Supermarket Chalk vs Gym CHalk

[GripAU]

Is there a difference, other than a huge difference in price?

I know supermarked chalk has a filler- a type of paste to keep the stick together so it can be written with, and gym chalk is usually in block form. I just need powdered chalk- cheap, accessible (DL tomorrow), and effective. I'm leaning towards supermarket stick chalk and just breaking it up. Anyone hve any thoughts, ideas? Am I worrying to much about such a mundane decision.. Apologies if I am.

[Sami]

They're different types of chalk. Gym chalk is Magnesium Carbonate and writing chalk is Calcium Sulphate. Calcium sulphate does not break up easily at all. It will be very crumbly unless you grind it to a fine powder. Even then, I don't know how effectively it'd stick to your hands. I don't think there's any other compound holding it together.

Magnesium carbonate is very 'soft' and powders extremely easily.

Just get proper gym chalk.

[TGM]

Gym chalk isn't very expensive.

I bought a 10cm block from mountain design for $3 three months ago and I've used less that a quarter of it. (This is two people using it three times a week.)

And I overpaid, you can get it waaay cheaper:

http://www.gymdirect.com.au/item/Mag...Chalk)/471.htm

EDIT: Actually with shipping that's a bit over $3 per block, but either way it's still cheap.

[PVC]

If you can find a decent climbing gym you can buy a chalk ball from them for a very reasonable price. I got mine for $5.

[Sami]

I got a chalk ball from an outdoors store for £2. FINALLY!! Something cheaper in the UK!

[banthafodder]

I actually used my toddler's sidewalk chalk for a couple of months before I got real gym chalk. You can just rub the gym chalk on and evenly coat your hands, but the sidewalk chalk had to be scuffed up on my garage's cement floor to create enough of a powder that I could rub it on my hands. The gym stuff feels grippier to me, but that could easily just be because I know it's the real deal. The fact that it's so soft means it's much faster to apply.

[DaveN]

I've got a cone of chalk I bought at a pool & darts shop near my house. I suspect this is not exactly the same as gym chalk (perhaps calcium carbonate vs. magnesium carbonate), but it goes on well and helps with my grip.

I wonder, though, what the difference would be in changing to gym chalk. Does anyone know?

[kjd2121]

I use a baseball pitchers rosin bag. Works well for me.

[chevyguy3]

Any sporting good store I have ever been to sells blocks of gym chalk, and its pretty cheap. Shouldn't have any problem getting it unless you live out in BFE.

[jayknow05]

I bought a case of it, $15 and I'm sure it will last years.