What even is a "mold"? (2 Viewers)

[GamePal64]

So obviously I've read a thousand discussions about which CPC mold is best, favorite etc. But I can't find any information about how and why different molds are different. At a glance, a mold is just the pattern printed on the chip. Wouldn't that mean the chip itself is still identical in feel? However, the way people talk about different molds, the quality and feel of chips vary drastically. Why is that, and why would some molds (patterns) make such a difference if the manufacturing process is the same?

 

[BPTDirector]

Actually you’ll discover that different molds produce a different texture and feel in chips even though the same material is used in construction. I can’t explain why but can tell you this for a fact.

 

[BearMetal]

So obviously I've read a thousand discussions about which CPC mold is best, favorite etc. But I can't find any information about how and why different molds are different. At a glance, a mold is just the pattern printed on the chip. Wouldn't that mean the chip itself is still identical in feel? However, the way people talk about different molds, the quality and feel of chips vary drastically. Why is that, and why would some molds (patterns) make such a difference if the manufacturing process is the same?

No, a mold is the physical impression on a chip. The Hat & Cane on Paulson chips is sunken in. It's not printed. Same for CPC; the mold is a physical change in the chip. And depending on where it is on the chip (close/farther from the edge) it can feel different.

 

[nowidwo]

Maybe a little odd in the abstract, but obvious in the hand.

 

[Coyote]

Molds can affect the way chips sound when shuffled against each other.
Possibly even more than molds, it's the inlay size that matters, sound-wise (for same "clay" formula chips). The bigger the inlay, the more possibility for pictorial detail, but the less clay-to-clay contact, so the sound gets "poorer".
Again, these are issues among questionably sane weirdos here.

 

[kaimat]

As everyone says here: get samples.

 

[Darthhoodie]

The mold on any chip, not just cpc can make a difference in feel, sound, and durability.
With Paulson, consider the THC vs the RHC. The outer ring on the THC protects the chip and makes it more resistant to flea bites, the absence of such a ring makes the RHC more susceptible to flea bites. The smaller inlay size on the THC vs the RHC exposes more of the chip to your fingers making them feel different. The RHC feels more like the inlay and less like the chip material. Also the different inlay size have an effect on sound as well.
Similar things happen with cpc, but with cpc's different molds you have more at play like texture, and different amounts of material displaced from different parts of the chip, which all effect sound and feel. Inlay sizes, outer rings, different amounts of material displaced, texture [some molds are smooth (FDL) some are very textured(Amold)] and color, will have an effect on weight, feel, and sound. This is why before you spend you $$$ on a set, get samples so you can feel the differences for yourself.


Also, the mold isn't something printed on the chip, it literally "molds" the chip, so you can see how different molds will produce similar but different chips.

 

[gopherblue]

The tactile feel is different, the sound is different, the weight is different, the friction when stacked is different.

 

[allforcharity]

Don't get molds on your chips mixed up with molds on your food. One is great, the other is just gross.

 

[Darthhoodie]

Molds are bad unless used to make chips, penicillin, or cheese

 

[Coyote]

Most appreciated mould

 

[allforcharity]

Most appreciated mould
View attachment 656189

Those are more than flea bites, too! Rat bites?

 

[GamePal64]

I have samples of most molds already, and to be honest they feel pretty similar. I mean, I could order samples of multiple chips from each mold, and by that point you're getting pretty expensive, especially for the Australian peons like us who don't have the luxury of instant cheap shipping to try a bunch of chips.

 

[Darthhoodie]

I have samples of most molds already, and to be honest they feel pretty similar. I mean, I could order samples of multiple chips from each mold, and by that point you're getting pretty expensive, especially for the Australian peons like us who don't have the luxury of instant cheap shipping to try a bunch of chips.

You should see if any of your fellow Australians can hook you up with samples, we have maybe 8 to 10 members from your part of the world if not more.

 

[CrazyEddie]

Different clay chips definitely feel and sound different and handle differently, but those differences are small relative to the differences between cheap plastics, ceramics, china clays, casino plastics, and casino clays. You might not notice the differences between two different casino clays, and if you did notice you might not care. A lot of forum members have handled a lot of different chips and accordingly have developed strong opinions about those small differences, the way some wine connoisseurs might prefer one year's vintage over another year's. But the only thing that matters is how they feel to you.

If you're only looking at the different molds available for a custom CPC purchase, then the differences will be pretty small. They'll all be the same type (compression-molded clay), the same age and condition (mint), made from the same material (barring color choice), and roughly the same weight. They'll be much more alike than they would be to worn TRK Small Crowns or broken-in leaded Paulson THCs. That said, they do have small differences, especially in texture.

How much time, effort, and money you should spend comparing different samples depends on how much time, effort, and money you're going to spend on the chips you're planning to purchase.