K ALL IN 9
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In this thread I will attempt to show you how to remove a Matsui label without damaging it. The inspiration came after acquiring some Emerald Bay $5 (red w/ yellow) to use as a 25K in my WPS set. I really like the beveled edges of the 25k but they obviously don't match the rest of the chips. Also, during the 2006 Wsop, the red and yellow 25k BJ chip had the same spot pattern as the green 25. This will also be consistent with the 25 and 25k chip in my WPS set. I will be using this method to transfer the WPS labels to the EB chips
A few disclaimers:
Please do this at your own risk. I am not responsible for you damaging your chips.
This is a VERY time consuming process to get the label off and glue removed from the label. My estimate would be about 15 min per chip.
The labels are plastic and are exactly the same thickness as a copag card. They do bend but they can also crease.
I'm not sure how these labels compare to their other molds so only use this method on the WPS chips.
What you will need:
Heat gun
Xacto Knife
Goo gone/goof off/etc
Stiff plastic card like a credit card but something you wouldn't mind if it broke. Like a casino players card or similar
Dental floss/fishing line (I used the flat dental floss type)
Step 1:
Use the heat gun to heat up the chip. I don't have 3 hands so I don't have any pictures of this step. This is to soften of the glue underneath (which is extremely strong) just enough so it's hot to the touch but won't burn your skin if you touch it. You also don't want to melt the plastic.
Step 2:
Use the Xacto knife to pry up part of the label. This part requires the most caution because you could scratch the underside of the label which will be visible from the front.
After doing both sides of the chip, I would recommend putting the Xacto knife in the yellow circled area. This is the largest white part of the label and is the easiest to repair with a small amount of white paint on the underside if you do happen to scratch it. You'll see in a later photo where I scratched it around the 1 o clock position.
Step 2:
You want to pry up every so slightly to get the tip of the blad under the label. Then thread the dental floss/fishing line under the blade and slide it so it gets under the label. Once it's under, remove the blade.
NOTE: Once the chip cools the glue will harden again. Every so often you'll want to heat up the chip to keep the glue soft and pliable
Step 3:
Keep working the floss/fishing line under the label. Once you get half way through, grab the 2 loose ends of the floss and bring them together. Wrap around your fingers and while holding the chip in one hand, use the other hand holding the floss to pull in the opposite direction while moving your hand back in forth, similar to a sawing motion. Keep the chip warm during this process.
You can see in this picture where I scratched the underside of the label:
Now your label is off!
The first side I took off had a lot of residue on it. The second side had barely any
Step4:
Use the goo gone and apply 1-2 drops to the glue and wait a few minutes for it to start working
Step 5:
Use a paper towel to dab the excess goo gone and use the stiff plastic card to scrape off the remaining glue. I used a pretty decent amount of pressure and it didn't damage the label. You don't want to use anything metal as it will scratch the label.
Once you have the glue removed you're done. My plan is going to be to reuse the glue that's leftover on the chip to apply the new label. There should be enough left behind to stick the new label to without it falling off during normal circumstances. I'll soften it up to get tacky and apply the new clean label
Here are the removed labels ready to be applied. I'd say there's very minimal damage for my first time taking them off. I'm going to attempt to flawlessly remove the next 40. I dont have the new chips in hand yet but I'll update this thread
A few disclaimers:
Please do this at your own risk. I am not responsible for you damaging your chips.
This is a VERY time consuming process to get the label off and glue removed from the label. My estimate would be about 15 min per chip.
The labels are plastic and are exactly the same thickness as a copag card. They do bend but they can also crease.
I'm not sure how these labels compare to their other molds so only use this method on the WPS chips.
What you will need:
Heat gun
Xacto Knife
Goo gone/goof off/etc
Stiff plastic card like a credit card but something you wouldn't mind if it broke. Like a casino players card or similar
Dental floss/fishing line (I used the flat dental floss type)
Step 1:
Use the heat gun to heat up the chip. I don't have 3 hands so I don't have any pictures of this step. This is to soften of the glue underneath (which is extremely strong) just enough so it's hot to the touch but won't burn your skin if you touch it. You also don't want to melt the plastic.
Step 2:
Use the Xacto knife to pry up part of the label. This part requires the most caution because you could scratch the underside of the label which will be visible from the front.
After doing both sides of the chip, I would recommend putting the Xacto knife in the yellow circled area. This is the largest white part of the label and is the easiest to repair with a small amount of white paint on the underside if you do happen to scratch it. You'll see in a later photo where I scratched it around the 1 o clock position.
Step 2:
You want to pry up every so slightly to get the tip of the blad under the label. Then thread the dental floss/fishing line under the blade and slide it so it gets under the label. Once it's under, remove the blade.
NOTE: Once the chip cools the glue will harden again. Every so often you'll want to heat up the chip to keep the glue soft and pliable
Step 3:
Keep working the floss/fishing line under the label. Once you get half way through, grab the 2 loose ends of the floss and bring them together. Wrap around your fingers and while holding the chip in one hand, use the other hand holding the floss to pull in the opposite direction while moving your hand back in forth, similar to a sawing motion. Keep the chip warm during this process.
You can see in this picture where I scratched the underside of the label:
Now your label is off!
The first side I took off had a lot of residue on it. The second side had barely any
Step4:
Use the goo gone and apply 1-2 drops to the glue and wait a few minutes for it to start working
Step 5:
Use a paper towel to dab the excess goo gone and use the stiff plastic card to scrape off the remaining glue. I used a pretty decent amount of pressure and it didn't damage the label. You don't want to use anything metal as it will scratch the label.
Once you have the glue removed you're done. My plan is going to be to reuse the glue that's leftover on the chip to apply the new label. There should be enough left behind to stick the new label to without it falling off during normal circumstances. I'll soften it up to get tacky and apply the new clean label
Here are the removed labels ready to be applied. I'd say there's very minimal damage for my first time taking them off. I'm going to attempt to flawlessly remove the next 40. I dont have the new chips in hand yet but I'll update this thread
Last edited:
Reserved for my reply which will be later.
