Best Pool Chalk – Top 5 Reviewed

If you are here, then you are probably thinking about buying pool chalk. It’s great to have an idea of the things to consider before jumping right into the buying. One of the easiest things to do is to pay for a commodity that won’t fulfil your needs. It’s not nice. That’s why a good buying guide is needed for you to make a guided decision and not jump into the purchase technically blind. That said, if you’re after the best pool chalks on the marker, continue reading.

Kamui Pool Cue Chalk is our Top Pick

The Kamui Pool Chalk comes in the first position among the five reviewed for its exceptional quality. When researching products to write a review such as this, we always want to balance affordability or cost-effectiveness with performance and that’s one of the reasons why the Kamui took our number one spot. Though the impressive pool chalk comes in a bit expensive, however, this what the pros and those who understand they’ll be spending less at the end of the day demands. The great adhesiveness the chalk offers makes it deliver a larger sweet spot on the cue ball.

What’s more, the chalk has one of the finest particles around and that makes it stand out because it doesn’t mess the whole place up with blue chalk particles. Players love the Kamui because once you chalk now, you won’t have to chalk for another considerable number of shots. At the end of the day, the Kamui is more cost-effective as you could practically use one cube for many months.

Best Pool Chalk Reviews OF 2020

• Kamui Pool Cue Chalk
• KAMUI Pool cue Billiard Chalk 1.21 Beta
• Blue Diamond
• Master Billiard/Pool Cue Chalk
• Predator Cue Chalk

#1: Kamui Pool Cue Chalk 0.98 Beta

Let’s not beat about the bush, the Kamui Pool Cue Chalk also called the 0.98 beta is not cheap pool chalk. Coming in at $ 31.90 per cube is no doubt expensive but this is where you need to cool your jets so you can know every dollar spent on the impressive cube is worth it. The Kamui 0.98 beta is designed with exceptional fine particles that don’t make a flaky mess around the pool table. It also delivers great adhesiveness between the fine particles, making it easy to apply on the stick without any hassle.

That’s not all, it also offers a thorough coating of the stick tip. For those that are not new to pool playing, you won’t miscue with this one as your game companion. This is because the Kamui creates greater friction between the cue ball and the stick thereby eliminating the possibility of deflecting or slipping-off as it makes an impact with the perfectly round cue ball.

Another amazing thing about the Kamui 0.98 beta is the freedom of playing it offers players. You’ll chalk less, unlike some other pool chalk that you will have to chalk before you take a shot. That’s good news because not only will you concentrate on the game, you’ll be saving more pool chalk and money at the end of the day.

#2:  KAMUI Pool Cue Billiard Chalk 1.21 Beta

The 1.21 beta is another impressive billiard chalk from Kamui. In terms of particle texture, this one is also made to a very high degree of smoothness. Although the chalk particles is not as fine as the 0.98 beta but it still delivers well. It’s not a surprise as the Kamui Pool Cue Billiard Chalk1.21 beta is the elder brother of the Kamui 0.98, some improvements came in with the later. Compared to the Kamui 0.98, the 1.21 beta’s adhesiveness is not very high.

While it also offers great friction and limits the possibility of the miscue, you may have to apply more often than the 0.98 perhaps, after every 4-5 shots. That’s still impressive if you ask us. Those that play pool more often know this as there are chalks you’ll have to apply before you take the next shot. Furthermore, the Kamui 0.98 and 1.21 cost the same. That’s because they offer almost nearly the same thing with a slight difference in the adhesiveness of the chalk particles.

So why opt for the gentle old brother when you’ve got a more adhesive new guy in town? Well, the Kamui 1.21 beta’s less adhesiveness is technically a plus as you can easily clean it off compared to the 0.98. Trust me, it can be a hassle sometimes struggling with chalk residue.

#3: Blue Diamond

This is your go-to pool companion when you are on a tight budget. The Blue Diamond comes in competitive, trying to steal the show by offering 4 pool chalk cubes in two boxes for $15.50. This blue diamond is among the most affordable pool chalks in the market yet satisfying pool players’ needs. Blue diamond offers a moisture-retaining feature making it chalk that won’t flake or dry out easily. More so, it will interest you to know that once pool chalk becomes devoid of its total moisture content, it’ll start to become difficult to use.

No doubt, chalking will become more of a hassle as the particle’s structural integrity would have broken down becoming less malleable or coatable on the tip of the billiard stick. With the Blue Diamond, this won’t be a problem. Furthermore, this is good news when you are playing pool during a less humid period, this chalk will still deliver when others are failing.

Using this chalk will also reduce miscue when you are playing. Since the adhesiveness isn’t as great as the Kamui, it will require more chalking during games though this isn’t as much as some poorly made chalk. Also, since it sticks easily also means it’ll stain the cue ball and hands easily as well, although you’ll find it easy to clean off without any hassle. If you consider the quantity of chalk you’ll get, the purchasing price, and what it offers altogether, the Blue Diamond is great value for money. Making our top 3 positions was justified.

More Best Pool Chalk Reviews That Are Worth a Look

We found a few more that didn’t quite make the top three but had enough good qualities that we think they’re worth considering as you shop around.

#4 Master Billiard/Pool Cue Chalk

If you are one of those that usually go with the saying “it’s just chalk, so what’s all the talk” This might be you stop. Still, no matter how tight your budget is, you’ll still want a product that will make your purchase worth it. The Master Bullard/pool Cue Chalk checks out well in both departments. It’s one of the cheapest in the pool chalk market.

If you are going to compare the Master pool chalk with other high-end chalk in the area of price, you’ll be quick to think it won’t offer much. But quite the contrary, this very affordable Master isn’t called master for nothing. You’d be surprised it’s one of the most widely used chalk around and you’ll find them easily when you need them in stores.

That’s not all, the World Pool-Billiard Association recommends it for tournaments. Perhaps, you are worried the Master pool chalk will flake all over the table during gameplay? Weill, it’s not that bad, you won’t be experiencing any of that. The Master chalk is made with some adhesiveness that could pass for decent. Though this might not be close to what the Kamui and Blue Diamond offers, it will definitely eliminate miscuing by reducing the chances your stick deflects from the cue ball when you want to take a shot.

However, you will have to apply it more frequently and that means the cubes will diminish in size quickly. Surprisingly, applying it doesn’t attract any hassle, it spreads well and coats the surface of the stick-tip well. If you ignore the downsides and embrace 12 cubes for less than $7 together with what it offers, the Master is a great value.

#5: Predator Cue Chalk

The Predator Cue Chalk is another relatively affordable billiard chalk. It’s not one of the cheapest in the market but compared to the likes of Kamui, the Predator comes in as an affordable alternative. Yes, a very good alternative. If you want something close to what the Kamui offers yet you want to pay less then look no further.

The Predator chalk offers fine chalk particles with decent adherence making it easy to use and doesn’t require repetitive chalking like other poor brands. What’s more, many professional players sing praises of this cue chalk as they say it promotes spin and eliminates miscue. Bar owners and other commercial pool owners prefer the predator because it’s not as messy as other brands; it’s easy to clean and they don’t have to pay the price of the high-end chalk.

That’s not all; it comes in an octagon design which many players have testified that it’s much easier to grip making application at the tip of the stick altogether easy. For safekeeping, the packaging can be used to prevent moisture and direct heat. For $19 dollars, it’s also great value for money.

Buying Guide & FAQs

It’s great that you now know some of the best brands of pool chalk available in the market in addition to what they can offer you. There’s no doubt you may have further questions. We have gone through extra work to put together some of the things you need to consider when on the hunt for a pool table chalk. Also, we added likely questions that your mind may have raised as you went through our top five pool chalks.

Things to Consider Before You Buy

Needs

Have you ever purchased a product just because it came with a whole bunch of other products? The truth is, some extras or accessories to the main product are not as important. Sometimes it’s just to broaden user experience, add to the fun or make it easier to engage the game.

On the other hand, some extras are essential since, without them, gameplay could become frustrating or a struggle. Let’s say you are not engaging to become a professional and all your participation is just for fun, the truth is, the fun is out of it once you start to struggle with the game.

In billiards or pool, chalk falls under the category of the extra that is essential. To make a great shot during a match, the cue stick and the cue ball (white ball) must come together. There are two scenarios when the cue stick approaches the ball, even for the pro who knows what he’s doing. You either finish with a great shot or a miscue.

The former is when the tip of the stick impacts the cue ball at the equator or center. The latter happens when the stick slides or deflects off the surface of the ball. This is where the chalk comes in, it ensures this doesn’t happen, or at least, the possibility is greatly eliminated by adding adequate friction between the ball and cue stick.

Now that is out of the way, whether you are just messing around with the aim of having fun with friends and family or you are playing pool seriously to become a professional, cue chalk is equally important as the board, the balls, and the cue stick.

Price

The price of the chalk is one of the most important factors even if you’ve got more than enough money to “give away.” No matter how cheap or expensive a product is, you are exchanging cash to obtain the value you want. Chalks are designed and sold at a specific price to the consumer from as low as $1 to $35. The price you should pay for a type of chalk must depend on the expectation in addition to your level of skill as a player.

Looking at the level of skill first. If you are a pro or training to be one, the need to practice with standard equipment cannot be overemphasized. This is because the condition of international competitions is always standard. Getting used to practising in those conditions is ideal to be successful when the deal-day comes. Therefore, it might be best to get chalk that will offer what is required. Professional players often opt for the middle grade to the high end so that they don’t compromise quality totally as they try to keep the cost down.

Therefore, if you are on a budget, you cannot afford to buy the cheapest pool chalk. You may want to go for a more affordable one that will still deliver e.g the Predator pool chalk or Blue Diamond. However, if your needs are totally for fun, it’s okay if you want to opt for the most economical chalk you can find. But remember,  quality chalk that will last for over 3 months may end up being more cost-effective than chalk that will need quick replenishment, especially if you play a lot.

Regarding expectations, this is pretty simple, the more a product offers the more likely it will be expensive and that will determine how much it will be. If your expectation is more you must be willing to pay for a chalk that offers more. e.g a chalk that offers more retention time will be more pricey than a chalk that diminishes faster on the tip of the cue stick.

Frequency of application

When you are playing pool, you will need to apply the chalk or chalk your stick every now and then. If you’ve got a stick with a worn out and uneven tip, chalking will be needed more. The frequency of chalking will largely depend on how long it takes for the one you applied to diminish.

If you want a chalk that won’t diminish quickly, the price of such chalks is much more expensive. This is because they are designed specially to stay longer on the tip of the cue stick hence you will need to spend more if you want this whether you are a pro or just playing for fun. This kind of chalk will offer you the freedom of playing for longer without chalking.

On the other hand, some people don’t mind chalking their stick every now and then. A cheaper pool chalk is usually made in a way that makes them finish faster. While they may still do the job as the chalk that stays longer on the tip of the stick, you will need to repeatedly chalk your stick to take good shots.

Adhesiveness

Adhesiveness is the ability of a pool chalk to hold longer on the tip of the cue stick. This is one of the many ways pool chalks differ from each other. Some chalks are designed with particles and substances that make the structural integrity of the particles hold together for longer. This causes the chalk to take one or several shots before diminishing. Ideally, a chalk coated on the tip of the cue stick should remain for at least one shot. This will make the user apply chalk before taking a shot.

While this can be a hassle, some players can manage it. Chalks of this kind are a lot cheaper while chalks that have greater adhesiveness are more expensive. If you can afford it, look out for chalks with decent adhesiveness. E.g Kamui 0.98 beta or Kamui 1.21 beta. These allow players to take more than four to seven shots before the need to chalk again.

Caking

This is simply the process by which a pool chalk becomes more cake-like i.e dry and becomes flaky. When pool chalks become cake or flaky, they become more or less impossible to use as users will find it impossible to chalk a cue with flaky or caked chalk. Cheaper chalks are more prone to cake and become useless while much high end chalks last longer.

One of the major reasons for this is that some chalks are designed to lose their moisture content faster than others. High-end chalks, on the other hand, are usually made with finer particles and are more sticky than coarse ones which may cake faster.

More so, some manufacturers present this as a selling point in the form of “moisture content retention.” Chalk that retains moisture better will obviously not cake faster. These kinds of chalk are ideal for periods of low humidity as chalks generally cake faster during this period. So, good chalk will still deliver during these times. Look out for less coarse, moisture-retaining features when you are on the hunt for pool chalk.

Messiness

This is another factor worth considering when you want to buy pool chalk. For individuals who play pool very often, you may have noticed how the chalks stain the cue ball and also players’ hands. Furthermore, If you are a commercial pool table owner, you will have a lot of cleaning to do if you opt for chalk that makes a lot of mess. This factor is slightly related to the caking and adhesiveness.

Chalk that loses moisture easily will cake or flake easily and therefore, make a mess on the billiard table and on the hands of players. This is more common with low-end chalks. Expensive chalks are tidier. Because they are made of materials that are more adhesive they are not coarse. Hence, they will not produce unwanted dust on the pool table or floor.

Color

This is a factor that doesn’t affect your gameplay because the color of chalk does not affect the effectiveness of the cue stick. However, it helps that the color of your chalk is the same with the color of the pool table felt. In the past, pool table felt were designed in green colors but much recently the table felt came in blue colors just as many pool chalks are designed as blue.

The idea is to keep the marks of the chalks off the table easily. Furthermore, in an official tournament, blue felt is recommended because it allows the referee officiating the game to see the marks on the cue ball easily so that it can be cleaned.

While you are free to get pool chalks for any color you like, it is recommended to choose a chalk color that is similar or the same with the color of the pool table felt. This will not leave chalk marks on the table after the end of a match once you clean.

FAQs

How to chalk my Stick

Chalking usually seems like a straightforward process. The truth is chalking is actually simple and straightforward. Many people just seem to get it wrong. Sometimes, one of the ways to know how to do something well is to know how you shouldn’t do it. Let’s quickly look at what you should do when you want to chalk your cue stick.

Grinding: People do this often, especially newbies. This is because it is a faster and easier way. Do not grind the cave if the chalk is on the tip of your cue stick. First, this cases the chalk to unevenly coat the cue stick and also leads to uneven diminishing of the cake.

Pressing: This is another no-go area. Do not be tempted to press down the chalk cube on the cue slick while rotating it quickly. It causes caking of the chalk and wastage. Both grinding and pressing do not only cause caking and wastage because chunks of chalk loads on the cue stick, they also lead to uneven coating.

The uneven coating may end up causing miscue instead of reducing the chances of its occurrence.

Furthermore, you may want to remove residual chalk from the tip of your cue, don’t be tempted to blow with your mouth. You will deposit moisture on the tip which will cause caking. Rather, gently clean off residue with a small piece of dry cloth.

To chalk your stick properly, allow your pool cue slant at an angle to the chalk, brush the tip of you cue stick with the chalk lightly yet steadily as you rotate. Avoid applying pressure as you rotate, this makes it uniform and spread easily. Also the chalk will also diminish uniformly.

How often do I need to chalk my pool cue?

Chalking largely depends on two factors during a game. Because the tip stick is subject to wear after many uses, the tip becomes more uneven. As a result, the more the wear on the tip of the cue, the more chalking will be required. The second factor is the chalk itself. Since chalks are manufactured with different adhesiveness by the maker, some chalks diminish faster after each shot making the cue require repetitive chalking.

An example of such chalk is the master. High end chalks e.g the Kamui or the Blue Diamond do not diminish faster since they are made up of more adhesive chalk particles. If you use this kind of chalk, the frequency of chalking will be a lot lesser and you will enjoy your game more

Fine vs  Coarse chalks?

Generally, the finer the particle of the pool chalk, the more expensive it’s going to be e.g the Kamui 0.98 and 1.21. Finer particles stick better on the tip of the stick. Because they are a lot harder to clean compared to other chalk types, people opt for something else. Most conventional chalks are usually cheap types.

They fall under the category of coarse chalks and they usually have less fine or larger chalk particles. This means that they will fall off the tip faster. This does not mean it will not provide the adequate friction needed to take good shots and avoid miscue, but it does mean it will require more frequent chalking.

Are billiard chalks made from regular chalk material?

Unlike what lots of people think, pool chalks are completely different from regular chalks used in writing on blackboards. Billiard chalks are made from the combination of Silica and aluminium oxide. The specific color dye the manufacturer decides to use is added during the mixing process.

To make it moist, some manufacturers add water. Others add other chemical compounds that further retains moisture to ensure it doesn’t cake or flake easily. The combination of all the above-mentioned constituents is transferred into the oven for quick drying and easy moulding into shape. The chalk is then packaged and shipped.

How do I store my pool chalk?

You may have invested some money in buying a set of pool chalks, as previously mentioned they can be expensive. It will be disappointing not to get the best from what you have acquired. In order to get the very best from your pool chalks, storing carefully cannot be overemphasized. Regardless of what type of chalk you decide to buy, keep it away from moist areas. The kitchen might not be a great place since it’s a source of water. Do not keep near the window, you may forget to lock the windows which may allow water from rain.

Furthermore, if the weather is less humid, the chalk will cake-up in no time. Keep away from direct heat too, this will cause it to cake fast. If you have a cue stick that you assemble and dissemble, the cue stick box or bag is a nice place to keep your pool chalks. Some cue chalk manufacturer makes storage units which can be purchased for an affordable price. This is another perfect place to safely keep your chalks to protect it from damage or totally losing it.

How to clean pool chalk off the pool balls/ felt

As earlier mentioned, pool chalks made from finer particles and with greater adhesiveness are less likely to cause mess because they stick to the tip better and create less dust. Though these kinds of chalks come with their own downside i.e they are not easy to remove since they are more sticky. No matter how expensive your chalk is you will get marks on the ball and pieces of chalks but not as much as cheaper chalks.

If you are using more flaky or dusty chalk, no worries. All you need to clean is a pool table brush to sweep all particle chalks of the surface of the board. If there are chalk marks, a damp piece of cloth will be enough for cleaning the surface pool board felt. What’s more, a pool ball cleaner is applied to cotton wool or fur cloth which can be used to clean the balls effectively.

How We Picked the Best Pool Chalk Reviews

One of the ways we got information was to visit websites. We juxtaposed information about our top five from many websites including the manufacturers’ website. Pool players were not hard to find so we asked a couple of questions about our products and using pool chalk as a whole. We also considered what each offer and of course, balanced with affordability or cost-effectiveness and the Kamui came in first.

This wasn’t really a hard contest, though our winner had a strong contender close by. The Kamui Pool chalk took first place for offering the greatest adhesiveness of the five products reviewed. This offers more dwell time on the stick with several shots before chalking. This, in turn, makes it offers the greatest friction between the ball and stick to eliminate miscue. The fact that it offers thorough coating is also plus.

Furthermore, we also considered that the Kamui has the finest particle so it doesn’t make an unnecessary mess. The Kamui is expensive to acquire no doubt, however, it still stands out as the most cost-effective because you can literally use one Kamui cube chalk for many months since you don’t apply after every shot and it doesn’t flake easily.