Could you tell the difference? ..... Dont think so !

[ryanah147]

I am forever reading on here which cue, which cloth, or which table is best, and I would like to challenge anyone, either player or so called experts who think they know everything about cues to put their knowledge to the test.
Get John Parris, Mike Woolridge, Dan Shelton, Trev White or any of the other prominent cuemakers to make a 58" one piece ash cue with ebony butt (no joints or splices or nameplates) and lay all four cues on the table and get the èxperts`to pick out an name each individual cue.
The same test would apply to tables. Each table with steelblock cushions but the pocket plates and friezes changed along with the frames (so that no recognition of the table would be noticed )and I would bet any professional or amateur would not pass the test as above.
Walk into a Snooker room with 6 tables just covered, brushed and ironed but covered with 6 grades of different Billiards cloth and put them to the test. Professional or not, they wont name the different cloths.
Possibly the same would apply to cue tips. I will tip your cue 6 times and Ill bet any reader that they wont tell me the 6 different tips Ill be using.
Do you think I have a point ?????
Ryanah 147

[cally]

Do you think I have a point ?????

Nope......................

[poolqjunkie]

Sorry, that is not true. I can spot a certain cue maker's work from far away before i even lay eyes on the badge. Even just looking at the finish, the way the butt end is cut, taper, how the shaft is treated and things like that can tell you a lot.
With tips you can tell a lot by looking at the thickness of the layers and they way they are stacked. For example, Talisman is very wavy and Moori is very even. Also the sounds of the hit are different. Some tips have more layers than others with a given height. And let's not forget some tips are black like kamui but Moori is always brown. If there is a black layer on the bottom it is a MW layered tip, if it is red it is likely an Omin..... If you have seen a lot you will know. May be not 100% accurate but with the major brands I am quite confident I can tell.
I dont know about tables but I think the better tables are more enjoyable to play on.

[CueAntW147]

I am forever reading on here which cue, which cloth, or which table is best, and I would like to challenge anyone, either player or so called experts who think they know everything about cues to put their knowledge to the test.
Get John Parris, Mike Woolridge, Dan Shelton, Trev White or any of the other prominent cuemakers to make a 58" one piece ash cue with ebony butt (no joints or splices or nameplates) and lay all four cues on the table and get the èxperts`to pick out an name each individual cue.
The same test would apply to tables. Each table with steelblock cushions but the pocket plates and friezes changed along with the frames (so that no recognition of the table would be noticed )and I would bet any professional or amateur would not pass the test as above.
Walk into a Snooker room with 6 tables just covered, brushed and ironed but covered with 6 grades of different Billiards cloth and put them to the test. Professional or not, they wont name the different cloths.
Possibly the same would apply to cue tips. I will tip your cue 6 times and Ill bet any reader that they wont tell me the 6 different tips Ill be using.
Do you think I have a point ?????
Ryanah 147

I think this all depends on what experience of things people have for some it would be easy for others it would be difficult ( its true to say many professional players wouldn't be able to tell especially on cues ) but i'll answer for me personally

1) cues I could tell no problem ( and out the 4 makers you mentioned i think only 3 cues would turn up, so very easy to identify the missing one without even seeing it )
2) tips i'm also confident i could tell
3) tables.......not sure about this one don't think i'd be able to name all the cloths, but could tell the good from the bad in terms of playability.

[ryanah147]

Ill tip 6 cues and I will bet anyone 500/1 they wont name the 6 different tips. This challenge I open to any cuemaker, tip specialist, or anyone in the business of cue sports. I will cover any bets. The names of the tips will be in a sealed envelope to the corresponding cues which I have tipped, and will be revealed when you have made your prediction. Seeing as I am giving 500/1 it will be necessary for you to travel to Ireland to take part in the challenge, but seeing you are so confident that should be no trouble to you. Money for old rope eh?

[Gerry Armstrong]

I'm guessing one of your 6 tips of choice won't be a Kamui Black!! Or is that the starter for 10?

[ryanah147]

Ryanair and Aer Lingus do cheap flights to Cork from where you live, and as an added bonus Ill meet you at the airport, so if you wanna take up the challenge .... Bring it on !!

[Gerry Armstrong]

Could you pass your own challenge?

[ryanah147]

I could pass my own challenge with the 6 different tips I have here, but as for someone elses, the answer would have to be no.

[Gerry Armstrong]

It's hardly a challenge if you know what the 6 tips are before you start!!

Perhaps you can help me out with something tho' as I'm not getting your point. What is the connection with players preferring one tip over another vs not being able to pass a blind tip test?

One thing I can be absolutely certain of is no matter what tip is fitted to a cue, if you give me a shot of the cue for half an hour or so I'll be able to tell you if I like the tip, I don't like the tip or I love the tip and want to know what it is so I can buy one to fit to my own cue for a proper test drive.

I have tried quite a few tips and I have settled on one that I like. When new ones come along I haven't seen/tried I sometimes give one a go just to see what it's like.

But going back to your original question, what does that have to do with whether someone can name any 6 random tips blind? Whether they can or can't has nothing to do with them knowing what sort of tip they like? So I don't really know what point you're trying to make here.

[damienlch]

I probably won't be able to tell the make of the cue or brand of tip used... I can pot a few balls and know whether I prefer this cue or that tip... That's the only thing that matters, i.e. whether I like it or not...

[jaffa.johnson]

Why not post photos of tips and give it a few days for people to give their answer.

[Terry Davidson]

I think I could identify the common brands of tips however I would have trouble between a Blue Elk and a Blue Diamond but no trouble with Talisman, Kamui Blacks, Pro Granite or MW and suspect I could identify a Moori too.

As for cues, I believe they are pretty easy to identify between cuemakers even without the badges.

I could tell the difference between #10 and 6811 cloths and also the top grade of Hainsworth and of course no problem at all identifying pool cloths without using the colour.

But then again, as someone has asked, what is your point? People are different and will prefer different tips and cues and a well-fitted table with a new 6811 or #10 or Hainsworth would likely be to everyone's liking but then again some players would prefer a well-worn club cloth as that is what they would be used to rather than a super-slick new cloth.

I think it's a GOOD thing there are multiple likes & dislikes out there as it gives everyone a choice and the chance to find out what they prefer.

Terry

[poolqjunkie]

I agree it would be hard to tell the difference if he uses only one piece tips suhc as Elk, Blue diamond, Buffulo, some import one piece tips and so on, it would be hard especially just from looking at a picture.
But if you tip 6 cues with Moori, Kamui (black and brown), Talisman (black and brown), MW layered, even Omin (brown and red), I am pretty certain I and most people can tell which is which.
I do not know much about table cloth so I must pass on that challenge. But I think I can tell the difference bewteen #10 and a club cloth.
With cues, seriously, if you are going to give a John Parris, a Mike Wooldridge, and a Trevor White, all plain ebony, without any badge for all to choose from, I and many people I am sure can tell which one is which. May be you should include a Robert Osborne as well as you are probably thinking of the most popular cues.

[ADR147]

Ill tip 6 cues and I will bet anyone 500/1 they wont name the 6 different tips. This challenge I open to any cuemaker, tip specialist, or anyone in the business of cue sports. I will cover any bets. The names of the tips will be in a sealed envelope to the corresponding cues which I have tipped, and will be revealed when you have made your prediction. Seeing as I am giving 500/1 it will be necessary for you to travel to Ireland to take part in the challenge, but seeing you are so confident that should be no trouble to you. Money for old rope eh?

are you sure about that mate - i would be able to spot the cue makers for sure and most tips also.