When I found out that OB had finally come out with their new brand of chalk, I jumped at the chance to try it and review it. In order to do my review objectively (as people who know me know that I love and prefer Kamui .98 and 1.21 chalk), I compared it to a series of other chalks excluding Kamui. The other chalks I performed my tests with were…
Blue Diamond Chalk
Balabushka Chalk
Magic Chalk
Predator 1080 Chalk
Outsville “Blue Mako” Chalk
Master Chalk
Also, other equipment used in my testing were…
Cue: Predator SP6GLW
Shaft: Predator “S-Tuned” Z3 and Lucasi “Q-Slim”
Tip: Kamui Black “Super Soft” and Cyborg “Quick”
Cue Ball: Aramith “Pro Cup” (Measle) and Cyclop “Red Dot”
Cloth: Simonis 860
Cushions: Championship Tournament “Super Speed”
Table: Vintage 1950’s “Victor 9”
Environment: 71 Degrees with 32% Humidity
The main test I did was for what chalk was intended for…Adherence and Grip.
When applying the OB Chalk, I noticed that it went on much smoother than “non-premium” chalks. It was also lighter in color (blue) than most others. It coated the tip easily and evenly. Using one tip of spin, I noticed that it adhered nicely to the tip and gripped the cue ball well, with very little chalk transference to the Pro-Cup and Red Dot cue balls. With using two tips of spin, I noticed that it didn’t adhere as long, naturally. This, obviously, was the same result for all chalks mentioned. After a series of spin shots, I noticed a small “glazing” effect that required reapplication. During this time, I was making notes as to exactly how many spin shots I could manage (using two tips of spin at medium speed) without having to re-chalk before miscue. After testing each chalk, I used my Gator Grip to scuff the tips so each chalk could have a freshly scuffed tip to adhere to. Here are my results, (in order).
Outsville “Blue Mako” – 11 Shots
Blue Diamond – 11 Shots
Predator 1080 – 10 Shots
Magic – 9 Shots
OB – 7 Shots
Balabushka – 6 Shots
Master – 4 Shots
Of course, there is always room for error as I’m a “human being”. The only true way to accurately perform this test is to have a robot perform it…with exact speeds…exact strokes…exact tip elasticity…etc. However, to the best of my ability, I was as accurate as possible using two tips of medium speed spin. I’m sure on a different day (different temperatures/humidity levels) results will vary.
Grades….
Outsville “Blue Mako” – B+
Blue Diamond – B+
Predator 1080 – B
OB – B
Magic – B-
Balabushka – C+
Master – C
Conclusion:
OB Chalk is a very good basic chalk. I gave OB an overall grade of “B” because I believe it’s lighter color will be a welcome improvement over other chalks for pool rooms that have Tournament Blue cloth. However with that being said, it’s not “reinventing the wheel” by any means. It is, however, a good quality chalk. Well done, OB.
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Sponsored by POV Pool and Jacoby Custom Cues
Jaared Arosemena is a virtuoso on the alto, soprano, and tenor saxophones, as well as the unique EWI breath controller, Jaared is an internationally acclaimed recording artist. He is also an accomplished singer, who often brings the house down with his vocals. He entered the Washington, D.C., music scene at a very young age, rapidly gaining prominence for his work on the alto sax. As he continued as a full-time entertainer, he received more and more recognition for his music, and was soon known to audiences all over the world. In 2002, Jaared was nominated as ‘Best New Artist of the Year’ by the National Smooth Jazz Association. He as performed in Dubai, South Africa, West Africa, Poland, Germany, Austria, and other places in Europe; and all over the U.S. Loved in the United States; with a huge and dedicated fan base in Europe, where he also regularly performs, Jaared also gains international fans daily. Jaared is a regular guest interviewee on many radio shows in the United States and Europe. Photo provided by author Editor: Shaylyn Troop