The TRK Rounders that were offered up in France a while ago were chalky new in the box. Do you think they would have been more or less desirable if they had been oiled? Does the fact that they are still chalky speak to the minty freshness of them? If they had been oiled, would they be more desirable due to the more vibrant colors?
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Is there a "don't oil your chips" school of thought? (1 Viewer)
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dew4au
Flush
I'm sure that depends on the buyer. I know what oiling ASM / CPC chips does for the look, but someone without experience may think they look a bit washed out.
cgraham86
Pair
After buying, selling, cleaning, labeling, and hotstamping and obsessing over dozens of sets for myself and others here's my thoughts on oiling chips:
1. The only oil that should even be considered for this is straight-up mineral oil you get from the drug store. It's odorless and tasteless. If it smells like baby oil then it's Baby Oil and you bought the wrong stuff. Take it back.
2. Oiling is to bring the color out. If it's already "out" then don't bother. If it's a chip that really can't benefit from oil don't bother. I'm talking about new Paulsons, new BCC's, China clays, ceramics (yes, people have mentioned they're going to oil their ceramics believe it or not) or cheap plastic chips.
3. There's only two chips I've seen benefit from oiling: chips that have gone through a thorough cleaning like old paulsons or ASM/CPC's or brand new ASM/CPC's that are new with the edges turned.
4. DO NOT OVER OIL. The only thing you need is a tiny bit on a rag to rub the edges. That'll transfer to the face of the chip with players' fingers over time. You don't need to: soak them, use some type of applicator to paint oil onto them, etc. Just a tiny bit rubbed on the edges, then wipe away the excess. Done. If you put too much oil on chips they'll do something nasty: they'll "leak" oil forever and you'll be constantly wiping it off, players will complain, and they'll stick together. Oil can also damage inlays on older chips. If you use any more than 1/10th of your bottle of mineral oil from the drug store you're doing something wrong.
1. The only oil that should even be considered for this is straight-up mineral oil you get from the drug store. It's odorless and tasteless. If it smells like baby oil then it's Baby Oil and you bought the wrong stuff. Take it back.
2. Oiling is to bring the color out. If it's already "out" then don't bother. If it's a chip that really can't benefit from oil don't bother. I'm talking about new Paulsons, new BCC's, China clays, ceramics (yes, people have mentioned they're going to oil their ceramics believe it or not) or cheap plastic chips.
3. There's only two chips I've seen benefit from oiling: chips that have gone through a thorough cleaning like old paulsons or ASM/CPC's or brand new ASM/CPC's that are new with the edges turned.
4. DO NOT OVER OIL. The only thing you need is a tiny bit on a rag to rub the edges. That'll transfer to the face of the chip with players' fingers over time. You don't need to: soak them, use some type of applicator to paint oil onto them, etc. Just a tiny bit rubbed on the edges, then wipe away the excess. Done. If you put too much oil on chips they'll do something nasty: they'll "leak" oil forever and you'll be constantly wiping it off, players will complain, and they'll stick together. Oil can also damage inlays on older chips. If you use any more than 1/10th of your bottle of mineral oil from the drug store you're doing something wrong.
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dew4au
Flush
That statement has me looking for the old CT thread where someone was submerging batches of chips in a vat of mineral oil and then wiping them down. Will post if I can find it...
cgraham86
Pair
Yep, I remember that too. And if I remember right the chips were inlaid as well.
dew4au
Flush
I didn't find the exact thread, but I figured out who it was. It was @Puggy! He fessed up in this thread..
http://www.chiptalk.net/forum/threads/china-clays-and-oiling.87079/#post-1256841
Then you haven't seen enough chips, sir.... and I find that really hard to believe.
Certainly the two instances you reference are true, but there are indeed other chip manufacturer/types that benefit greatly from proper oiling. I've seen 'em.
Poker Zombie
Royal Flush
I did not oil my china clays. Neither the Milanos nor the CPS needed it. Maybe the colors would pop a little more with oil, but it was not worth my effort.
No oil for ceramics, RT Plastics, Bud Jones, or ABS.
I have never had the opportunity to handle out-of-the-box new Paulsons (n) :thumbsdown:, but I do have plenty of minty casino used chips that do not need it. I have never used an ultrasonic, but toothbrush cleaning has served me well and without the need to re-oil.
CPCs are a no-brainer, they need oil. I'm a edge and face oiler myself, but I used so little oil for 1000 chips the bottle of mineral oil still looks brand new. Good rule of thumb - take the amount of oil you think you need for a rack, and cut it in half. Pour that into a tiny bowl. That is all you will need for 1000 chips (10 racks).
No oil for ceramics, RT Plastics, Bud Jones, or ABS.
I have never had the opportunity to handle out-of-the-box new Paulsons (n) :thumbsdown:, but I do have plenty of minty casino used chips that do not need it. I have never used an ultrasonic, but toothbrush cleaning has served me well and without the need to re-oil.
CPCs are a no-brainer, they need oil. I'm a edge and face oiler myself, but I used so little oil for 1000 chips the bottle of mineral oil still looks brand new. Good rule of thumb - take the amount of oil you think you need for a rack, and cut it in half. Pour that into a tiny bowl. That is all you will need for 1000 chips (10 racks).
YUUPP!
Speaking as someone who bought 1,400 of these, I wouldn't have cared if they were oiled or not. The chalkiness is for effect (eg. "they still have factory dust on them") but it wouldn't have impacted my decision because they are cool chips and my players really like them.
slisk250
Straight Flush
I oil everything that I plan to get in play. Problem is I came home to 20000 new chips. At the rumble people said fuck the oil. Let's play! Most of the mikes set has yet to see any oil but that will change.
Chippy McChiperson
Straight Flush
Do you all oil your custom CPCs as soon as you get them?
links_slayer
4 of a Kind
yes, but just the edges
detroitdad
Royal Flush
Poker Zombie
Royal Flush
The man in Saudi "...has yet to see any oil...". Am I the only one laughing?
Poker Zombie
Royal Flush
I oiled edges and face. I almost cannot fathom just edges, but I guess it works...
slisk250
Straight Flush
Just for the pRon because my time was so limited. I don't think 20% of my customs have been oiled yet, but that is just because of circumstances.
detroitdad
Royal Flush
The oil bleeds over enough into the faces of the chips. The key is hosting the following weekend with the new chips and hoping your players can shuffle the chips.
Well I finally caved in and oiled some chips, and it was definitely the right move. These were $5's and $25's from Grand Casino Gulfport that looked fady and uneven.
Wow what a difference.
It was a pain in the butt, even more so than cleaning chips, so I don't plan on oiling up all the chips I own. But it was definitely the right thing to do with these chips.
Wow what a difference.
It was a pain in the butt, even more so than cleaning chips, so I don't plan on oiling up all the chips I own. But it was definitely the right thing to do with these chips.
I only did three barrels last night and the technique was my own, but it seemed to work well. I didn't want the to look oily.
Handling each chip individually, I first rubbed the edges and surface (up to the inlay) with a lightly oiled rag. Then I rubbed it down with a dry rag. They look wonderful and not wet.
I guess time will tell whether they absorbed enough oil with this technique, or if they'll look dried out again, shortly.
Handling each chip individually, I first rubbed the edges and surface (up to the inlay) with a lightly oiled rag. Then I rubbed it down with a dry rag. They look wonderful and not wet.
I guess time will tell whether they absorbed enough oil with this technique, or if they'll look dried out again, shortly.
Well I'm glad you caved, but how did it possibly take you longer to oil than clean?
Edit: Nvm you posted as I was typing. It still should be a very fast process to oil even one by one with just a touch of oil on your fingers.
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Stacks on left are unoiled - the lighting wasn't great - I'll take another look at them tonight.You're going to have to prove this with photos
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Mtvernonbryan
Straight
I didn't oil my new set of CPC's. After only one tourney they look almost oiled. I'm probably in the minority here but I don't plan on "protecting" my chips. I bought them to play with and I would feel the same if I bought ANY expensive set. If I play enough poker to actually put wear on them then kudos to me. Different strokes for different folks I guess.
FCCDAD
Two Pair
Late to the discussion, but: I oil all my clay chips.
Casino used chips REALLY need it after cleaning, those always seem too faded for me. In particular, I can usually see pink-white corners on every cleaned $5, but the same effect is usually visible to a lesser extent on the $25s, too. Oiling doesn't completely fix it, but it makes a huge difference.
I also oil all my brand new chips, because it just makes the colors so much deeper and the chips so much prettier to see. Some of them (for example, Cincinnati HS $25) are almost glowing, the color is so deep. Pictures don't do them justice.
Casino used chips REALLY need it after cleaning, those always seem too faded for me. In particular, I can usually see pink-white corners on every cleaned $5, but the same effect is usually visible to a lesser extent on the $25s, too. Oiling doesn't completely fix it, but it makes a huge difference.
I also oil all my brand new chips, because it just makes the colors so much deeper and the chips so much prettier to see. Some of them (for example, Cincinnati HS $25) are almost glowing, the color is so deep. Pictures don't do them justice.
Poker Zombie
Royal Flush
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