(Mitsuo)
Florian's MIXER app is finally here, and we're grateful for all the interest and feedback we've received.
While developing the MIXER app, we took another close look at the performance of each of our products, revisiting their characteristics and the roles they play. Along the way, we decided it might be a good opportunity to put together a guide explaining something we haven't talked about in much detail before: which products work best under which conditions, and how we think they can be used.
The result is our newly published CHALK GUIDE.
To be honest, we've never gone into much detail about the specific conditions or situations each of our products is best suited for.
That's because chalk is an incredibly personal thing.
Our understanding of each product's strengths, weaknesses, and ideal conditions ultimately comes from our own experiences and preferences. Of course, we've done plenty of testing throughout the development process, but that doesn't mean our conclusions will apply to every climber.
Even on the same rock, under exactly the same conditions, a chalk that feels perfect to one person might not work at all for someone else.
That's why we've always felt it was better not to give too many definitive answers as a manufacturer. We'd rather see climbers experiment for themselves and explore what works best for them.
Recently, though, we've noticed more people asking for specific product information and clearer guidance on how to use our chalk, particularly among our customers overseas.
At the same time, feedback from the testers who have helped us over the years, along with our experiences talking to climbers at chalk-mixing events, has shown us something interesting. In many cases, people's actual experiences with our products tend to follow the patterns we originally expected.
So we thought, why not share our understanding of these products as a reference?
Of course, some people will find that our recommendations don't work for them. Others will continue experimenting and developing their own ways of using chalk. And we think that's great, too.
For those looking for guidance, this could be a starting point for choosing the right product. For those who prefer to explore on their own, perhaps it could lead to new discoveries or inspire a few experiments.
If this information proves useful to both kinds of climbers, we'd be happy.
Taking a Closer Look at Our Products
With BLACK and PURE serving as our foundation, TOKYO POWDER's chalk lineup can broadly be understood as having two main directions.
One is the RX family, which tends to perform well in dry environments or under relatively consistent conditions. The other is the V3 family, designed to perform particularly well in humid environments and conditions where moisture and environmental changes can have a significant impact.
Of course, in actual climbing, the ideal chalk depends not only on rock type and humidity, but also on the condition of each climber's hands.
By choosing different chalks according to the environment and your own condition, and sometimes mixing them together, you can explore ways to achieve better friction.
The MIXER app takes these different situations into account and suggests mixing ratios as a starting point. (For more about the MIXER app, please see our previous article.)
We also have products such as BOOST and other PRE CHALK / FOUNDATION items, which are used to prepare the skin before applying chalk. Choosing these according to the environment and the condition of your skin can help bring out even more of your chalk's potential.
As we organized the characteristics of each product, we also reconsidered how we evaluate performance and which parameters we should use.
For example, achieving the highest possible friction at a particular moment isn't necessarily the same as maintaining consistent performance over time. Some products deliver exceptional performance under very specific conditions, while others are more adaptable across a wider range of environments.
Rather than simply asking which chalk is better, we wanted to explain what makes each product different, what its strengths are, and under which conditions it performs best.
The CHALK GUIDE is our attempt to make those differences easier to understand and compare using a common set of criteria.
Not the Answer, Just a Starting Point
The evaluations and recommendations we've published are simply our own perspective, intended as a reference.
The same goes for the mixing ratios suggested by the MIXER app. They're not meant to be the one and only correct answer.
In fact, we'd be happier if you used them as a starting point, adjusted the ratios yourself, or tried something completely different.
Chalk isn't just something you choose and apply. The way you use it can make a real difference.
How you store it, how carefully you observe the condition of your skin, how you apply it to your hands, and when you chalk up. Even these seemingly small details can influence friction.
The CHALK GUIDE gets a little technical in places, but we hope those who enjoy exploring the possibilities of friction will find something interesting in it.
We hope it serves as a useful reference when choosing products based on your hands, your physical condition, and the environment of the project you're working on.