Are these langworthy??? (1 Viewer)

[Brookston]

They have the large injection pin marks on the outside like a langworthy, but the stripes follow the dotted circle like an abs modern 6 stripe.

The older case makes me think langworthy as well as the muted color and matte finish. What do the experts think???

 

[allforcharity]

I think these are Langworthy.

 

[mtl mile end]

I don't think so. I'm not familiar with the dots around the edge, but the spots are the wrong shape. I think that Langworthy's are completely squared off at the end. I can confirm that these are not the beloved Sopranos (because of the dots), but the spots are the right shape.

Time for a search!

 

[mtl mile end]

Got a potential "No" here:
https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/langworthy-six-stripe-vs-modern-six-stripe-saprano.26171/

EDIT: or a potential yes? The dots are consistent with the Langworthy injection marks, the spots are aligned with the inner ring spots (this is meaningless BTW), but shape of striped spots is wrong.

 

[AK Chip]

I'm pretty sure they langworthy chips. I thought the Soppranos stripe went all the way to the inner circle

 

[GianThaMan]

Could be some sort of RT Plastics.

 

[CrazyEddie]

I'm not entirely sure, but from what I've read here and there on PCF I've gotten the impression that there are two different versions of these types of six-stripe chips, that the older ones were made by Langworthy and the newer ones were made by RT Plastics. Note, though, that Langworthy later became RT Plastics, so in an important sense they're two different variations of one chip design from the same company, made at different times.

Both of them (I think) are unweighted and have no metal slug, but the two have different weights.

Worth noting that there are also some generic heavy metal-slugged chips from China that have this same design (or a close copy of it). I suspect they got stuffed into retail channels a few years ago, because they seem to be low on inventory and hard to find now. I bought some unknowingly while looking for the real "Sopranos" chips, before I knew anything about the history of them (I still don't know that much, mind you).

 

[mtl mile end]

Could be some sort of RT Plastics.

Isn't that the same as Langworthy?

 

[GianThaMan]

Isn't that the same as Langworthy?

Langworthy essentially became RT Plastics, but they had new designs that were added that Langworthy lacked, like all of the weird edge-spots that looked painted on, etc. This could have been one of them.

 

[Brookston]

I just looked at some other laneworthy I have. It's a different mold but the same white with tan colors.

 

[mtl mile end]

For reference. Here is a Soprano, from 2009:

Note the stripes aligned with the spots of the inner ring, the angled ends to the stripes, and lack of injection pips around the edge. I actually can't see any injection pips.

 

[CrazyEddie]

I think it might be the case that older six-stripe chips were made under the Langworthy name and have straight edges on the stripes, whereas newer six-stripe chips were made under the RT Plastics name and have angled edges on the stripes.

Here's a post where I dug up an old web page from The Poker Chip Company; it shows they were selling the angled-edge six-stripe chips a decade or so ago. I speculated that those chips were from RT Plastics, and then @gmunny confirmed that RT Plastics was providing chips to The Poker Chip Company. Not definitive, but certainly suggestive.

Here are some retailers that are still advertising the angled-edge six-stripe chips. Dunno if those pages are up-to-date or not.

• https://www.recroom-products.com/sostclch10gr.html
• https://www.discountcasinogear.com/Poker-Chips-Soprano-s/903.htm
• https://www.kardwell.com/composite.html
• https://www.gamblersgeneralstore.com/store/p/6292-SIX-STRIPED-CHIP.aspx

Note that one site says they're 10g, one says they're 10g and not metal slugged, and two say they're 8.5g. So are these different chips? Or all the same?

Note that Langworthy turned into RT Plastics, and also turned into Gamblers General Store, so probably the ones they have for sale now are leftover inventory made by RT Plastics. Or maybe it's new inventory, made to their specs by a factory in China? Dunno.

By contrast, here are some six-stripe chips with angled edges that are definitely not what anyone is looking for. I ordered a couple barrels of these and can confirm they are metal-slugged and made from a hard plastic, very similar to dice chips. You could guess that from the description, which says they're 11.5g:

• https://www.casinosupply.com/products/11-5-gram-6-stripe-poker-chips-25-pkg

By the way, the chips actually used in the Sopranos episode may actually be the older straight-edged Langworthy chips instead of the newer angled-edge chips that people seem to be calling "Sopranos". It's hard to tell for sure, but looking at the screencaps the edges look straight to me:

So if I were going to engage in SUPER rampant speculation, I'd guess that some Hollywood props guy got his hands on a big batch of old Langworthy blanks somehow and used them in the episode, and then when it came out the RT Plastics / Gamblers General Store guys realized that they suddenly had a big potential hit on their hands, but didn't have the old Langworthy molds any more (maybe lost, maybe worn out) so they had some new molds made that were pretty close to but not exactly like the old molds and started cranking out new chips on the new mold to cash in on the sudden fame.

Total speculation here. Would love to know more.

 

[Joe Harris]

Note that one site says they're 10g, one says they're 10g and not metal slugged, and two say they're 8.5g. So are these different chips?

Well, the Sopranos in the below style came in both 10g and 8.5g versions. Those were sold in the early 2000's and I don't think they were slugged. The 11.5g slugged version is definitely newer and has notably brighter colors than the older 10 & 8.5g version. I believe the chips in the OP predate the 10/8.5g series but whether they are Langworthy or not is beyond my knowledge.

For reference. Here is a Soprano, from 2009:

Note the stripes aligned with the spots of the inner ring, the angled ends to the stripes, and lack of injection pips around the edge. I actually can't see any injection pips.

 

[allforcharity]

I was just going by the stripes on the recessed ring. I thought that was a Langworthy hallmark.

 

[BGinGA]

Lots of different versions of the 'soprano style' six stripe plastic poker chip. Langworthy & Company (1940-1982) produced the first, and their nylon chips are rather distinctive both visually (dull colors, square stripe ends) and by feel. The actual chips used in HBO's The Sopranos drama series (1999-2007) were likely an old set produced by Langworthy.

Several other similar-looking six-stripe chip designs -- at least three, maybe more -- were later made by other companies in the early-mid 2000s using different materials. Some were 8.5g, some were 10g, some felt like soft plastic, others were a more rubbery hockey puck material, the mold injection point locations differed-- but none had squared stripe ends like the Langworthys, and none contained metal slugs.

This period is when using the 'Soprano' chip moniker became popular for some resellers, but others just referred to them as "six stripe" chips. Many (most? all?) were made in China -- it's possible that RT Plastics (1982-2005?) was one of the six-stripe chip manufacturers, but I've never seen conclusive proof of this. I would suspect that if this had actually been the case, they would have simply used their old Langworthy & Co. molds, but that didn't happen. None of the second generation chip designs look or feel like Langworthys.

There were also similar third-generation six-stripe chip versions later produced in China that used harder plastic materials with brighter colors and contained metal slugs for sdded weight.

 

[upNdown]

I don’t even know who Lang is, but I doubt these are worthy of his attention.

 

[mike32]

I am currently re-watching the Sopranos. The chips are in an old school style quality case when they show it at the end of a poker game. Further evidence to support Langworthy chips on the show. Ahh the stuff we speculate about!

 

[CrazyEddie]

The definitive post! Thanks for weighing in, @BGinGA .

 

[Nick84]

I love my Sopranos, love the style and the feel. From time to time I search around to double my set but with no luck.

 

[SqueegeeBob]

I've got some chips that were sold as 10g Sopranos in about 2008. They have tiny little injection points inside the recessed ring.