“KAGEKI” THE RADICAL CHALK

By Garret Troop

Kamui has been a leader in innovation in the billiards industry for a long time. They may release new products infrequently, but R & D takes time to produce a good product when they do. The chalk they have on the market now has its advantages and disadvantages. Everyone loves how grippy it is and that the whole point of the chalk is to be able to take and maximize the grippiness allowing you to put more English on the cue ball and get the exact precession that you need with every stroke. The chalk sticks on the tip more, giving it its grip. These are all the beautiful attributes of the chalk, and it has gained a cult following for them.

Voiced opinions have come from the players on needed improvements with the chalk. People’s opinions state that the chalk gets cakey, and when over-chalking occurs, there is a transfer from the chalk that gets caked on the tip to the cue ball. These “clumps” of chalk will cause a “skid.” That’s where you put English on the cue, and it will skip across the table a bit on the caked-up chalk marks on the cue ball. With the issues being described. The 0.98 is the softer of the two traditional chalks released. The other variation was the 1.21, which is a little harder and needs to be applied more frequently than the 0.98.

Kamui’s answer to this very vocalized

problem was the release of the Roku. This was a different approach to their first design of much softer chalks. The Roku needs to be applied more frequently, and you need a healthy base layer to get it started. This answered the public’s cry out for less cakey chalk. The Roku solved some of the problems but created another. The chalk was too hard and hard to apply, and it didn’t want to stick to the tip when applied.

With all the input, Kamui has listened to the customers and outdone themselves this time with the release of the new Kageki chalk. According to Kamui on the site, it states, “A muchawaited technologically advanced pool cue chalk is finally here. RADICAL grip co-developed with Florian Kohler, aka Venom Trick Shots.” This Chalk is the voice of what the consumer public has been requesting for years. The chalk does not cake up on the tip. Does not transfer massive amounts of chalk to the cue ball, eliminating Skid. It’s less soft than either the 0,98 or the 1.21. It’s only offered in a grey color until more feedback comes in upon the customers’ request for what they want. The chalk will put Kamui to a new height when the masses get a hold of it. Kageki chalk is the best of both worlds. It sticks to your tip and doesn’t get tacky. I know that over time it will only get better.

I usually have pros and cons in all these reviews. This review speaks for itself, and I want the readers to know that I try and give an honest opinion and review. Efren Reyes can beat most of us with a #2 pencil and a piece of Master chalk. With that said, I also believe in stacking the odds in your favor and using every advantage available to you at your disposal. A good chalk should help you apply consistent English on the cue ball. It will help a poorer stroke and allow a little forgiveness on the table. The cons of this chalk are that it still gets on the table a bit, but it’s going to be well received by the pool hall owners on their tables, then the 0.98 and the 1.21. I don’t believe that the perfect chalk will ever be created as we advance as a sport because we all want super grippy chalk but one that does not make a mess and transfer on the cue ball.

The big thing that needs to be worked on is that there is still a small mess on the table, but that is an inevitable problem. I will say that it’s getting much better. The simple fact is that players want a chalk that will go on easily and doesn’t cake up on the tip or cue ball. It needs to be grippy but not leave a mess on the table or cue ball, and it simply doesn’t exist. So, we’re all searching for that perfect piece of chalk, and while Kamui isn’t the perfect chalk, it’s damn near. It retails for $33, which is what the market is at. Here is where you can buy the chalk.

https://www.kamuitips.com/products/kageki-kamui-radical-chalk-1

The chalk market is growing in our industry, and everyone is working to make the next best product. Kamui is growing and improving to get to the top. Their customer service is on par, and I’ve known John Bertone for years, and he’s the best at what he does.

Kamui is always doing good things in the players’ name, and they listen to the voice of the players and try to produce what the masses require. The KAGEKI chalk is Kamui’s best chalk yet and gets the SPM Seal of Approval.