FAQ
#1) What is the difference between the Kamikaze Black, Platinum and Elite tips?
So what is the difference between Platinum vs Black? Glad you asked... The Black are 9 Layered and Platinum are 8 Layered. Hardness rating is still the same for both. The tanning and adhesion process on the Platinum is different than the black. The Platinum seem to give you a little bit more control & feedback, with the hit making it a little bit more predictable playing a little more livelier. There is less dye saturation in the Platinum tip, leaving you with a more pure based pig skin, resulting in a little different hit and feel. The Black seem to have nice action to the hit and feel. Both Black & Platinum tips play nice and deliver exceptional performance. Many customers and players like both tips equally.
The Elite tip is constructed from 9 layers like the black tip. The Elite tip gets its color from a bleaching process, vs a dye process. There is minimal dye color saturation with the Elite tips, so the result is a more pure based leather pig skin. The hit and feel will be more similar to the Platinum tip. The Elite tip has a third black layer as an indicator to help you determine when it’s time to change the tip. When professionally installed with a lathe, The Black, Platinum and Elite tips offer extreme performance and playability.
Kamikaze Premium Brown & Red are a new 8 layered 14mm cue tips constructed from Premium Grade Japanese Pig Skin. Japanese Pig Skin is the best leather used for constructing High Quality 8 layered cue tips. This tip is our purest pig skin that we offer. This tip has minimal color dye and has the most elasticity of all our tips. This Pig Skin comes from the back of the pig, which offers the most thickest, consistent layers. The leather fibers and pores from this leather absorb and hold chalk extremely well. The tip plays exceptionally well with the most responsive action. These tips offer excellent Cue ball control, the best chalk absorption, and Extreme "English."
Now all you need is to determine what tip you like….
Thanks for looking.
#2) What is the Durometer/Hardness rating for the Kamikaze tips?
The hardness rating for the Black, Platinum, Premium Brown, and Elite are all about the same. Here is the guide below:
SS 62.0, Soft 64.7, Med 72.0, Hard 75.5, SH 78.0
#3) Can you use the Kamikaze tips for breaking?
These tips are primarily meant for shooting, but I do know some cue repair guys and players who like to press the tips and use them as a break tip. We are currently working on developing a breaking tip and hope to offer them very soon.
#3 How do you apply the clear, or colored acrylic pads?
#4) How do you install the acrylic pads?
Step # 1 Peel the paper off the pad and scuff the pad with a 400 grit sandpaper. Make sure you do this with the glue side of the tip as well.
Step # 2 Glue the tip and pad together in a plastic vise, or similar. Center the pad and tip together when they are both not as slippery and clamp together for about 7-10 minutes.
Step # 3 Scuff the other side of the clear pad with 400 grit sand paper and center and glue to your flat ferrule, and lock it in place for about 10 minutes. It's very important that your ferrule is perfectly flat and clean, so that the pad sticks really well to the ferrule. (I like to use Gorilla Super Glue).
Step #4 After the tip has glued, it is now ready to be cut flush with the ferrule. I like to use lennox utility blades because they are extremely sharp and last longer than others. If you have your own methods of cutting the tip and pad, that is fine too, because this method can be very dangerous. If your using cutting tools on your tool post, just make sure they are very sharp, so you can have clean smooth cuts.
Step # 5 Blend the ferrule and tip together with a 600, 1000, and 2000 grit sandpaper. My last step is to finish with a 3000 grit sanding pad and then finish with a wax. This method will get you real nice results. If your have your own finishing methods that work for you, by all means do what works for you.
Step # 6 Shape as desired.
