The comparison between the higher-end real clay chips to the composite chips which simulate the real clay feel and sound.
I am familiar with Paulson, CPC, Blue Chip Co., etc., but I‘m not familiar with the durability of the materials used in those chips. Nor am I familiar with the variant composite mixes.
Real clay chips transfer (mark) colors when they rub against each other with even a light pressure while composite chips need more force to do so (if they do at all), so there’s one kind of material difference - soft vs. hard.
I don’t know if there are clays which are more durable than other clays, which composites are more durable than other composites, and if the top clay vs. top composite is best.
I just wanted to know if there was ever a study of quality/integrity through testing done on chip substances with a subsequent comparison between clay versus composite.
...or if anyone here has had an extensive collection of both chip types and has learned from experience.
I've never noticed the color transfer issue you speak of, but then I've never looked for it or never tried to do it. And I don't recall ever reading about it here on the forum. So I'll leave any commentary on that subject to others.
Regarding chip preferences, I'm in the minority here in that I do not yet have a playable set of real clay chips. I have a few racks of Paulsons, and some barrels of CPCs and BCCs. The
BCC chips with the cigar & snifter mold are probably my favorites, but very difficult to find in decent quantities. I'm currently in the process of assembling a small (600 chip) Paulson
THC micro stakes cash set. I have my fives and nickels, I'm going to buy Jack Cinci $1s, and I'm still trying to determine what to buy for quarters and $20s. Don't need anything bigger for my micro stakes games.
What I do have a lot of is ceramic cards mold chips - the ones in the photo that
@SeanGecko posted. And china clay (clay composite?) chips. The china clay description is what we use around here for the composite chips that do not have metal inserts, somewhat emulate compressed clay chips in look and feel, and usually weigh about 8-10 grams each, similar to the compressed clay chips. The other category of composite chips are the "sluggos" or chips with a metal slug that weigh between 12-15 grams. These are typically the bottom of the rung around here, although some of them have good design, a decent feel and are somewhat better than others. These can make a great entry level set for someone on a strict budget, and are certainly nicer looking to most of us than dice chips and a lot of the other cheaper department store types that are usually sold in a 500 / 600 / 1000 chip sets with an aluminum case, a couple decks of paper cards and maybe some dice.
My personal favorite of the china clays are the PGI 8Vs, which are no longer in production. I'll post a photo at the bottom. Other popular designs that are still in production and easy to locate in quantity are the Majestics, Dunes, Pharaohs, Milanos and a few others in 39mm size, plus the 43mm Royals. These are all available at retail from Apache and used here on the forum in the classifieds. Some of the older china clays had issues with drying out, crumbling and breaking easily, but all these I mentioned are thought to be pretty durable as far as I know. I can definitely attest to the 8Vs which are solid as tanks and take a LOT of abuse before they show any wear at all.
As far as the durability of compressed clay, I feel like it's got to be pretty good, given that the casinos use them on a daily basis for years at a time. They do show wear and the sharp corners round off after a LOT of play, but for a home game I can't imagine ever wearing out a set, especially if you start with EX/NrMint chips or better. I'm buying good condition casino used for my set because I like the feel of a broken in clay chip, and they are less expensive than the mint condition ones. I'm still expecting to get a lifetime of use out of them.
I didn't even get to address the other types of chips such as high end plastics, casino grade ceramics and hybrid chips. I suspect that any or all of them are not going to present a durability issue to anyone hosting home games a few times a month, or even more often. For that reason, I wouldn't be surprised if no one has ever thought to do a durability study comparing the various materials used in chip composition. Trial and error over the years has resulted in a number of different materials that all seem to function very well for a long period of time, in both casinos and for home use. As for me, I pick the ones I like the most esthetically, and don't worry at all about durability.
Here are a couple pics of those 8Vs I was telling you about that I feel are the cream of the china clay crop - if you can find enough of them. Those of us who like them, tend to hang on to them.