Clay chip blanks (talk me out of Milanos?) (1 Viewer)

[gabrielxz]

I want to get a blank set of 1000 clay poker chips. My plan is go get a set of custom labels done and stick them on myself. I ordered a sample set of $5,000 Milanos from Amazon and after a good wipe down, I loved them. However, a lot of people have warned me against Milanos. My 5,000s have no smell. Do the denominations vary in smell a lot?

What are the other blank options are available? It looks like Majestic and Royals don't have blanks any more. I think Paulson/CPC are out of my price range.

 

[Santa123]

Buy what you like.

 

[KHarp1]

Its not hard to remove the labels from Majestic's and Royal's. And exacto knife, score the label just enough to get the knife tip under it, pull up with the knife blade. Just takes a little time. You can do CPC's this way as well, fairly easy. Paulson's are tougher.

 

[allforcharity]

Milanos, Majestic, and Royals are not clay.

 

[BGinGA]

Milanos, Majestic, and Royals are not clay.

Correct. Known as 'china clays', they are an injection-molded plastic material that contains additives to make them appear to be more like real 'clay' chips in sound and feel (but not smell).

They often contain adhesive-backed labels with a protective laminated plastic covering applied after the manufacturing process (vs an inlay on real 'clay' chips, which is pressed into the chip material during the compression manufacturing process using high heat and pressure).

Try Google searches for "Milano poker chips", "stitch mold poker chips", or "Claysmith poker chips" to find online sellers.

 

[Mick]

a lot of people have warned me against Milanos. My 5,000s have no smell. Do the denominations vary in smell a lot?

They smell a little, but the smell lessens over time/with use/after oiling. I think those saying it's a dealbreaker are being overly dramatic. Milanos are great chips for the money.

You don't need to buy blanks, the labels are easy enough to remove. I have a couple of threads in the "Poker Chip Labeling" sub-forum here about the 2 separate sets I made from Milanos (on the cheap). My most recent is here:

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/looney-tunes-milano-relabel-100-diy.105795/

The older one is here:

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/you-guys-decide.102594/

 

[gabrielxz]

They smell a little, but the smell lessens over time/with use/after oiling. I think those saying it's a dealbreaker are being overly dramatic. Milanos are great chips for the money.

You don't need to buy blanks, the labels are easy enough to remove. I have a couple of threads in the "Poker Chip Labeling" sub-forum here about the 2 separate sets I made from Milanos (on the cheap). My most recent is here:

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/looney-tunes-milano-relabel-100-diy.105795/

The older one is here:

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/you-guys-decide.102594/

Thanks so much, this is really helpful.

 

[BPTDirector]

On the less expensive side Milanos, Majestics, and Royals are all good serviceable chips. It’s been said before but we spend thousands whereas others can play the same game with the same intensity using tiddlywinks or matchsticks. Get what you like and can afford. Do not be goaded into spending more than you want to.

 

[LowerBama1714]

On the less expensive side Milanos, Majestics, and Royals are all good serviceable chips. It’s been said before but we spend thousands whereas others can play the same game with the same intensity using tiddlywinks or matchsticks. Get what you like and can afford. Do not be goaded into spending more than you want to.

Now I’m searching for tiddlywink pron….

 

[Machine]

My plan is go get a set of custom labels done and stick them on myself.

Please post photos!

 

[KarateMaster72]

Correct. Known as 'china clays', they are an injection-molded plastic material that contains additives to make them appear to be more like real 'clay' chips in sound and feel (but not smell).

They often contain adhesive-backed labels with a protective laminated plastic covering applied after the manufacturing process (vs an inlay on real 'clay' chips, which is pressed into the chip material during the compression manufacturing process using high heat and pressure).

Try Google searches for "Milano poker chips", "stitch mold poker chips", or "Claysmith poker chips" to find online sellers.

Ok. I need more of your knowledge. I know that there are no 100% clay chips. All chips are a mixture of clay and plastics or other fillers. But I thought China clays were a plastics and kaolin "clay" hydrated aluminum silicate .

I'm probably wrong but that's why I'm asking you lol

 

[Colquhoun]

Ok. I need more of your knowledge. I know that there are no 100% clay chips. All chips are a mixture of clay and plastics or other fillers. But I thought China clays were a plastics and kaolin "clay" hydrated aluminum silicate .

I'm probably wrong but that's why I'm asking you lol

Yeah, it’s unfortunate that so many retailers have used the word “clay” to mean “premium”…which is completely subjective. It has watered down the meaning as is very confusing to shoppers looking to upgrade their chips.
In the chipping community, clay means only compression molded, using a certain type of material (which is mostly plastic). “Clay” seems to be more the process, than the materials. The process is complex, time consuming, and labor intensive…hence the premium price.
However, there’s nothing wrong with buying an injection-molded chip.

 

[BGinGA]

Fwiw, CPC execs (aka David Spragg) claims that their chips contain zero plastic.

 

[KarateMaster72]

Fwiw, CPC execs (aka David Spragg) claims that their chips contain zero plastic.

I have grown to like the "harder" feel to chips from cpc

 

[KarateMaster72]

To be honest.... And I'm sure I'm wrong or at least someone will tell me I am. I think that chips from CPC feel more like clay to me than Paulsons per se.

My girlfriend, that never knew anything about poker or chips until we started dating for years ago. Thinks she likes CPC better than Paulsons.

I have a shuffle stack of my angry duck chips and a sample stack of horseshoe chips at my desk at my karate school.

She said the Paulsons feel cheaper. Lol. I then explained to her the prices that Paulsons can fetch and the price of CPC chips.

But It was kind of cool that we both like the CPC. Not saying I don't like Paulsons. I'm not criminally insane lol. But CPC just hits the right spot for me

 

[Taghkanic]

I ordered a sample set of $5,000 Milanos from Amazon and after a good wipe down, I loved them. However, a lot of people have warned me against Milanos.

If you loved the Milanos $5K sample, maybe just go with them and don’t worry about what others say.

If you are still unsure, order samples of other Milanos denoms.

 

[allforcharity]

Fwiw, CPC execs (aka David Spragg) claims that their chips contain zero plastic.

But they do use natural/traditional organic binders, such as cotton, which most other manufacturers like Paulson have replaced with synthetics. I'm quite willing to believe that CPC uses a fair proportion of inorganic minerals for their colours as well, which probably increases the costs for sourcing and supply chain, and also costs more to experiment to increase the colour pallette selections.