Bud Jones CIC vs. Metal Slugs (1 Viewer)

MacGrad

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So here's a question for all those PCFers who have used the Bud Jones CIC chips...

When I first started playing poker and thought about buying some chips, I remember seeing different variations on the "metal slug" plastic chips. One of the different styles was a cheap version of a coin inlay, like the "Monte Carlo" shown...


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However, when looking at the Bud Jones CIC sets that @TheChipVault had on sale during Black Friday, I couldn't help but notice the similarity between the "Monte Carlo" above (25 chips for $5 Cdn) and the BJs.

mMbKQNJhw5T-LAB5K7BYPSg.jpg



Now, I know Bud Jones is a quality chip manufacturer and that the two chips can't compare to the knowledgeable chipper... but what characteristics make the Bud Jones CIC better / different than the cheapo CIC? Is this strictly a "you have to have them to know the difference"? After all, it's easy to show someone a Paulson and a cheapo chip and explain the differences... but is it easy to do the same with the BJ CIC?

Just curious.
 
Interesting question actually. Kind of curious myself.
 
And can the same comparison be made for Paulson chips at $3+ compared to China Clay at 32c?
 
Take a look at this review. It sheds some insight on the shortcomings of cheap CIC's if memory serves.

 
IMO.. The quality of Bud Jones chips (and Paulson for that matter) if graded as an 'A' since they are the benchmark compared to import knock offs is usually in the D to C range (assuming they aren't total junk). And I could argue that this grade is even generous if I had more time and desire.

More importantly, authenticity and scarcity, is very much factored into the prices at which they sell for. Fact is.. the only way to get these chips currently is by purchasing them from a casino.

Also, import knock offs are just a commodity... available in any quantity you want.. assuming there is enough demand to place an initial order. After that.. their price continues to diminish until the sale price is close to the manufacturing cost.. which also drives the quality down.
 
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And can the same comparison be made for Paulson chips at $3+ compared to China Clay at 32c?

I think the comparison between Paulson vs. China Clay vs. ASM / CPC vs TRK (vs. etc) is a bit easier to make, especially with the amount of information available on each style (thanks to sites like PCF and, previously, CT). The same thing goes with comparisons of ceramic chips (eg. Chipco vs. Sunfly) -- in fact, I can remember threads upon threads discussing feel, slickness, face texture, and everything else whenever there was a new entry to the market.

However, for some unknown reason, Bud Jones CIC never seemed to get the same treatment or amount of discussion

IMO.. The quality of Bud Jones chips (and Paulson for that matter) if graded as an 'A' since they are the benchmark compared to import knock offs is usually in the D to C range (assuming they aren't total junk). And I could argue that this grade is even generous if I had more time and desire.

More importantly, authenticity and scarcity, is very much factored into the prices at which they sell for. Fact is.. the only way to get these chips currently is by purchasing them from a casino.

Also, import knock offs are just a commodity... available in any quantity you want.. assuming there is enough demand to place an initial order. After that.. their price continues to diminish until the sale price is close to the manufacturing cost.. which also drives the quality down.

Like I said, I'm not arguing about the quality of Bud Jones chips -- I think it's more that, from a visual perspective, there doesn't appear to be a significant difference between Bud Jones CIC and the cheap knockoffs. That's one of the reasons I asked if it's a matter of feel, and whether you really need to have the chips in hand to appreciate the differences.

Or, put another way... for years, we've told our poker-loving friends about the superiority of authentic casino chips, and how the cheap "metal slug" chips don't compare to those made by the real manufacturers. However, at one point, Bud Jones manufactured a line of high-quality chips that appeared to be identical to the "metal slug" chips we disowned once we became involved in the hobby. To that "less knowledgeable" friend, how would we sell them on the superiority of the BJ CIC chips when we earlier dismissed their "Monte Carlo" set as cheap?
 
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I think it is a good question though. I spent years deciding if Paulson were actually better then the alternatives.

If you want just weight, you can get big heavy chips, but there is still a difference.

Anyway, I was a little concerned when I bought the Condado's that they would be very plastic, like the cheaper inlay chips. The plastic in the Bud Jones chips has more of a clunk (vs clink) then I was expecting. Pleasantly surprised and very scientific.

I don't have any Monte carlos or other cheaper inlays to do a blind feel test as I've done with Paulson, BCC, CC and others. That may happen in the future.
 
from a visual perspective, there doesn't appear to be a significant difference between Bud Jones CIC and the cheap knockoffs.
what characteristics make the Bud Jones CIC better / different than the cheapo CIC?
Actually, a close visual inspection ~will~ "tell the tale" regarding several of the major differences. The common problems exhibited by cheaper injection-molded plastic chips (either CIC or labeled) -- most notably the stability/flatness issues and the presence of mold flashing -- are simply not present in BJ chips. Reference the video in post #4 above (1:30 to 3:30) for visual examples of both flaws.

Why is this? Bud Jones chips are made to much higher and more exacting dimensional tolerances. This generates the ability to create chips that are actually flat within an acceptable and narrow tolerance, and results in chips that can easily stack several feet high (see post #8 above). Try that with the cheap versions.

Bud Jones chips are also machined and polished, resulting in uniform diameter chips with repeatable edge treatments and no mold flashing or injection dimples. The mold flashing on cheap chips varies from very sharp edges (no post-injection treatment at all) to smoothed-down but still visible flashing (cause by buffer wheels that slightly melt and flatten the flashing). Injection dimples are always present on the inexpensive chips, because machining chips to close tolerances costs money..... which is one of the reasons they are cheap, and why Bud Jones chips are not.

In addition, BJ material quality control is also much tighter, resulting in the manufacturing processes being able to be duplicated/repeated from batch to batch, resulting in a much higher level of uniformity.

There are other reasons that BJ chips are more expensive, too -- the cost of security and inventory control requirements dictated by gaming license regulators must be rolled into the product, for example. Trained workers that can follow exacting production requirements are another. Plus the engineers required to design it all, both processes and manufacturing capabilities. High-end stuff (no matter what the subject matter) requires more money to produce. Always has, always will.


So to the uninformed, it seems like a reasonable question. But not if you know the whole story. :)
 

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