No more clay! What should we actually call the materials? (1 Viewer)

[pgup]

Ok, everyone calls everything clay, but nothing contains any actual clay at this point. Not even "real clay" chips apparently? Is this true?

So what could we call all the different categories if we wanted to accurately describe them?

Clay = Plastic
China Clay = Plastic Composite
Real Clay = ???

Or should I just give up and roll with clay clay clay clay?

 

[Colquhoun]

Clay = Plastic

Just because plastic chip marketers try to deceive the chip buyer doesn’t mean I need to subscribe to it.

 

[pgup]

Exactly! So what do we call the different kinds of chips in an honest non-deceiving way?

 

[Taghkanic]

Like a Supreme Court justice once said about pornography: I can’t define clay, but I know it when I see it.

 

[ThinkingFold]

Like a Supreme Court justice once said about pornography: I can’t define clay, but I know it when I see it.

You mean like Paulson pointing out their own chips are plastic?

 

[upNdown]

Ok, everyone calls everything clay, but nothing contains any actual clay at this point. Not even "real clay" chips apparently? Is this true?

So what could we call all the different categories if we wanted to accurately describe them?

Clay = Plastic
China Clay = Plastic Composite
Real Clay = ???

Or should I just give up and roll with clay clay clay clay?

Just roll with what you like. But if what you like is injection molded (as opposed to compression molded) then you better not call it clay in front of PCFers.

 

[RadicusScout]

You mean like Paulson pointing out their own chips are plastic?

Live look at @ThinkingFold setting this thread on fire.

 

[Phoe9x]

cotton chips?

 

[allforcharity]

It's simpler to keep thr current nomenclature. Otherwise we have to differentiate between 13 types of plastic.

 

[Schmendr1ck]

Compression molded works for me.

 

[MrCrawdad]

I'll tell you this, it isn't easy for us new guys to understand what's going on no matter what you call it. Clay means made the way clay chips once were? China clay means plastic chips made in China that are actually decent? I'm still so lost. It's okay, I'll figure it out eventually. It'll help once I have samples in my hand. This seems like the kind of thing that would be easier to understand kinesthetically.

 

[henderson]

I'll tell you this, it isn't easy for us new guys to understand what's going on no matter what you call it. Clay means made the way clay chips once were? China clay means plastic chips made in China that are actually decent? I'm still so lost. It's okay, I'll figure it out eventually. It'll help once I have samples in my hand. This seems like the kind of thing that would be easier to understand kinesthetically.

I'm with you on this as someone just stepping into it. Luckily I've got a stash of cheapo plastic chips from years ago until I can try out some "clay" plastic ones.

 

[upNdown]

I'm with you on this as someone just stepping into it. Luckily I've got a stash of cheapo plastic chips from years ago until I can try out some "clay" plastic ones.

Oh definitely isn’t easy. But that’s the reality. If you really want to understand chips, you need to read everything that’s posted here. Do searches to learn more, and ask directed questions. Then buy samples of a bunch of different kinds of chips and figure out what you like.
If you don’t want to put in the time to learn a whole new hobby, then you probably just want some chips so you can play poker. If that’s the case, buy what sounds best for you, and you’ll probably be fine. Most of the chips discussed on PCF are better than what’s used in like 90% of home games.

 

[RocAFella1]

Potato @Josh Kifer

 

[Schmendr1ck]

I'll tell you this, it isn't easy for us new guys to understand what's going on no matter what you call it. Clay means made the way clay chips once were? China clay means plastic chips made in China that are actually decent? I'm still so lost. It's okay, I'll figure it out eventually. It'll help once I have samples in my hand. This seems like the kind of thing that would be easier to understand kinesthetically.

If you want an overview of the different types of chips, try this thread. Note that it doesn't include stacking interlocking chips.
https://www.pokerchipforum.com/thre...poker-chips-for-beginners-new-members.114884/

Be aware that even within a category, chips are different. For example, CPCs have a different look, feel, and sound to Paulsons - they're both great, just different.

One of the mantras around here since I was a noob is GET SAMPLES. Your needs, budget, and preferences are different than mine, so the best way to be sure you like what you're buying is to get a few in hand first before you purchase a full set.

 

[DrunkleWade]

Compression molded works for me.

Yep, I like this term.

 

[merkong]

Round, flat, pretty…

 

[Josh Kifer]

Everyone knows chips are made of cotton.

 

[BGinGA]

Everyone knows chips are made of cotton potatoes.

fyp, slacker.

 

[Cratty]

"Composite" is a terrible term to use; it basically doesn't mean anything. Almost all chips are made out of plastic, including "clay" and "ceramic" chips, and almost all chips are a composite of various plastics plus other materials.

Around here, what we call clay chips are compression-molded chips made using materials and methods similar to those that were used for the vast majority of casino chips during the twentieth century. What other people call "clay" or "clay composite" is usually meaningless, and most often just indicates plain injection-molded metal-slugged plastic chips of no particular interest or value.

Rather than speaking of clay vs. composite, we generally categorize chips as follows:

• Clay
• Ceramic
• Casino-grade plastic
• Mass-market plastic
• China clay

All of these are made out of some variety of plastic (with some exceptions) and include some variety of additives. That said, there is a wide variety of plastics available, and the materials that each different chip is made out of varies tremendously.

 

[Gus]

I've been putting together a collection from as many manufacturers and molds as I can and I'm noodling on how to describe the differences. My interim solution is:

Trad Clay = Paulson, CPC/ASM/Burt/BCC/TRK?... (the older they get, the more I need to learn about these various companies)
China Clay = Eastony spirits, Majestic Card room and its ilk, etc... (chalkier texture perhaps)
Ceramic - Chipco, reluctantly TINAs (perhaps this'll be turned into "Home Ceramic" vs "Casino Ceramic" since BRPro had Chipco blanks for a while...
Casino Plastic - Matsui, Abbiati, Gemaco, Bud Jones, RT Plastics, etc
Home Plastic - Die slugs, most "clay" chips available on Amazon
Plastic... indeterminate origin chips, where I'm not sure if they're more commercial grade or home-market oriented
Paper... got one compressed paper one! With a knight's helmet
Brass - some quirky home-market brass-core chips

"Home Composite" might be the right term for all the CASINO TOURNAMENT GRADE CLAY CHIPS on Amazon/Alibaba. This could differentiate between the less slippery SlowPlay-type chips and the ABS plastic die slugs and plastic crinkle chips.

Whether Paulsons should be differentiated by date of manufacture is an interesting question. Leaded vs not, changing formula over time which even if a trade secret it may be possible to definitively show that chips from different eras are made of different materials (biggest inflection point being the ~2000 Mexico factory vs prior production?)

 

[Taghkanic]

Didn’t someone here do some microscopic and/or chemical analysis of Paulson chip material a while back? Or did I dream that?

 

[BGinGA]

Didn’t someone here do some microscopic and/or chemical analysis of Paulson chip material a while back? Or did I dream that?

Yep, and the primary ingredients were similar to those found in the original China clay chips (although in different quantities).

 

[BGinGA]

And @CrazyEddie's list is still valid, although I'd argue that 'ceramic' should be broken down further into full-face printed smooth blanks, full-face printed debossed blanks, and hybrids (edge/surface printed with recessed labels).