John. Here's the link to your review. See the part where you listed the reasons you thought the Kamui chalk was worth "100X" the cost of Masters.
When I read your review I thought you said it was worth the cost and you listed your reasons.
Guess I was wrong...
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=245647&highlight=Kamui+chalk+review
Here is a quote from your review that I was referring to:
So, finally I got my own cube. In fact on the same day I got TWO of them from two different places. Thanks guys!
I sort of feel like I should do a IPAD unboxing photo report on this stuff. But I won't because you all know what it looks like by now.
Getting into the vacuum sealed packaging required some effort. It LOOKS like there is a ziplock seal and if you tear along the dotted line that you will be able to open the zipped pouch. BUT I tore the package along the line and tried to open it - no chance, so I cut a little more with scissors above what looks like the ziplock. No chance. So I cut BELOW the ziploc and finally was able to get it open. So if the bag is supposed to be resealable I have to say that this one is not and someone should look into packaging that's a little easier to open.
That said getting a SINGLE piece of chalk in a vaccuum sealed package was a strange experience for someone used to taking chalk for granted.
So I just had to run to the pool room to try it out. "It's research honey." "When will you get home she asked", "when I miscue" was my reply and I don't think she was amused. (she knows the whole Kamui chalk saga)
At the pool room I wiped all the old chalk off my tip. My tip is very bald, not scuffed at all. It's a Black Diamond layered tip that was given to me a year ago.
I applied an even coat of Kamui chalk and decided not to chalk again until I miscued. I started out by shooting all sorts of spin shots while working through a couple racks. I was about four racks in before I miscued. I looked at the tip and decided to ignore and and kept shooting. About two racks later I miscued on a draw shot and then tried a few more and also miscued. So I chalked again with a lighter layer. Shot a few more racks and then the house pro asked me if I wanted to play a set.
I moved to his table and didn't chalk again. There were five cubes of Brunswick chalk on the table. I played the entire set without chalking and lost 7:5. Several times I found myself reaching for one of the chalks on the table and had to stop myself. All the shooting felt completely normal and comfortable. I did not miscue once during the set.
I did feel better by not having to reach for the chalk on every shot. This chalk did not leave any residue on the cloth, none on the cue ball and none on my hands. When I got home my hands were actually clean, or at least not visibly stained with chalk.
So to the question of whether it eliminates the need to chalk frequently.....YES IT DOES. With this stuff I feel that once per game would be more than enough. I played 14 games and never miscued once.
Does it increase the friction? I don't know yet. I really went to the edge of the ball and tried to see how far out I can get but I didn't spend any time marking the balls to see exactly WHERE I hit the cue ball. I will test that later on my table with my CueSight training ball that has precise markings for this purpose. I FEEL that it does allow for more spin but that could just be a placebo effect based on the built up expectation.
Is it worth it?
I think so and I don't say this lightly.
Disclaimer.
I don't have ANYTHING whatsoever to do with Kamui. I don't sell their stuff, Sterling doesn't sell their stuff. I think that some of their stuff like the $1800 cue case they sell is not worth the money being asked. I have told the owner of Kamui the same thing. However I LIKE the owner of Kamui a lot because he is passionate about his product AND he knows his product intimately. I know from speaking to him three years ago that he was then embarking on this quest to improve chalk and I respect anyone who tries to change things for the better.
So, why do I feel that this chalk is worth 100x the price of the market leader? Masters is about .25cts a cube.
1. It sticks to the tip even when the tip is not scuffed.
2. It goes on smoothly and doesn't take much to apply an even coat.
3. It lasts for many many shots before more needs to be applied.
4. It is not messy.
5. It is consistent and dependable.
6. It is much grippier. (based on my FEELING)
7. Using it allows me to establish a better rhythm.
8. Using it gives me confidence.
So for me it's worth it to own this and use it when I gamble and play tournaments. I really do feel that it is a big improvement over regular chalk. Would I like to see it be cheaper? Yes absolutely. While $25 isn't the world and chalk IS important I think that it's truly a premium price and the "elitism" that accompanies the advertising for it is a HUGE turnoff for me. I feel that Kamui should publish some actual data to back up the performance claims instead of making it a class thing, as in 'you must be a good player to appreciate our chalk'.
I think that this price leaves the door wide open for the competition to come in with cheaper versions and I hope that some folks start to research it because the stuff really does work and should be available to more people. The price is a deterrent so Kamui should be trying to get the price down so that their reach can be much greater.
Bottom line: The chalk works great. End quote.
