Which clay chips have smooth faces? (2 Viewers)

ttt

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I have some RHC and CPC H-mold chips and both have this cross-hatching texture on their faces. I dislike the scratchy noise that's made when squaring up an interleaved stack while shuffling. I have some lammer mold chips which have the opposite problem of being too slippery and require more care while shuffling, but at least they're buttery smooth (when they don't collapse mid-shuffle).

I guess my question is twofold:
1. to anyone who also thinks that the texture on the aforementioned chips is too rough, how much shuffling/play time did it take for you to not be bothered by it anymore (I'm guessing a long time), and
2. which clay molds/manufacturers/chips have a smooth texture on their faces? (I'm especially curious about the very endgame stuff like leaded THC or TRK)
 
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1. does this texture wear down over time
Yes, with enough use/shuffling.

to become not a problem
What you describe as a problem would be seen to many others as a feature, because the cross-hatching is both intentional and functional so as to prevent the exploding barrel syndrome you described. Whether or not it fades away to a point where it's no longer problematic for your purposes...only you will be able to decide that. Note that cross-hatching on the inlay (when present) won't fade to the same degree as the clay. The clay wears much, much faster.

2. which clay molds/manufacturers/chips have a smooth texture on their faces
Paulson's lammer mold might be the only that can currently be used. CPC's current plain mold is textured; their non-textured plain mold has been out of commission for years and I don't believe resucitating it is an option. Older molds without cross-hatching include TRK's large crown mold and crest & seal chips made by USPCC. There may be others, but those are the ones that come to mind.
 
What you describe as a problem would be seen to many others as a feature,

Poor choice of wording on my part, I edited my OP to remove the word "problem." This is as you say, a matter of preference. Shuffling characteristics is pretty much the only way I judge the "feel" and handling of a chip, I'm sure not everyone does that.

Thanks for the information on which molds are smooth. I guess I want to expand on my question a little beyond strictly smooth molds. Of the molds I mentioned, from smoothest to roughest, it would certainly be lammer < RHC < H-mold. I've not handled THC personally, I would assume it lands past RHC because it has more surface area, but perhaps the mold was intentionally tweaked to have a smoother surface than RHC because the added surface area alone provides more friction. My question would then be which mold lands between lammer and RHC, as those are what I would want to investigate for future purchases.
 
From what you said, I’d say that CPC offers two moulds that would give you the feel and look you want. Large Crown with a max 7/8” inlay or FDL with its 1 1/16” inlay. Large crown gives you a smooth, less glossy inlay and the FDL has a glossy inlay much more akin to a RHC type look.
of both, I LOVE the feel of FDL chips. They feel fantastic right out of the box. LCrown has a less buttery feel but would really serve to make a retro set look authentic.
 
From what you said, I’d say that CPC offers two moulds that would give you the feel and look you want. Large Crown with a max 7/8” inlay or FDL with its 1 1/16” inlay. Large crown gives you a smooth, less glossy inlay and the FDL has a glossy inlay much more akin to a RHC type look.
of both, I LOVE the feel of FDL chips. They feel fantastic right out of the box. LCrown has a less buttery feel but would really serve to make a retro set look authentic.

Thanks for your suggestions, I'm in the process of deciding which CPC molds to sample. I don't really care all that much about smoothness of the inlay given that it doesn't come into contact with anything. If anything, I think textured inlays are cool!

Can you rank the CPC molds that you've handled in terms of smoothness of the clay face?
 
Errrr...that’s a toughy. The best solution is to order a mold set from CPC or see if someone here can lend you one. I have a couple chips here to help but not a whole set.
 
I haven't bought a mold sample set from CPC yet, because I didn't think I could sample a mold properly without having a barrel of chips in a mold in hand. $23 is definitely a small price to pay to figure out which ones are sufficiently smooth though, so I'm going to order one.
 
Here’s a pic of some up close. Maybe others could fill in the missing moulds.
scrown
image.jpg


Lcrown
image.jpg


FDL
image.jpg


Hourglass
image.jpg


HHR
image.jpg


H mold
image.jpg


A mold
image.jpg


DiaSqr
image.jpg
 
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I haven't bought a mold sample set from CPC yet, because I didn't think I could sample a mold properly without having a barrel of chips in a mold in hand. $23 is definitely a small price to pay to figure out which ones are sufficiently smooth though, so I'm going to order one.
The diasqr mold pictures last might be your go-to. IMO it’s the best feeling after FDL, is better looking than FDL, gives you one of the top 3-4 for smoothness (lcrown, circlesquare, FDL) but is pricey. But totally worth it!
 
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Thanks for the photos! Large crown indeed looks to be completely textureless, and I've heard a lot of good things about diasqr. I'll keep the smoothest molds you mentioned in mind, and report back when I get my hands on the samples.
 

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