Before I begin I will add my standard disclaimer: if you find something you like, USE IT. Just because something is popular or more expensive does not mean it is better.
I tend to prefer a harder tip for a variety of reasons, but mostly because they last longer and hold their original shape and feel. Softer tips eventually become hard tips, so if you want to retain the original feel you have to change them out more often. I have recently returned to generally using Medium tips, but anything softer doesn't feel right to me.
A few years ago I started doing my own tip work, and now I do it for other people as well. I wanted to be able to make recommendations outside the norm, so I've been experimenting with lesser-known tips and have found some pleasant surprises.
I am not affiliated with any tip maker or brand, and I'm not trying to put down any of the tips or their makers, I'm just trying to be an honest broker. Take anything I say with a grain of salt and make up your own mind. That being said, these are my (highly unscientific) ratings at present:
Aramith
Most people don't know that Aramith makes tips - I did not know until another local mechanic recommended it to me (this was before I started doing my own tip work). I played with Aramith Hard for a couple years without changing them and was very satisfied with this tip. Rating: 7 of 10.
Kamikaze
These had been mentioned in other threads as a Kamui alternative, so I bought a few and ended up as my playing tip for about 6 months. I liked them enough that I installed them for several people, all of whom also reported positive feedback. This is a fine tip, especially at the price point of only $8 at Seyberts. I personally preferred the feel of the Medium over the feel of the Soft. I have no problem recommending this tip. Rating: 8 of 10.
Morakami
I had really high hopes for this tip based on other threads here, but it failed to meet expectations. The first one I tried to install ended up separating at the base layer while trimming it (meaning the first layer was still glued on, but the rest of the tip popped off). The second one I installed just felt bad and I cut it off a couple days later. Rating: 4 of 10.
Techno-dud
Again, I had high hopes for this, especially since it is not a layered tip, and it came highly recommended (I believe by Jennifer Baretta). So far this has been the worst of the lot. It had a terrible plinky noise and the Medium felt like a rock. Rating: 1 of 10.
Precision Layered Tips
I had never heard of these, but saw Scott Frost mention it in an interview. These are made by Dennis Searing, and according to Frost he spent a lot of time researching and developing these tips, and he claimed they are the best made today, so I decided to try it out. They are very easy to work with and feel great. I have been VERY impressed and this has become my go to tip, both for myself and others, and is currently my top recommendation when people ask me about tips. On top of that, they are only $10, which in my opinion is a steal! To my knowledge you can only buy them directly from Dennis's website [which needs a little work] at
http://precisiontip.com/ Rating: 9 of 10.
NEW FIND AT THE EXPO:
Whitten
I have tons of respect for Joe Whitten and am a big fan of his case work. The quality is absolutely the best, and his approach to business and customer service cannot be beat. I fully recognize this may make me a tad biased, so I want to acknowledge that in advance. At the Expo this week, Joe was soft launching a new tip he is bringing to market. It is a pigskin layered tip made in Japan, but Joe brought his deep knowledge of leatherworks to the engineering of this product, and I know he would not put his name on it if it did not meet the highest quality standards.
I was able to try out several different hardnesses (he has S, MS, M, MH, and H) and they feel amazing! I ended up loving the feel of the Medium, so I bought a few and will be installing them on my playing shafts very soon. I cannot wait to put them through their paces. I can't give them a rating yet because I haven't installed them or played with them, but if what I sampled is any indication they could very possibly get a 10 of 10.
