All layered tips have the same problems. Some may be marginally better than others, but there is no clear "best tip". All have a short period after install where they play well, then the "premium" performance usually falls off a cliff. Any softness (if that is your preference) goes the same way in short order. Name any layered tip brand, someone will champion it as the best tip ever made, others will say it's the worst as seen in this thread. There doesn't seem to be any consistent pattern, either, as to which tip gets heralded as the best or the worst. IMO they are all the same to some extent. They all have the same problems. They all could fail catastrophically, due to delams, hardening, glazing etc. It's more or less random when this happens and there doesn't seem to be a clear pattern as to brands. They all worsen the same way, too, some slower than others, but this too seems a bit random as to brands. GUESS WHAT, there is an obvious explanation to why this is! The cheap layered tips are overall dreadful, and not worth considering. You don't get the premium performance, and yet get all the layered tip problems. Seriously, buy a Triangle instead.
Big secret coming up, lol: You could have your own brand of tips made very easily, you know. It's not like all these differently named tips are made individually by a team of engineers or whatever with some mystical, hard to get ingredients. 99% of them just order them from some factory in China with their logo slapped on. You can do it, too. I almost did some years ago, before I became done with layered tips forever. There really is nothing special with the names on these tips. They are just the same shit in different wrapping, though there are "grades" of quality you can order, it's not like one brand is going to be clearly superior to all others. In fact this is why there is seemingly a new brand every day, and with equal quality and performance to the rest of them. It's the same goddamned tip! The shiny logos and different colours are just that, and nothing more.
It's easier to deal with laminated tips for professional tip installers, because they are easier to cut on a lathe. A bad triangle, lepro or elkmaster (especially the last two) will just implode on the lathe. The bad layered tip will cut fine and look perfect but play terrible. By then it's out of their shop. They also need to be replaced way before they wear down. They are expensive. So those guys love them.
Big secret coming up, lol: You could have your own brand of tips made very easily, you know. It's not like all these differently named tips are made individually by a team of engineers or whatever with some mystical, hard to get ingredients. 99% of them just order them from some factory in China with their logo slapped on. You can do it, too. I almost did some years ago, before I became done with layered tips forever. There really is nothing special with the names on these tips. They are just the same shit in different wrapping, though there are "grades" of quality you can order, it's not like one brand is going to be clearly superior to all others. In fact this is why there is seemingly a new brand every day, and with equal quality and performance to the rest of them. It's the same goddamned tip! The shiny logos and different colours are just that, and nothing more.
It's easier to deal with laminated tips for professional tip installers, because they are easier to cut on a lathe. A bad triangle, lepro or elkmaster (especially the last two) will just implode on the lathe. The bad layered tip will cut fine and look perfect but play terrible. By then it's out of their shop. They also need to be replaced way before they wear down. They are expensive. So those guys love them.
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