It's been a little over 2 years since I started playing pool. Being an equipment junkie (with horrible spending habits), I figured I'd review the Tips I've been able to try and play with for a while. I also like to break with my players lately (even though I have a break cue), so this puts the tip under more stress.
These are my opinions, but could be a small frame of reference for "this tip vs that tip" type of posts. I'm sure opinions will differ
Whenever I play with a tip, I look for a certain type of "crisp" hit. If it makes a nice sound and vibrates down to my hand, I'll love it.
Kamui Black (S) and (M).
Pros: Held chalk well. Hit is consistent and very similar between the two. Holds shape very well, and good cue control. Didn't mushroom after breaking hard numerous times.
Cons: Glazes over, hit feels slightly rubbery and a bit dulled hit and feedback.
Kamui Brown M and H
Pros: (M) Very crisp hit. Provides great feed back, ball control. Very lively tip to play with. Overall my favorite layered.
Cons: Glazes over rather quickly. Didn't hold shape as well as black (probably due to breaking hard). Mushroomed with breaking. Playing with Hard was like playing with a Samara. Not used to something like that. Didn't like the hard
Moori M
Pros: Same as Kamui Brown Medium in terms of qualities.
Cons: "break in" period to beat in the tip, glazed like any layered does. Seem to need more shaping than others
Triangle
Pros: Plays well and controls ball as well as any "layered" counterpart. Seems to put a little less juice on the ball than layered tips, which in turn seem to give me a bit more control.
Cons: Flatten easily and requires a scuff every so often. Harder to put "extreme english", but I don't need to be doing that anyway. Doesn't hold chalk as well as layered counterparts.
Elkmaster
Pros: Lots of spin to ball. Feels easier to move ball around. More grab than other tips because it's soft. When used to break, feels like a slingshot due to the "grab and launch" effect. Holds chalk very well since it's "infused" with chalk.
Cons: Very dead hit and feel to it. Mushrooms likes a mother
Pooldawg8' Milkdud (Modded Elkmaster)
Pros: Controls like a soft tip, plays and holds well like a hard tip. Grabs the ball in all scenarios. Honestly performs similar to Kamui Black tips with out the glazing. Virtually almost no maintenance on this tip. All the reviews on here are true
Cons: This con isn't that big of a con either. The only complaint for me is the dull hit at full tip (which is half the size of a normal tip due to pressing). After shaving this down 1/2 way, it performed even better for me.
LePros
Pros: Same as any other tip. Personally my favorite hit. Feels similar to a kamui brown M and Moori M. I've found them generally similar between all LePros in terms of hits. Maybe it's because it's the "starter tip" on every cue, and a norm on house cues, but I do enjoy a good lepro. Kind of the reason why I learned how to install my own tips.
Cons: Longevity is a different story. Definitely extremely high maintenance. I've had tips blow a chunk out after a miscue. This was 2 weeks after install. I've tried to burnish them after playing to hold in the "need to mushroom". Shape, scuff ,and groom constantly.
So overall if I had to choose my rankings based on personal experience of playability and hit, here how it would be:
1. Pooldawg8 Milk Dud
2. Kamui Brown M
3. Moori M
4. Lepro (i know...i still love the hit)
5. Kamui Black M
6. Kamui Black S
7. Triangle
8. Elkmaster
Feel free to share your own experience and rankings.
Also I noticed the size of the tip only affected the milk dud. I've done the same with the triangle and lepro and they still felt the same. Same with the Kamui Brown M.
These are my opinions, but could be a small frame of reference for "this tip vs that tip" type of posts. I'm sure opinions will differ
Whenever I play with a tip, I look for a certain type of "crisp" hit. If it makes a nice sound and vibrates down to my hand, I'll love it.
Kamui Black (S) and (M).
Pros: Held chalk well. Hit is consistent and very similar between the two. Holds shape very well, and good cue control. Didn't mushroom after breaking hard numerous times.
Cons: Glazes over, hit feels slightly rubbery and a bit dulled hit and feedback.
Kamui Brown M and H
Pros: (M) Very crisp hit. Provides great feed back, ball control. Very lively tip to play with. Overall my favorite layered.
Cons: Glazes over rather quickly. Didn't hold shape as well as black (probably due to breaking hard). Mushroomed with breaking. Playing with Hard was like playing with a Samara. Not used to something like that. Didn't like the hard
Moori M
Pros: Same as Kamui Brown Medium in terms of qualities.
Cons: "break in" period to beat in the tip, glazed like any layered does. Seem to need more shaping than others
Triangle
Pros: Plays well and controls ball as well as any "layered" counterpart. Seems to put a little less juice on the ball than layered tips, which in turn seem to give me a bit more control.
Cons: Flatten easily and requires a scuff every so often. Harder to put "extreme english", but I don't need to be doing that anyway. Doesn't hold chalk as well as layered counterparts.
Elkmaster
Pros: Lots of spin to ball. Feels easier to move ball around. More grab than other tips because it's soft. When used to break, feels like a slingshot due to the "grab and launch" effect. Holds chalk very well since it's "infused" with chalk.
Cons: Very dead hit and feel to it. Mushrooms likes a mother
Pooldawg8' Milkdud (Modded Elkmaster)
Pros: Controls like a soft tip, plays and holds well like a hard tip. Grabs the ball in all scenarios. Honestly performs similar to Kamui Black tips with out the glazing. Virtually almost no maintenance on this tip. All the reviews on here are true
Cons: This con isn't that big of a con either. The only complaint for me is the dull hit at full tip (which is half the size of a normal tip due to pressing). After shaving this down 1/2 way, it performed even better for me.
LePros
Pros: Same as any other tip. Personally my favorite hit. Feels similar to a kamui brown M and Moori M. I've found them generally similar between all LePros in terms of hits. Maybe it's because it's the "starter tip" on every cue, and a norm on house cues, but I do enjoy a good lepro. Kind of the reason why I learned how to install my own tips.
Cons: Longevity is a different story. Definitely extremely high maintenance. I've had tips blow a chunk out after a miscue. This was 2 weeks after install. I've tried to burnish them after playing to hold in the "need to mushroom". Shape, scuff ,and groom constantly.
So overall if I had to choose my rankings based on personal experience of playability and hit, here how it would be:
1. Pooldawg8 Milk Dud
2. Kamui Brown M
3. Moori M
4. Lepro (i know...i still love the hit)
5. Kamui Black M
6. Kamui Black S
7. Triangle
8. Elkmaster
Feel free to share your own experience and rankings.
Also I noticed the size of the tip only affected the milk dud. I've done the same with the triangle and lepro and they still felt the same. Same with the Kamui Brown M.
