Very old leather tips

[GR1]

Opinions and experience please of using NOS 70+ years old cue tips ...

[neuronic]

I doubt anyone got experience in using 70+ year old tips, but I'd say go for it... at worst they'll just crumble away, at best it will be interesting to get a feel for what the old boys used to play with

[Cue crafty]

I used Blue Diamonds as a lad and loved them, they are useless these days, but a few years ago a member on here had a few originals ( so about 30 yrs old) I was very excited but ultimately they just didn’t feel the same. The life in them just dies with age like most things I guess.

don’t know if anyone has ever found a way to get a moisture/oil level back into them so they live again, but for me I looked elsewhere and found good cheap tips that work well for me.

[fkhan]

I tried some baldock calf cue tips as used by Joe Davis. They are good but I could not adjust to them.

[GR1]

Thanks for the responses..ive got about 30 in an old Riley tin which also contain the little wafers that have what I would imagine be fish glue that's activated by very hot water..but they are disintegrating..then yesterday I bought a job lot of 166 off eBay...dont ask me why...i couldn't help it.They were only £14.they are made of a piece of domed leather with another piece of leather glued underneath which have little rectangular holes stamped in..presumably as a key for the glue..ill try one on an old cue.

[GR1]

I've tried one of the old tips I've already got...it very quickly compressed and mushroomed..it was almost spongy.I suspect any compression from manufacturing all those years ago has disappeared..ill get a compression tool and try again in a week or so.

[Cue crafty]

https://www.snookercrazy.com/elkmast...-dud-cue-tips/

Forgot this old process, might be worth a try on your tips before compression.

[GR1]

Thank you Cue Crafty ..that is extremely interesting and helpful...i was actually thinking of soaking one in white spirit as I thought the evaporated residue would hydrate and help in compression but I'm certainly going to use milk instead.