Pool Cue News and Review

So I finally got myself a new tip tool last week and all I can say is that my Atrox tool has been supplanted. I dug the Atrox because it was pretty versatile, but the problem was the thing was so damn bulky. The Atrox was fine for a while, but ultimately I had to trade her in for something with a little less junk in the trunk.

Honestly, the Atrox is so damn bulky that more often than not, I left the thing at home and just used my Tip Pik and a Cue Cube. But now thanks to my new My new favorite tool, Cuetec Bowtie 3-in-1 tool, I can leave all that crap at home.

The tool is really everything you need. It’s got a shaper on one side, a scuffer on the other and when you open it up, you’ll find a nice little “aerator” (fancy talk for poking holes in your tip). The best part about it though… no more puncture wounds in my leg. Ever since I lost the cap for my Tip Pik, I’ve just been gouging the hell out of my thigh. In all seriousness, if you play regularly, you should really crack open your wallet and drop a Jackson to get one of these.

 Pool Cue Tip Covers by Cue Z

Come on… really? A tip cover for your pool cue? Ok, here we go…

The purpose of the Cue Z Tip Cover is to protect your pool cue case from getting gunked up with chalk residue that comes from your pool cue tip. From that perspective, the things do a nice job. There is a problem though. It isn’t a huge issue, but it can be fairly annoying. If you put your shaft in your case tip down (like any normal person does), the Cue Z will fall off, which will then lead you to a nice little fishing expedition in your case. To use these things, you have to put your shaft in tip up. Put it in tip down and prepare to be really, really, irritated.

Not much more to say about this one. It certainly isn’t a necessity by any means. For a few bucks, sure, I guess its worth getting.

 The Original Tip Pik

I don’t care who you are, whether you’re just starting out or if you’ve been playing for years, every pool player simply must have a Tip Pik in their bag. There are a ton of tip scuffers out there, but the Tip Pik is in my opinion the single most important tool for any pool player.  The whole idea behind it is that you puncture little holes in your tip which leads to better chalk retention.  Some people will give it a little twist, but I’ve never found it necessary to do so.

The Tip Pik comes in a few flavors, including the Tip Pik Shadow where the needles are inverted and the Tip Pik Shadow Chalker which doubles as a pocket chalker.  You can usually find any of these tools for around 15 bucks.  The only downside to them is if you jab yourself with the needles, it doesn’t feel too good.  The needles can also wreak havoc on your pants pockets if you leave it open.

ATROX Tip Tool by Diamondback

Time to get back to reviewing, and first up is the new ATROX tip tool by Diamondback. This is one of the more unique items to come out in the past few years, as it is a nice multi-purpose tool. Diamondback calls it a 10-in-1 tool, however I don’t think I’d go so far as to say it has 10 uses. That being said, it does have a number of different tools available, making it worth the $35.99 MSRP tag.

Pros:

-It has both a dime and nickel scuffer, a nice feature considering most tools only offer one or the other.

-The tip picker works nicely as well in a similar way to the industry standard Tip Pik.

-It has a magnetic seal, making it compact enough to fit in a cue case pocket.

-It carries a lifetime warranty, so if it breaks, you can call Diamondback for a replacement.

Cons:

Some of the other “tools” don’t work to my satisfaction or simply aren’t really relevant. For example, they claim one of the tools to be a bridge elevation. I suppose you could use it that way, but I wouldn’t really call it a tool. You may as well call it an 11-in-1 tool as you could use it as a paperweight or a crime deterrent.

Where to Buy:

ATROX at PoolDawg.com - $29.95