Tips

[ShootingArts]

early eighties weren't dusty best I recall

The external of Elkmaster *is* Masters Blue Chalk.

The internal is blue tinged because of the Chromium tanning, but it’s tumbled after pressing/shaping in Masters Blue. Guaranteed.

Here's the pertinent excerpt:

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"The Elk Masters as well as some others are tumbled in an abrasive material in a process similar to rock polishing in order to smooth out the rough edges. The abrasive material is Masters Blue Chalk, which gives the Elk Masters its distinctive outer blue color. But, according to Nemecek, they aren’t “impregnated” with chalk. That’s not what the tumbling does. The tip is already a blue tinge because of the blue Chromium."

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Freddie <~~~ have pen, will travel

I first bought Elkmasters in the early eighties and don't remember the box having chalk dust in it. I think the makers realized they were on to a good thing with the brand recognition from the color and started using the blue chalk to tumble the tips in to make the blue more notable. The last box of Elkmasters I bought had an annoying amount of blue dust in it. As all agree, the chromium tanning process is what makes the tip blue all the way through.

Hu

 

[Cadillac J]

I switched to Zan, ill never go back to anything else. It has all the feel and control of a Sniper but with a great solid feeling that is lacking in Snipers.

When I first purchased my Mezz EC7-R1 as my first $500+ cue. I shortly after paired it with their EX-Pro 12.5mm shaft, which came stock with a Zan Plus soft at the time. That was well over 2 years ago and I played a lot with it since then, and now the tip finally needs replacing (but look at pic below, still life left). Despite being a 'soft' tip, it held its shape during its entire life span, crazy.

Have a newer Zan medium on my 'custom' 30" OB Pro+ 11.75mm shaft, which is on the butt of my Schon SP. Guess what...once originally shaped the day I received, I have not even had to scuff it at all...so I have a good feeling and hoping this one will last a long time too.

 

[HawaiianEye]

I am sorry but Pigskin Tips are not ground up. The reason they are layered is Pigskin is not as thick as WB or you would be seeing single layer Pigskin.

I played a LOT of years with LePro, loved them but took my pick out of 1 or two boxes.

It becomes a choice of the player and as long as people keep playing the game that is all that truly matters to me. Brand, layered or not layered, type of chalk used and Cue used only factors on personal choice.

Tom,

You have the best tips going.

I buy, and use, the black soft ones exclusively and I think I'm one of the few here in Hawaii who use them. Tons of people comment on how much "stuff" my tip will put on the ball, but when they ask me what kind of tip I use and I tell them, they say they have never heard of them.

I need to buy another batch.

I will be contacting you shortly.

Aloha

 

[WildWing]

Actually, chromium tanned tips are gray, not blue. The earlier Elk Masters were very gray.

And, Triangle tips, which get both a chromium and veg tan are a combination of gray and brown. There is no blue.

Blue is outside chalk, not the result of tanning.

All the best,
WW