: Tip Article Underneath the Layers of Confusion

{edit: thanks to 9Ballr for suggesting to put on a GoogleDrive, so no need for the following: That all being said, if someone has a good way for me to share this article (it's 2Mb), please PM me. I currently have no webpage/blog/etc. for hosting any such articles (that will change sometime in the future). If we can put this up on the interweb, then AZB members can download and read at their leisure.}

Some of the people I interviewed at the time included:

Skip Nemecek - Tweeten Fiber (I visited the shop)
Tony Jones - Talisman
Tony K. - Tiger Products

I also was able to get answers about Hideo Moori from an Rec.Sport.Billiard cohort Tony DeAngelo (who I stole his line that I used at the end of the article). Thank you, Tony.

Also, all photos... I took. Be jealous.
Click to expand...
How do you turn it? Mine is sideways. There's no rotate option.
 
Cornerman said:
Download and rotate view (View --> Rotate View) in Acrobat Reader.
Or turn your laptop? Or lock your screen rotation and turn your device?
Click to expand...


I noticed you're shooting with a Lambros.
I have two of those, one leather one wrapless.
The wrapless is my daily shooter.
His work is very good.


Also, since you're the AZB tip expert, (or that's the title I'm giving you...lol)
do you - or someone - know what soft tip on the market stays soft the longest.

Naturally all tips get harder as the hits accumulate but I'm trying to find a
tip that stays consistently soft throughout it's life span. Or let's say at leas year.

I've tried a lot of tips and they do what Kamui does so well... and that is to stay
soft for the first few weeks then go to medium or even medium-hard like in the case of Kamui.

So far I haven't tried G2 soft, Precision soft, Elk Master or Ultraskin soft.

I've played with Precision and G2 but never the soft.

Any ideas?
 
9Ballr said:
I noticed you're shooting with a Lambros.
I have two of those, one leather one wrapless.
The wrapless is my daily shooter.
His work is very good.


Also, since you're the AZB tip expert, (or that's the title I'm giving you...lol)
do you - or someone - know what soft tip on the market stays soft the longest.

Naturally all tips get harder as the hits accumulate but I'm trying to find a
tip that stays consistently soft throughout it's life span. Or let's say at leas year.

I've tried a lot of tips and they do what Kamui does so well... and that is to stay
soft for the first few weeks then go to medium or even medium-hard like in the case of Kamui.

So far I haven't tried G2 soft, Precision soft, Elk Master or Ultraskin soft.

I've played with Precision and G2 but never the soft.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...
THanks, but since I don't use soft tips, I don't have much visibility across the board on soft tips. I also don't do any longevity testing on tips at all. I'd lean on Chris Renfro to see if he has data. Maybe that will be a question a new article on tips will answer.

If I were to guess, I'd think a layered chrome tanned cowhide would stay soft longer. Coincidentally, I just reread my article, and at the time, the Tiger Soft fit that description.

Freddie
 
Cornerman said:
THanks, but since I don't use soft tips, I don't have much visibility across the board on soft tips. I also don't do any longevity testing on tips at all. I'd lean on Chris Renfro to see if he has data. Maybe that will be a question a new article on tips will answer.

If I were to guess, I'd think a layered chrome tanned cowhide would stay soft longer. Coincidentally, I just reread my article, and at the time, the Tiger Soft fit that description.

Freddie
Click to expand...


Thanks for your answer.

I don't shoot with soft tips either, only experimented a bit.
In a week of playing they all play like medium anyway...
Triangle has been my go to tip.

I will try your suggestion plus the ones I mentioned.

Let the experiments begin.....
 
Cornerman said:
THanks, but since I don't use soft tips, I don't have much visibility across the board on soft tips. I also don't do any longevity testing on tips at all. I'd lean on Chris Renfro to see if he has data. Maybe that will be a question a new article on tips will answer.

If I were to guess, I'd think a layered chrome tanned cowhide would stay soft longer. Coincidentally, I just reread my article, and at the time, the Tiger Soft fit that description.

Freddie
Click to expand...

I'll let Chris answer for himself if he sees this, but based upon my knowledge of his product and his sales pitch, I would guess that he would say his KiTech tips are designed to maintain their level of softness/hardness throughout their lifespan or through most of it. I've never used one so I can't say from first hand experience, but I've seen him say many times on this board and elsewhere that one of the problems he was trying to solve was the problem of soft tips rapidly becoming hard tips over a relatively short period of play.
 
Freddie

You could make your life a lot easier if you just copied the text of the article and created a text file with it. Obviously it's the images that are causing the file to bloat.

Either that or edit the original and put much lower resolution images in there. Looks like its at 300dpi which is fine for print but not necessary for screen.

That said, nice article. Thanks for sharing it.
 
The guy that does our local cue repair told me that Kamui started staining their tips black so they could hide the inconstancy of their leather. He said that he doesn't trust any stained tips because it implies that the manufacturer is hiding something. I have no clue, but it's an interesting pitch.

It sounds a little paranoid to me, but I will admit that I DO prefer my elk master over my kamui black soft.
 
Why isn't there a tip that everyone likes? Even the expensive ones are loved by some and hated by others. Is it maybe that we choose the wrong hardness for that particular tip? I have tried some soft tips but don't think my style of play is suited for soft tips. Doesn't mean it's a bad tip.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
 
pocket said:
Freddie

You could make your life a lot easier if you just copied the text of the article and created a text file with it. Obviously it's the images that are causing the file to bloat.

Either that or edit the original and put much lower resolution images in there. Looks like its at 300dpi which is fine for print but not necessary for screen.

That said, nice article. Thanks for sharing it.
Click to expand...

I enjoy the 1st photo of the various tips and the resolution entirely too much to downgrade it. The funny thing is that I put all those tips together for the photo shoot, and then I stuffed them in a can (a Moori tin). They're still there. The only ones I've used are the Triangles and LePros. LOL!!!

Freddie <~~~ start the bidding!!!
 
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