What tip you do you play with?

Ian Sim

Ian Sim

passionate pool player
sbrownn said:
Speaking of break tips, I saw in another thread here that there are two types of Kamui SAI break (control and hard). I have yet to find any Kamui hard break tip listed for sale after searching, so it looks like the Kamui control break is the only SAI tip they make. Does anyone know the hardness measurement for this tip?
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Im currently using it on my pb2. Hit hard and really good control.
 
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RakRunr

RakRunr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
RakRunr said:
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.
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I saw this thread pop back up and wanted to give a brief update.

I put a Whitten Medium on my REVO 12.9, and the hit was very different (much harder) than what I tried at the Expo. I emailed with Joe and the shafts he had there for demo was a wood cored CF shaft that is apparently not readily available on the market. When Joe has them back in stock, I plan to try the Soft and Super Soft on the REVO for comparison.

Unfortunately, the hit on the REVO was not satisfactory to me, so I am currently playing with the Precision Layered Tips which I am still very bullish on. I put one for another player and he really liked it - I have also installed a couple more Kamikazes, and they continue to get good reviews from the players.
 
softshot

softshot

Simplify
Silver Member
I've been playing with a hard triangle, Pressed, for over 20 years

I've seen and tried all sorts nothing else is as consistent over the life of the tip.

holds chalk easily throughout its lifetime rarely needs a tip tool..

lasts forever because I'm not grinding it down regularly, proper chalking is enough to keep a nice shape..

And it's a fraction of the cost of boutique tips.
 
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sbrownn

Registered
I find it very interesting there isn't a top 3 to 5 tips that hands down plays better and are the go to tips (an most likely the most expensive 3 to 5 also). A relative comparison to this statement would be IMO the Pro V1 and TP5 golf balls, given when you buy them you know you are going to get the best and most consistent performance pro level balls out there.

I'm sure people will chime in on this saying X tip is so much better than Y tip, but I just don't think the quality, consistency and performance is comparatively relevant to my golf ball comparison.
 
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sudocrushms

Member
Break with Kamui SAI (easily the best and most durable leather break tip i've used)
Play with a combination of Kamui Black and Clear Black Softs. I've used a Black soft since 2010ish and switched to the Clear with my newer cues.
Have the SVB Cuetec with a Tiger Sniper and really like that tip. Will try on one of my Revos eventually for a side by side.

Not many layered playing tips I haven't liked. They're all pretty good, I think. Wasn't a huge fan of the Predator Victory Soft, but it wasn't bad.
 
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sbrownn

Registered
sudocrushms said:
Break with Kamui SAI (easily the best and most durable leather break tip i've used)
Play with a combination of Kamui Black and Clear Black Softs. I've used a Black soft since 2010ish and switched to the Clear with my newer cues.
Have the SVB Cuetec with a Tiger Sniper and really like that tip. Will try on one of my Revos eventually for a side by side.

Not many layered playing tips I haven't liked. They're all pretty good, I think. Wasn't a huge fan of the Predator Victory Soft, but it wasn't bad.
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not a fan of Kamui and how they wear. G2 tips are much better IMO (here we go).
 
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sudocrushms

Member
sbrownn said:
not a fan of Kamui and how they wear. G2 tips are much better IMO (here we go).
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Have never tried a G2. But I've also never had issues with Kamui so no reason to change.

The only tips I've ever had issues with have all been break tips (Samsara, Predator Hybrid, a couple phenolics). Just chalked that up to bad luck since I don't really break that hard and i seem to be alone there (especially with the Samsara)...
 
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InsertCleverNameHere

Active member
smiling_Hans said:
Been out of the loop with tips except playing with Moori. I know he no longer makes his tips and haven't for some time now but this is what I play with. I may be due for a new tip.

What do you play with and how does it play? What are some of the best out there?
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Keith Josey convinced me to try an SIB brown medium and it's absolutely the best tip I've used in years maybe ever. Holds its shape IMPECCABLY WELL and grips like crazy on snow. Highly recommend.
 
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