question for kamui experts

DJordan816

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have been playing for a long time with a kamui black soft that is very low, I'd say down to maybe just two layers. Lately I have been miscueing more frequently and have decided its time for a new tip. I like the kamui and want to get another one but my question is should I get a harder tip (go up to a medium) so it will play like the very low soft I currently have or will a new soft play the same as a very worn down one? I should add that the tip was worn down this far when I got the cue so I never played with a taller soft tip. Hope that all makes sense, thanks in advance for any info.
 
On the blacks, I would stay the same as what you have...
I use a SS because it plays like a S
A S plays like a medium
A medium plays like a hard and so on..hope this helps ya out.. ;)
 
Go With Kamui Clear Black......Soft

I switched from Kamui Black (medium) to Kamui Clear Black (soft) and the change is wonderful.......I love the Kamui Clear tips for hit, feel, acoustics and durability.......the tips don't glaze like the Kamui Black tips have a strong tendency to do very quickly........and get in touch with Shooter08 (Tom) on the Forum who is a Kamui dealer.......I've gotten 1/2 dozen tips Clear tips from Tom and he's a just guy to do business with.

Matt B.
 
All the Kamui tips I tried harden up a bit from new, I played with a few Softs and all have hardened to what felt like a Medium to me in a few months of use when the were still looking pretty new.

So if you want to try a harder tip from them, I'd get a Soft and just play with it a bit, it will feel like a harder tip soon enough.

I have one of Mike Dechaine's play shafts and he has a Kamui Clear Soft on it, it feels like a Medium to me and he said it had a pretty hard hit as well. I play pretty well with that tip and shaft though so not complaining, but it is a much harder Soft tip than what a Soft should be.
 
*Kamui tips are a lot like rolls of toilet paper. You find yourself changing them when you need to use them most.
 
Get in touch here with Tom Hay. He's producing the Ultraskin tips. I've bought 30 tips und all my German friends and clubmates, who tried my cues are asking me "This feels great, is this a Kamui black in S or M?"
And they are all changing from Kamui to Ultraskin, because they don't feel any difference, but in Germany a Kamui is about €19.-, an Ultraskin is about €5.-!
So one of the best products for the price!
Regards, Chris
 
Another note, make sure the installer knows what he is doing, Kamui tips are a bit more tempermental than some, if you cut them at the wrong speed or with a duller blade, they will come apart, or at least the pre-clear ones did that.

If you want alternates and like a soft tip that is really soft, I did not try the ultraskin ones that someone suggested, but I do have a Ktech tip that Renfro sells and that tip was just like what a soft tip should feel like to me. It played soft, grabbed the cueball super nice, and stayed soft but at the same time had no mushrooming at all in the months I used it. I would still be using it but I am trying a different brand of shaft now.
 
While I'm no Kamui expert, my wife and I have gone though several of their tips. We had been using Kamui Black Soft tips up until the last tip change where I put on a Kamui Clear Medium and she an Ultraskin Soft. I'd say the Kamui Clear Black Medium when new does feel a lot like a Kamui Black Soft does when it's on the last couple of layers.

Both the Kamui Clear Medium and Ultraskin Soft gave us the desired result of not mushrooming or getting out of shape compared to the Kamui Black Soft tips but she has the undesirable effect of miscuing a lot with her Ultraskin soft. It glazes over in about 5 or 6 days and needs to be roughed up to hold chalk. I doubt the Ultraskin Soft will last nearly as long as the Kamui Black Soft did because it needs attention much more frequently (minimum once per week vs. max once per 6-8 weeks with Kamui).

Even though she's only had the Ultraskin Soft tip for about a month, I don't think I'll be able to hold off on changing her tip back to a Kamui Black Soft for much longer. Every time she miscues she looks over at me with an angry look and I can hear her first comment to me "How could you be so cheap to try to save $20 on a cue tip when you don't even have a cheap bone in your body?" I'll never make that mistake again.

Meanwhile, I'm happy with my Kamui Clear Black Medium which has a crisp, firm hit. I'm more used to the Kamiu Soft and prefer that feel but I do like that my tip profile hasn't changed one bit in a month. I don't have any glazing or miscue problems with the Kamui Medium tip either. Bottom line, stick with the Kamui Black, I'd recommend trying the Medium if you're not already accustomed to a soft tip, they hold up better. I think the Kamui Clear Black Medium will be my go to tip from here on out.
 
she has the undesirable effect of miscuing a lot with her Ultraskin soft. It glazes over in about 5 or 6 days and needs to be roughed up to hold chalk.

Even though she's only had the Ultraskin Soft tip for about a month, I don't think I'll be able to hold off on changing her tip back to a Kamui Black Soft for much longer.
I'd suggest you give UltraSkin tip another chance. And I'm talking about a new tip. In my book that's Kamui Blacks which glaze and miscue (especially if the dome shape of the tip is too round). Hence they had to come up with Gator Grip - to prevent glazing effect.
On the contrary, UltraSkin tips never glazed for me. Maybe your environment (atmosphere, humidity, etc.) is just different and it influences the tip.
Oh, and so far I suggest she just tries some other chalk brand. For instance, I found Balabushka chalk didn't want to go with UltraSkin tips for me (or vice versa)

P.S. if that's your honey on your avatar, the reasons for miscues might also be weak fundamentals. The stance is just wrong, and so is the grip ;)
 
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A soft tip will harden with time, actually, all tips regardless of it's initial hardness will become harder as you play with it. The leather will slowly compress. Obviously a soft tip will go through more change than a hard tip.
Cuetips aren't meant to last forever, so shape it with a tip tool or some sandpaper when you feel it's starting to glance over.
Depending on how much you play and how often you scuff the tip, once every six months or so seems to be a good intervall for a tip change.
 
tip

I have installed hundreds of Kamui tips. I used them exclusively for a few years. In my opinion, you should try a Kamikaze Medium. You could also try a soft - up to you. I am impressed with the quality of these tips and have made the switch. No mushroom or miscues. That's my 2 cents... that will save you about $28.
 
My cue maker had me try a Kamuui Clear SS with a Mason Micarta ferrule and I love the combination. I think that I would like the Clear SS regardless of the ferrule. No glazing and just feels super good.
 
I don't want to ninja the thread or make a new one, just one quick question, would you guys recommend switching to predator tip for a kamui user? I want to try another tip that make good sound and a friend recommended the new predator tip.

I know its been in the market for awhile, but they had made few changes to the tip and my friend said the latest release is actually good.
 
Go with the Soft again. It will play medium after a few bus pool days. I roll Black super soft on a ferruleless shaft. Hits like a marshmellow for about a day, after that it's perfect.
 
I have only used kamui tips since I have started playing and haven't found a reason to switch yet. I would go with a clear brown S or SS. I play with a super soft because after a month or so of playing it plays more like a M/S. I hope this helps.
 
While I'm no Kamui expert, my wife and I have gone though several of their tips. We had been using Kamui Black Soft tips up until the last tip change where I put on a Kamui Clear Medium and she an Ultraskin Soft. I'd say the Kamui Clear Black Medium when new does feel a lot like a Kamui Black Soft does when it's on the last couple of layers.

Both the Kamui Clear Medium and Ultraskin Soft gave us the desired result of not mushrooming or getting out of shape compared to the Kamui Black Soft tips but she has the undesirable effect of miscuing a lot with her Ultraskin soft. It glazes over in about 5 or 6 days and needs to be roughed up to hold chalk. I doubt the Ultraskin Soft will last nearly as long as the Kamui Black Soft did because it needs attention much more frequently (minimum once per week vs. max once per 6-8 weeks with Kamui).

Even though she's only had the Ultraskin Soft tip for about a month, I don't think I'll be able to hold off on changing her tip back to a Kamui Black Soft for much longer. Every time she miscues she looks over at me with an angry look and I can hear her first comment to me "How could you be so cheap to try to save $20 on a cue tip when you don't even have a cheap bone in your body?" I'll never make that mistake again.

Meanwhile, I'm happy with my Kamui Clear Black Medium which has a crisp, firm hit. I'm more used to the Kamiu Soft and prefer that feel but I do like that my tip profile hasn't changed one bit in a month. I don't have any glazing or miscue problems with the Kamui Medium tip either. Bottom line, stick with the Kamui Black, I'd recommend trying the Medium if you're not already accustomed to a soft tip, they hold up better. I think the Kamui Clear Black Medium will be my go to tip from here on out.

Maybe she should simply go up a hardness? In truth though I think she should go to the Kamui as if she happens to mis cue, we both sleep better.
 
To answer the question you originally asked, tips will feel softer when new and tall than when old and short.

Imagine placing two identical springs end to end. The force required to compress the taller stack a given distance becomes 1/2 that required to compress a single spring the same amount.

If you replace your two-layers-remaining Kamui with a new/tall sample of the same make and model, expect it to feel softer than the one you removed.
 
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All my Kamui black tips are hard so....no, I don't notice much if any difference at all. But then again that is the whole reason as to why I use hard tips, no matter the brand name. I actually even have a black hard on my breaker too.
 
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