Preferred Tip Size and Brand??

[coomsey76]

Laminated tips didn´t hold the chalk very well because the layers are to thin.

Are you making a general statement about all laminated tips....??

[jaffa.johnson]

Have used a 10mm elkmaster for years but have recently tried a pro granite and a laminated tip of some make or other. Found the pro granite too hard and the laminated tip just didn't hold the chalk so have gone back to elkmaster. I am the only bloke I know who prefers the feel of a brand new tip, once they harden up they come off, go through about twenty tips a year so kamui's are out of the question even if they're good.

laminated tips tend to not need the chalk as much either.

If you dont like hard tips, I would stay clear of laminated.

Have you tried MW supertips?

[liquidsymphony]

As I put in a previous post it takes over 9 hours of play to get my elks to feel right.

yep , 6 hours is the minimum for me to get a tip feel great . in fact i can't wait to receive and try the phoenix black tip as i still believe that i'll at least find THE tip ... but i've been so disapointed in the past , always going back to elk ones that it sound a lil bit naive

[Raldon]

Are you making a general statement about all laminated tips....??

Nope sry. But about the most.

[snooks1000]

my current experience of the pheonix soft tips after around 20 frames worth of play so far is they hold chalk great for a laminated tip and are a bit softer than the soft tally. Very impressed so far very consistent hit on the ball can see these becoming a very popular tip

[Raldon]

Phoenix tips are made from pig skin or water buffalo hide?

[sootyvrs]

Phoenix tips are made from pig skin or water buffalo hide?

Description from Craftsman Cues

The newest tip on the market to have lots of response with least amount of effort. Available in Soft or Medium grade. Medium grade to be the popular choice so far. You decide.
Hand crafted laminated tips and come pre-domed. Available in one size only (11mm), so your tips will need trimming after fitting.
Layered black pig skin. A step ahead in technology. More consistent in quality than single layered tips.

[Raldon]

"Layered black pig skin"

I know black sheeps. But never heard of black pigs

[snooks1000]

I've seen black pigs

[coomsey76]

Really Raldon?? You need to get out of the snooker club more often........Lol

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_Black_(pig

[Deepscrew]

Do laminated tips need playing in?

[deant1982]

Do laminated tips need playing in?

Yes, but not a lot at all I have found. I put one on, (Kamui MH) trim to ferrule and shape using tip trimmer/giant pencil sharpener thing), very lightly scuff top with fine sandpaper, and away you go. After about an hour you get consistant control of the cue ball. Variation is due to cue action, not the tip.
After about 8 or so hours play, the tip will (or should, I have found) have started mushrooming slightly where it is being compressed. Trim it up again, and you should then be done. Once it has "mushroomed/flattened initially, it should then remain at that compression level (?). It won't (or shouldn't) expand back up, and won't mushroom again.
This is based on my experience though, so if anyone has found different, I'm sure they will advise you accordingly.
Hope this helps.

[deant1982]

hey dean, the kamui tip i bought was from dave coutts and that recommendation came from adr who also told me there are plenty of fakes out there. i truley feel i have a genuine tip purley on adr's recommendation but am gutted the way its played so far.

Hi Goku.

I can't imagine Dave Coutts as selling fakes, so I would assume it is genuine. Could just be a bad tip, or they could just not suit your game.

[liquidsymphony]

Hi Goku.

I can't imagine Dave Coutts as selling fakes, so I would assume it is genuine. Could just be a bad tip, or they could just not suit your game.

maybe a problem of cue action or these tips don't suit my game too . never tried talisman black ones as they are made of buffalo leather like the elk master ones . most of the laminated/layered tips i tried were made of pigskin . any noticeable hardness difference ?

[xpredatorx]

Just one question, is 14mm tip too big to trim and be well on snooker sized ferule?

I ask this because I read somewhere that is better that tip is originally on ferule size, or little bit thicker for less trim as possible.
In store near to me there's pretty much good tips but for billiard cue size, they also have Kamui but really too expensive... but they have Talisman WB, with good price (about 5 GBP) and I would like to try this one, but it's only in 14 mm size. Is it ok to trim this on 9,5 mm?