Bulletproof Billiards
Active member
We have not attempted to install these by hand yet. Please let us now how it goes! THANKS
NEW Bulletproof Synthetic Playing Tips.
- Thread starter Bulletproof Billiards
- Start date
I wouldn't hesitate breaking with the hard tip with no worry of wear nor mushrooming or changing the shape of the tip. As stated, it won't be the same as breaking with the Bulletproof break tip. I never break with my player so I have no personal experience breaking with it. I'd guess if you're one of those who like to put more than normal english on your break these would be ideal for that.
I haven't tried the medium so I can't help there. Sorry. As stated earlier, I'd probably skip the medium and go directly to the hard to start as it hits much more like a medium to me while still playing like a hard (without the fear of miscues).
That's what I'm going to do. After I had ordered the medium (and the bridge and the shaper) I thought about it and went and ordered the hard. I always played with the harder mediums but still used a break cue. Using one cue for both will be a new experience for me. I just have to remember: Green=hard.
Yes, I didn't mean to imply that these mushroomed worse than any other soft leather tips. I normally have to initially cut the leather softs down a bit more and still end up trimming a couple times. I left the Recoil soft full height and absolutely hammered it on that terrible table. I did this on purpose to test it using the worst possible conditions. I am impressed to say the least that it shot and held up as well as it did. As I said, after the first 20 or so games I wasn't even thinking about the new tip, it was playing exactly like the tips I'm used to.
I'm sold on the tips and am hoping that I can get used to the hard Recoil. It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks and with 50 years of playing softs, playing with the hard is somewhat foreign. But then again, my biggest problem when trying hard tips in the past has been miscues, and to a lessor extent, the sound and jarring feel of the hard hit. I have no fear of miscuing with the Recoil hard even when pushing the miscue limit and I'm not getting the jarring hit, which is why I said they seem to hit more like a medium. I have a feeling you're right and I'll end up keeping the Recoil hard. But even if I don't, I'll most likely settle on a medium or even go back to the soft.
Thanks again for bringing these to market. They could very well be the next major game changer in the industry much like carbon fiber shafts in years past. I can see why you're excited about these. Anything that improves equipment consistency is paramount in this game. When you know that your cue is going to hit the same no matter how it's indexed, or where your tip is in it's lifetime (most tips will harden up over time), you can forget about the cue completely and concentrate on fundamentals and making shots.
I'm sure there will be some hardcore old school players that will see these as a novelty and will not even try them, much like there are many that will stick to their maple shafts till the day they die even though the majority of the pros and competitive players have moved to carbon fiber. I was one of those, but after giving a carbon fiber a real chance, I'll never go back to my maple shafts. I don't care, I say play with what you're comfortable with but at least give the new stuff a try, you might be surprised. There's a reason the pros have moved on and it's not just because they are sponsored. If their equipment didn't play well you can bet they would play with something else.
Thanks again!
Bulletproof Billiards
Active member
Do you do cue repair for others or just for yourself? We do offer wholesale prices for dealers and professional installers
I do most of the tips in the my area. Unfortunately there aren't many players in my area so I may only do 30-50 tips a year. Please PM your wholesale prices if I qualify.
Thanks!
Bulletproof Billiards
Active member
If anyone purchased one of our tips on Amazon it would be very helpful for us if you post a review. THANKS!!! 
TipWilson
Well-known member
Shaped, scuffed, chalked.
Ready for test drive.
Revo 11.8
Made it to the final match with my Recoil tip.
Just an SL6
Still getting used to a hard tip.
No complaints.
SSDiver2112
Escott Cues
After a month of bar banger abuse, it seems to have held up well. Mushroomed as has been reported, but no one has complained about its performance.
It is reshaped and ready to get thrown back into the lions den.
Not sure if is my lathe speed or my technique but I did not get the glassy smooth cut on the sides.
It is reshaped and ready to get thrown back into the lions den.
Not sure if is my lathe speed or my technique but I did not get the glassy smooth cut on the sides.
Last edited:
boogieman
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that ping.
Just thought I'd relate my experience with the Bulletproof synthetic green/hard tip.
TLDR; is it's a good tip, easy to install and it holds chalk unbelievably well. If you want a tip that lasts or have qualms about pigskin or animal products you could not get a better tip. It's also a good one for folks who don't care either way. They look really nice when installed, great shine with no effort. Just cut with a sharp knife and they are perfectly shiny on the sides.
I always face my tips on flat 600 grit emery paper before installing. It doesn't matter be it leather, phenolic, Kaumui clear (which says not to but are concave on the bottom so could cause popping off if you don't) or any tip. Face your tips flat if you don't want popping. I noticed it did need some facing. But after I already did that I watched the install video and that's how they did it. Good deal so far. Glued with Gorilla Glue Gel CA. I didn't have an accelerator so I left it set for 20 minutes while I watched some Peri Open 9 Ball on YouTube. I used a Japanese Kiridashi knife to trim. If you don't know they are a single bevel knife and will cut exactly flush with your ferrule. Less opportunity for error than with a double edged utility knife. They sell a disposable for $10 or something. I bought one for about $30 that can be sharpened indefinitely and have been using it for a year now. I highly recommend these knives for tip work (and even things like shaving CA flush while filling dings). Anyway.... The Kiridashi did a wonderful job, the sides are like a mirror when cut with no imperfections. I used a Tweeten shaper to sand to shape. I only have one of those drill based Sharpshooter "lathe" things, not really a lathe, but for the price they are excellent for tip work and cleaning. Not precise enough for things like threading or installing ferrules, but they work great for tips. I had no issue installing the Bulletproof synthetic tips on my setup.
I roughed it a bit by twisting sandpaper on the top and then did the same with a Gator Grip style tool. I was actually very impressed with how well it held chalk. I don't see any need for tip picks with V10 chalk. Maybe other chalks would need it, but that Gator grip type tool works excellently on all tips, from soft leather to bakelite jump cues, phenolic, and all in between.
The tip has a kind of unique feel to it. It's hard to explain but it feels more uniform than leather, like the material isn't full of natural fibers with varying grain if that makes sense. As a hard tip it's not "glass shattering" like a phenolic, it's a playing tip. To be honest, I can't tell you about the sound very well as I put it on one of my shafts that doesn't "sing" much. Some shafts resonate sound, this one does not with any tip so I can't attest to the sound, but it didn't sound pingy or anything. Just kind of a muted "thunk" if that makes sense. I like the pingy tips but this was not unpleasant and would probably be loved by those who don't like pings.
I broke with it about a dozen times and shot some shots. It feels good and I'd imagine longevity will be very good with it, though time will tell, but I have no doubt it will last a very long time. There's no mushrooming at all and no flattening or anything. You can put spin on like the dickens without fear of miscue.
It's a good tip and it's worth the money.
I have two constructive criticisms for @Bulletproof Billiards , you spelled ferrule "feral" or ferrel" in your video (cant remember which). It's not a huge thing but spelling errors does not inspire confidence in some potential customers. Not everyone cares, some care a lot. I don't care, but it kind of seems a bit backyard mechanic rather than high tech. You're selling high tech stuff so techies will notice speeling errors.
The other thing, when you face the bottom of the tip... my gosh are you ever using an aggressive grit. I mean, if speed is important sure, but there is no need for such deep grooves. Also no need to put rings in a ferrule or silencer pad. I'm sure you've had all types being in the tip business but this is an entire old wives tale. Maybe it has less failure for less than good tip installers, and I suppose this could be why you recommend it. I'm not an expert on it but it's not needed. Maybe it makes no difference and I imagine it saves a tiny bit of time. CA does best on perfectly flush and slightly matte surfaces. 600 grit or 400 grit is about perfect. It looked like you rubbed those across a sidewalk. 
I'm sure it works but really this also doesn't inspire confidence for those who know. Heck I used to use a razor blade to score tips when I didn't know any better. Just make the surfaces flush and use a good fresh CA (gel is good for DIY as it's less messy and has decent working time, less stuck fingers and glue runs).
I think you have a very good product here. There is a market for it and even if one doesn't mind using animal or pig it's still a very nice tip and I'm sure it will have great longevity. There isn't any detriment with it being synthetic vs. natural as far as I can tell. Great chalk retention and easy for tip installers.
TLDR; is it's a good tip, easy to install and it holds chalk unbelievably well. If you want a tip that lasts or have qualms about pigskin or animal products you could not get a better tip. It's also a good one for folks who don't care either way. They look really nice when installed, great shine with no effort. Just cut with a sharp knife and they are perfectly shiny on the sides.
I always face my tips on flat 600 grit emery paper before installing. It doesn't matter be it leather, phenolic, Kaumui clear (which says not to but are concave on the bottom so could cause popping off if you don't) or any tip. Face your tips flat if you don't want popping. I noticed it did need some facing. But after I already did that I watched the install video and that's how they did it. Good deal so far. Glued with Gorilla Glue Gel CA. I didn't have an accelerator so I left it set for 20 minutes while I watched some Peri Open 9 Ball on YouTube. I used a Japanese Kiridashi knife to trim. If you don't know they are a single bevel knife and will cut exactly flush with your ferrule. Less opportunity for error than with a double edged utility knife. They sell a disposable for $10 or something. I bought one for about $30 that can be sharpened indefinitely and have been using it for a year now. I highly recommend these knives for tip work (and even things like shaving CA flush while filling dings). Anyway.... The Kiridashi did a wonderful job, the sides are like a mirror when cut with no imperfections. I used a Tweeten shaper to sand to shape. I only have one of those drill based Sharpshooter "lathe" things, not really a lathe, but for the price they are excellent for tip work and cleaning. Not precise enough for things like threading or installing ferrules, but they work great for tips. I had no issue installing the Bulletproof synthetic tips on my setup.
I roughed it a bit by twisting sandpaper on the top and then did the same with a Gator Grip style tool. I was actually very impressed with how well it held chalk. I don't see any need for tip picks with V10 chalk. Maybe other chalks would need it, but that Gator grip type tool works excellently on all tips, from soft leather to bakelite jump cues, phenolic, and all in between.
The tip has a kind of unique feel to it. It's hard to explain but it feels more uniform than leather, like the material isn't full of natural fibers with varying grain if that makes sense. As a hard tip it's not "glass shattering" like a phenolic, it's a playing tip. To be honest, I can't tell you about the sound very well as I put it on one of my shafts that doesn't "sing" much. Some shafts resonate sound, this one does not with any tip so I can't attest to the sound, but it didn't sound pingy or anything. Just kind of a muted "thunk" if that makes sense. I like the pingy tips but this was not unpleasant and would probably be loved by those who don't like pings.
I broke with it about a dozen times and shot some shots. It feels good and I'd imagine longevity will be very good with it, though time will tell, but I have no doubt it will last a very long time. There's no mushrooming at all and no flattening or anything. You can put spin on like the dickens without fear of miscue.
It's a good tip and it's worth the money.
I have two constructive criticisms for @Bulletproof Billiards , you spelled ferrule "feral" or ferrel" in your video (cant remember which). It's not a huge thing but spelling errors does not inspire confidence in some potential customers. Not everyone cares, some care a lot. I don't care, but it kind of seems a bit backyard mechanic rather than high tech. You're selling high tech stuff so techies will notice speeling errors.
The other thing, when you face the bottom of the tip... my gosh are you ever using an aggressive grit. I mean, if speed is important sure, but there is no need for such deep grooves. Also no need to put rings in a ferrule or silencer pad. I'm sure you've had all types being in the tip business but this is an entire old wives tale. Maybe it has less failure for less than good tip installers, and I suppose this could be why you recommend it. I'm not an expert on it but it's not needed. Maybe it makes no difference and I imagine it saves a tiny bit of time. CA does best on perfectly flush and slightly matte surfaces. 600 grit or 400 grit is about perfect. It looked like you rubbed those across a sidewalk. I'm sure it works but really this also doesn't inspire confidence for those who know. Heck I used to use a razor blade to score tips when I didn't know any better. Just make the surfaces flush and use a good fresh CA (gel is good for DIY as it's less messy and has decent working time, less stuck fingers and glue runs).I think you have a very good product here. There is a market for it and even if one doesn't mind using animal or pig it's still a very nice tip and I'm sure it will have great longevity. There isn't any detriment with it being synthetic vs. natural as far as I can tell. Great chalk retention and easy for tip installers.
I finally put the hard tip on my old car trunk Meucci.
It plays pretty damn well! It hits softer than I would've expected all things considered.
I don't know that I see extreme amounts of spin that has been reported by others, but it's completely satisfactory compared to a normal premium layered tip.
Absolutely perfect for my intended use of leaving it in the trunk of the car, and I could absolutely recommend it just about anybody to at least give it a try.
I think it's especially perfect for newer or less attentive players who either don't know how, or don't want to be bothered with routine tip maintenance…
Pretty damn cool...
It plays pretty damn well! It hits softer than I would've expected all things considered.
I don't know that I see extreme amounts of spin that has been reported by others, but it's completely satisfactory compared to a normal premium layered tip.
Absolutely perfect for my intended use of leaving it in the trunk of the car, and I could absolutely recommend it just about anybody to at least give it a try.
I think it's especially perfect for newer or less attentive players who either don't know how, or don't want to be bothered with routine tip maintenance…
Pretty damn cool...
Bulletproof Billiards
Active member
Use a fresh sharp utility blade at a reasonably fast speed (RPM) to make the final cut. That should get you the shiny look
Bulletproof Billiards
Active member
THANK YOU for such a detailed evaluation! I will try using a finer grit and see if I have issues with them popping off. As for the video captions (I noticed the spelling issue right away) that is a YouTube thing. When you turn captions on it translates the speech to text. I'll see if it possible to fix this.Just thought I'd relate my experience with the Bulletproof synthetic green/hard tip.
TLDR; is it's a good tip, easy to install and it holds chalk unbelievably well. If you want a tip that lasts or have qualms about pigskin or animal products you could not get a better tip. It's also a good one for folks who don't care either way. They look really nice when installed, great shine with no effort. Just cut with a sharp knife and they are perfectly shiny on the sides.
I always face my tips on flat 600 grit emery paper before installing. It doesn't matter be it leather, phenolic, Kaumui clear (which says not to but are concave on the bottom so could cause popping off if you don't) or any tip. Face your tips flat if you don't want popping. I noticed it did need some facing. But after I already did that I watched the install video and that's how they did it. Good deal so far. Glued with Gorilla Glue Gel CA. I didn't have an accelerator so I left it set for 20 minutes while I watched some Peri Open 9 Ball on YouTube. I used a Japanese Kiridashi knife to trim. If you don't know they are a single bevel knife and will cut exactly flush with your ferrule. Less opportunity for error than with a double edged utility knife. They sell a disposable for $10 or something. I bought one for about $30 that can be sharpened indefinitely and have been using it for a year now. I highly recommend these knives for tip work (and even things like shaving CA flush while filling dings). Anyway.... The Kiridashi did a wonderful job, the sides are like a mirror when cut with no imperfections. I used a Tweeten shaper to sand to shape. I only have one of those drill based Sharpshooter "lathe" things, not really a lathe, but for the price they are excellent for tip work and cleaning. Not precise enough for things like threading or installing ferrules, but they work great for tips. I had no issue installing the Bulletproof synthetic tips on my setup.
I roughed it a bit by twisting sandpaper on the top and then did the same with a Gator Grip style tool. I was actually very impressed with how well it held chalk. I don't see any need for tip picks with V10 chalk. Maybe other chalks would need it, but that Gator grip type tool works excellently on all tips, from soft leather to bakelite jump cues, phenolic, and all in between.
The tip has a kind of unique feel to it. It's hard to explain but it feels more uniform than leather, like the material isn't full of natural fibers with varying grain if that makes sense. As a hard tip it's not "glass shattering" like a phenolic, it's a playing tip. To be honest, I can't tell you about the sound very well as I put it on one of my shafts that doesn't "sing" much. Some shafts resonate sound, this one does not with any tip so I can't attest to the sound, but it didn't sound pingy or anything. Just kind of a muted "thunk" if that makes sense. I like the pingy tips but this was not unpleasant and would probably be loved by those who don't like pings.
I broke with it about a dozen times and shot some shots. It feels good and I'd imagine longevity will be very good with it, though time will tell, but I have no doubt it will last a very long time. There's no mushrooming at all and no flattening or anything. You can put spin on like the dickens without fear of miscue.
It's a good tip and it's worth the money.
I have two constructive criticisms for @Bulletproof Billiards , you spelled ferrule "feral" or ferrel" in your video (cant remember which). It's not a huge thing but spelling errors does not inspire confidence in some potential customers. Not everyone cares, some care a lot. I don't care, but it kind of seems a bit backyard mechanic rather than high tech. You're selling high tech stuff so techies will notice speeling errors.
I think you have a very good product here. There is a market for it and even if one doesn't mind using animal or pig it's still a very nice tip and I'm sure it will have great longevity. There isn't any detriment with it being synthetic vs. natural as far as I can tell. Great chalk retention and easy for tip installers.
Bulletproof Billiards
Active member
Thanks for your feedback! It's much appreciated!
Bulletproof Billiards
Active member
You can glue either side but it's easier to sand the smooth side to accept glue.
I'm not sure what you mean by "bad pulling", but see my post above.
If you have any specific questions, I'll try to answer, but how a tip plays is pretty subjective.
Bottom line, I was pretty impressed.
Bulletproof Billiards
Active member
Get them while you can! We are going to remove the code (RECOIL) for the free SOFT recoil tip from our website soon! We will still run the 25% off coupon on Amazon for a while longer
I've had my Recoil green hard tip on about a week now and I keep surprising myself at how well it shoots despite the "break" sound (which I'm getting used to). I have it on a 12.4mm Revo shaft and the sound is louder than if it was mounted on a wood shaft. Speaking of breaking, I haven't used my BK Rush break cue since installing the Recoil. I've been breaking 8 and 9 ball racks like crazy with the Recoil and that tip seems like it's on for good. I used the same 2P-10 glue and accelerator that BB uses (bought from Amazon) but I didn't score the face of the ferrule, and that tip seems like it is on for good. I just used 150 sandpaper. Another thing I like about this tip is the way it holds chalk. I use the Taom V-10 and I only chalk once a rack, not because I'm cheap, but because it lasts (and keeps my table clean).
You do need a lathe of some sort in order to do the final trim with a razor at speed. Any cue smith who installs tips can mount these with ease. I tried mounting my red medium by hand and ruined it. I was experimenting as I knew I was going to go with the harder green tip after reading the reviews.
You do need a lathe of some sort in order to do the final trim with a razor at speed. Any cue smith who installs tips can mount these with ease. I tried mounting my red medium by hand and ruined it. I was experimenting as I knew I was going to go with the harder green tip after reading the reviews.
Last edited: