NIR Super Professional
Italian made NIR Super professional is premiere chalk to be sure. It applies evenly and sticks well to the cue.Its texture is finer than most standard chalks like Masters, but it is also quite messy. At $2.60 a cube, it is certainly an affordable investment that will make a difference. With a clean cue tip, I was able to stroke an average of 12 medium speed draw shots without miscuing. $7.75/ box of three
Predator 1080
With a well respected name like Predator, you expect a lot from this chalk and it delivers! 1080 has great coverage when chalking up and performs wonderfully. At a cost of $1.60 a piece, this is a very affordable chalk in the pro category. One flaw is the shape, making it difficult to find proper chalk holders. With a clean cue tip, I was able to stroke an average of 15 medium speed draw-shots without miscuing. $8.00 tube of five
Balabushka Performance
Balabushka has made a chalk that “Fast” Eddie Felson would be proud to use. Like the other pro chalk, Balabushka goes on smooth in one pass and stays on. Each cube costs about $2.65 making it a great value for the performance. With a clean cue tip I was able to stroke an average of 10 medium speed draw shots without miscuing. $8.00 box of three
Blue Diamond
Like NIR, this chalk is also make by the renowned Italian company, Longoni. Their secret formula claims to adhere better than most and it does. It is also noticeably cleaner than the other chalk. Each cube will run you about $3.00 making it a solid investment.With a clean cue tip I was able to stroke an average of 10 medium speed draw-shots without miscueing. $6.00 box of two
Kamui Chalk 0.98
Kamui—it is all the rage, but is it hype or is it well deserved? At close to $30.00 per cube it is not only the most expensive brand, but in my opinion the best! This is a “Super-Chalk” if you will. Kamui 0.98 sticks like glue and truly requires less chalking than the rest. With a clean cue tip, I was able to stroke an average of 25 medium speed draw-shots without miscueing. $27.95 for one cube
Kamui Chalk 1.21
Like its older brother, Kamui 1.21 is expensive, soft and sticks to the tip like nothing else on the market. I believe that this product was designed for players that must chalk-up as part of their pre-shot routine, but still want a premium product. With a clean cue tip, I was able to stroke an average of 18 medium speed draw-shots without miscueing. $27.95 for one cube
Photo: Knight725/Flickr Editor: Dana Gornall