Favorite alternatives to Paulson and why? (2 Viewers)

geefergus

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Paulson seems to be the gold standard for compressed clay, but what are some of your favorite alternatives and why? Pictures encouraged!!!
 
Leaded TRK > leaded Paulsons > heavy weight BCC > modern Paulsons > BCC > ASM/CPC
Love it. I need to do some more exploring on the TRK, leaded Paulson, and heavy weight BCC.

For at not expensive chips but clay
Start with ASM/CPC
Better the most ceramic/ plastic/China
I should probably find some CPC samples, seems they are hard to come by with their factory shutdown though.
 
CPC: Classic Poker Chips still proudly hand-makes chips by Americans on equipment now almost 100 years old. No other company in the world has the storied poker legacy of CPC. The company is independently owned.

CPC caters to the private buyer and offers almost 20 molds to choose from. Using clay harder than Paulson's clay, CPC chips retain their squared off edges far longer and are less likely to experience acute flea-bites along the edges, and are far less likely to "bike tire" over time.
 
I need to do some more exploring on the TRK, leaded Paulson
Dont Risk GIF by PragerU
 
Paulson THC > ASM/CPC > Paulson RHC

I really like the CPC chips with brass flakes. It gives them a slight gritty texture (even on the edges) that doesn't wear away. I find many RHC chips, when they are casino-used, can be slipperier than I prefer.
I’ll second to that opinion!

CPC brass flakes glisten nicely on black/ dark green chips.
 
Get your hands on some via the classifieds.

Minty new Paulson feels different than broken-in/used Paulson, which feels different than older vintage Paulson (different composition formula).

CPC ended up with most of the 'molds' over the years as everyone else went out of business or got bought up. TRK's molds are now at CPC, but the CPC formula is different than TRK. And TRK used multiple formulas over time as well (heavy weight vs normal etc...).

Reading about chips and watching Hobbyphilic's great videos only goes so far. Get hands on!
 

Favorite alternatives to Paulson and why?​


CPC ftw. I have four custom sets from them.

My only gripe (which might be shared by other pcf'rs) is they only have about half the colors that Paulson has available.... and specifically, their yellows leave a lot to be desired.
 
The other benefit of TRKs is that your forearms will be absolutely jacked after all the circlejerking you get to be a part of.
God I love me a good CJ- count me in!

IMO, nothing can beat your own, meaningful custom CPCs.

Get samples and look at semi custom Paulson's that are over labeled or murdered too.
I’m pretty new to the hobby but I can tell that eventually I will need to follow this path. I am going to find some CPC samples!
 
IMO, nothing can beat your own, meaningful custom CPCs.

Get samples and look at semi custom Paulson's that are over labeled or murdered too.
I’m pretty new to the hobby but I can tell that eventually I will need to follow this path. I am going to find some CPC samples
 
There's no right or wrong answer. Clay is the way (most of the time).

I'm a BCC stan. When those chips were done right, there is no better feeling or sounding chip to shuffle or splash in pots. Leaded TRK feel great, but a lot of the chips made from those materials are drab and boring (ducks and covers).

Purely in terms of feel, i.e. customization options, chip design, colors etc notwithstanding, it goes leaded broken in Paulson THC>BCC C+S or Web mold>leaded mint Paulson THC>leaded Paulso RHC>nonleaded Paulson THC>leaded TRK>CPC>nonleaded TRK for me
 
Paulson makes really good chips, but for me CPC are definitely monsters!
They come in a wide variety of molds (to suit any taste and theme for a custom set), you can order almost any edge design (if your budget allows), and you can purchase or find samples of exactly what you’ll receive. CPC have made a huge leap in color quality (especially when compared to ASM); they are almost not prone to color transfer, they hold their shape better than Paulson, they feel more clay-like compared to modern Paulson chips, and most importantly… as paradoxical as it may sound to many, they are CHEAPER than Paulson... 🤷‍♂️
You just have to get samples
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Paulson makes really good chips, but for me CPC are definitely monsters!
They come in a wide variety of molds (to suit any taste and theme for a custom set), you can order almost any edge design (if your budget allows), and you can purchase or find samples of exactly what you’ll receive. CPC have made a huge leap in color quality (especially when compared to ASM); they are almost not prone to color transfer, they hold their shape better than Paulson, they feel more clay-like compared to modern Paulson chips, and most importantly… as paradoxical as it may sound to many, they are CHEAPER than Paulson... 🤷‍♂️
You just have to get samples
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Can’t wait till they reopen! In the meantime keeping an eye out for samples like rounders
 
No matter how many sets I own, and I’ve had quite a few, my show set is my ASM custom spotted set. After that you can get my attention with solid tourney setups of the clay variety, inlaid or hotstamped. BCC ,Paulson,ASM, TRK - all much favored over any ceramic or plastic. Of the plastics abbiati would be my fave.
 
No matter how many sets I own, and I’ve had quite a few, my show set is my ASM custom spotted set. After that you can get my attention with solid tourney setups of the clay variety, inlaid or hotstamped. BCC ,Paulson,ASM, TRK - all much favored over any ceramic or plastic. Of the plastics abbiati would be my fave.
I remember your photos from CT. And they were just fantastic. How about posting them again?
Photographic technology has advanced since then.
"The hottest game..."
 

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