Shameless Plug for Tom Hay's Ultraskin Tips

Patrick Johnson

Patrick Johnson

Fargo 1000 on VP4
Silver Member
I see that Tom Hay is still having his great sales for AzB members who want his UltraSkin layered tips (if you're wondering, yes, you want them).

I've used his hard black tip for years and can't say enough about the quality and value, not to mention the astonishingly low price.

This link is to his post in the "Cue Machinery and Supplies" subforum - I think it deserves a Main Forum mention.

pj
chgo

Sale was over a year ago, sorry

Shipping only in USA This is an sale for AZB Members Mix or Match 10 Mix or match Tips for $25.00 plus $3.00 for shipping, additional Tips add $2.50 per Tip.. You must specify on Paypal which tips and what hardness. If you fail to specify the Black will be sent Paypal is Tcue@aol.com The...
forums.azbilliards.com
 
Is there a special trick to maintaining tips? I have an Ultraskin Medium on my Schmelke and, judging by the love I see here, my dissatisfaction is likely my fault, not the tip. I mainly seem to be getting more miscues on heavy draw shots and the tip doesn't seem to hold chalk as well as some others. I use a Cue Cube and can't seem to get a rough texture that really holds chalk. The stock tip on my McDermott Lucky cue gets a suede texture that really holds the chalk.

I also have to take a file and knock down the outer edge where the radius transitions to the sides.

My game is evolving and and I'm really trying to strengthen my draw shot so maybe the miscues will end as my technique improves but they seem to happen a little more with this cue. I do have to say that the tip is durable, I use the same cue for breaking and playing and it gets a little bulged after a couple of months playing 2 hours a day, I'm estimating I'll get over 4 months of life out of the tip before it gets ground down too close to the ferrule. I also like the hit of the cue and am becoming more comfortable playing a delicate game.

Is there something I can do to get more out of the tip or is more diligent chalking the tradeoff for the feel and durability?
 
tomatoshooter said:
Is there a special trick to maintaining tips? I have an Ultraskin Medium on my Schmelke and, judging by the love I see here, my dissatisfaction is likely my fault, not the tip. I mainly seem to be getting more miscues on heavy draw shots and the tip doesn't seem to hold chalk as well as some others. I use a Cue Cube and can't seem to get a rough texture that really holds chalk. The stock tip on my McDermott Lucky cue gets a suede texture that really holds the chalk.

I also have to take a file and knock down the outer edge where the radius transitions to the sides.

My game is evolving and and I'm really trying to strengthen my draw shot so maybe the miscues will end as my technique improves but they seem to happen a little more with this cue. I do have to say that the tip is durable, I use the same cue for breaking and playing and it gets a little bulged after a couple of months playing 2 hours a day, I'm estimating I'll get over 4 months of life out of the tip before it gets ground down too close to the ferrule. I also like the hit of the cue and am becoming more comfortable playing a delicate game.

Is there something I can do to get more out of the tip or is more diligent chalking the tradeoff for the feel and durability?
Click to expand...
You might try a Tip Pik - just tap the tip with it before playing to get a nice even roughness without removing material or changing the shape. No damage to my UltraSkin layered tips in many years of doing this. My tips last me 8-9 months of daily play (I don't break with 'em).

pj
chgo

tip piks.jpg
 
Patrick Johnson said:
I see that Tom Hay is still having his great sales for AzB members who want his UltraSkin layered tips (if you're wondering, yes, you want them).

I've used his hard black tip for years and can't say enough about the quality and value, not to mention the astonishingly low price.

This link is to his post in the "Cue Machinery and Supplies" subforum - I think it deserves a Main Forum mention.

pj
chgo

Sale was over a year ago, sorry

Shipping only in USA This is an sale for AZB Members Mix or Match 10 Mix or match Tips for $25.00 plus $3.00 for shipping, additional Tips add $2.50 per Tip.. You must specify on Paypal which tips and what hardness. If you fail to specify the Black will be sent Paypal is Tcue@aol.com The...
forums.azbilliards.com
Click to expand...
I’ve only heard good stuff about those tips
 
Patrick Johnson said:
I see that Tom Hay is still having his great sales for AzB members who want his UltraSkin layered tips (if you're wondering, yes, you want them).

I've used his hard black tip for years and can't say enough about the quality and value, not to mention the astonishingly low price.

This link is to his post in the "Cue Machinery and Supplies" subforum - I think it deserves a Main Forum mention.

pj
chgo

Sale was over a year ago, sorry

Shipping only in USA This is an sale for AZB Members Mix or Match 10 Mix or match Tips for $25.00 plus $3.00 for shipping, additional Tips add $2.50 per Tip.. You must specify on Paypal which tips and what hardness. If you fail to specify the Black will be sent Paypal is Tcue@aol.com The...
forums.azbilliards.com
Click to expand...
Best bang for the buck for layered tips!
 
Patrick Johnson said:
You might try a Tip Pik - just tap the tip with it before playing to get a nice even roughness without removing material or changing the shape. No damage to my UltraSkin layered tips in many years of doing this. My tips last me 8-9 months of daily play (I don't break with 'em).

pj
chgo

View attachment 615448
Click to expand...
I'll have to try one. I'll probably get another cue and this will become my break cue in the next few months. I'm thinking of going low deflection but I'm not ready to spend several hundred dollars on something I don't know I'll like.
 
I have an ultraskin soft that I put on last winter after people here recommended them. I really like the way it plays. I like it much better than the Kamui soft I had. I had to reshape it a couple times in the first couple of weeks I had it but hardly ever touch it after that.
 
tomatoshooter said:
Is there a special trick to maintaining tips? I have an Ultraskin Medium on my Schmelke and, judging by the love I see here, my dissatisfaction is likely my fault, not the tip. I mainly seem to be getting more miscues on heavy draw shots and the tip doesn't seem to hold chalk as well as some others. I use a Cue Cube and can't seem to get a rough texture that really holds chalk. The stock tip on my McDermott Lucky cue gets a suede texture that really holds the chalk.

I also have to take a file and knock down the outer edge where the radius transitions to the sides.

My game is evolving and and I'm really trying to strengthen my draw shot so maybe the miscues will end as my technique improves but they seem to happen a little more with this cue. I do have to say that the tip is durable, I use the same cue for breaking and playing and it gets a little bulged after a couple of months playing 2 hours a day, I'm estimating I'll get over 4 months of life out of the tip before it gets ground down too close to the ferrule. I also like the hit of the cue and am becoming more comfortable playing a delicate game.

Is there something I can do to get more out of the tip or is more diligent chalking the tradeoff for the feel and durability?
Click to expand...
I've not used ultraskins so this is kind of generic advice. I use zan grip hard and break with my playing cue. After a while the tip will still work but it stops holding chalk as well. I use a kamui gator grip tool. There are generic ones for about $12 that work as well. Basically when you need it, you just roll the tip on the gator grip tool and it roughens the tip without removing material. Roll the tip around on in until it's prepped for chalk, then the chalk holds great again. I do this about once a week and usually play for 20 hours or so a week.

Occasionally, maybe once a month, I'll burnish the sides, not entirely necessary, but I like a crisp edge at the radius and sides of the tip.

With layered tips (or any tips really) you don't want to be removing material, just prepping it to hold chalk. Material removal is only good for tip installers as it keeps them in more business.
 
How do you burnish the sides? I use the smooth, non-abrasive par of my file to clean it up a little but could definitely improve my technique.
 
brigeton said:
I have an ultraskin soft that I put on last winter after people here recommended them. I really like the way it plays. I like it much better than the Kamui soft I had. I had to reshape it a couple times in the first couple of weeks I had it but hardly ever touch it after that.
Click to expand...
That's how most layered tips are, especially soft. During initial compression, they'll slightly mushroom, then they'll settle and if you cut them down and burn them in, they'll maintain their shape. Kamui's are no different.

Jaden
 
I do like the way these tips play. They are much less expensive than some other well advertised tips. I do need to have the Ultraskin softs recut and the edges resealed after some amount to play. Overall they do not miscue for me, they hold their chalk gripping capacity well, they play very well, and I cannot say bad things about them at all. Other than the mushrooming, the tip does not seem to glaze over at all, which is a good thing.
so, I do give them a (y)(y)(y)(y)
 
Patrick Johnson said:
You might try a Tip Pik - just tap the tip with it before playing to get a nice even roughness without removing material or changing the shape. No damage to my UltraSkin layered tips in many years of doing this. My tips last me 8-9 months of daily play (I don't break with 'em).

pj
chgo

View attachment 615448
Click to expand...
Exactly
Tip pick it , especially towards the edges.

The points are cupped. I kind of roll it from center to the sides. Spinning it to cover the whole tip. I don't just jab at it...
 
tomatoshooter said:
How do you burnish the sides? I use the smooth, non-abrasive par of my file to clean it up a little but could definitely improve my technique.
Click to expand...
Get a piece of leather and lay it on a table. Slightly wet the sides of the tip, then just rub it on the leather.
 
Can someone please compare US black medium to Kamui black medium, in terms of hardness and consistency? I’ve experimented a lot last year or so with many, including US soft & mediums but only the “ivory” light color ones - those both seemed too soft to me and required too much maintenance for my liking. I find Kamui black medium & Tiger Snipers best so far. G2 soft also nice/similar, but for some reason I seem to like black tips better & happy to try the US black med... but have gotten a bit tired of experimenting, so any feedback on this specific comparison would be helpful.

Thanks in advance.
 
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