Pool cue tips

Pool cue tips are glued onto the white ferrule of the cue (billiard stick) and are in direct contact with the ball. The tips are chalked during play to avoid the cue slipping and ensure maximum impact. These cue tips are mostly made of leather. Hard leather is pressed and the fibres are compressed accordingly. For the production of a pool cue tip, [vegetable-tanned leather]] is used.

The tip is glued to the cue and the overhang is turned on a lathe, rounded in the front and sanded with the finest abrasive paper so that the tip ends flush with the ferrule. Finally, the leather is treated with a sealing on the outer edges.

When playing pool, billiards or snooker, the tip is repetitively chalked to avoid slipping on the ball. Over time, the surface of the leather "glazes". Constant impact causes the leather tip to become smooth and firm. If the tip gets too smooth, the chalk no longer sticks to the tip. There are various techniques that make the tip receptive again. One method is to roughen the tip with fine needles. The compressed fibre structure of the leather is again loosened and perforated. Alternatively, the tip is simply sanded. This reduces the leather thickness because leather fibres are removed.