Which Claysmith chips you prefer? (1 Viewer)

[Legend5555]

I just got a sample of Desert Heat. I like them just fine. I much prefer their colors and spots to those of the Spade mold. There just isn't enough difference in quality within the slugged chip space that I'm going to choose ones I think look worse because they feel marginally better. I like chips otherwise I wouldn't be here, but I'm also pragmatic. I don't let chip feel drive me to spend more than necessary. My primary reason for having chips is to play poker.

Of course I wish I had my Paulson Pharaohs back. But slugged chips still feel okay, shuffle okay, and sound okay. So when budget is a concern, I see no issues with slugged chips. FWIW, I actually think Desert Heat looks nicer than Paulson CDI and Pharaoh..

 

[tkang]

These chips are great for the price. At $.12 a chip you can get custom labels from @Gear and only be into these for $.32 per chip.

Chips below are Monaco Casino with custom labels designed by @Quicksilver-75 . This is by far the nicest "inexpensive" set I own. Finally placed my order using the link above to complete the set and use the extra labels that I had.

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@Potsie1 I was thinking of doing this also... have you ever found that the customer labels fall off or peel off over time?

 

[Potsie1]

Not if you order form @Gear.

 

[Kid_Eastwood]

I do prefer the Bluff Canyon for the theme and their colors. Rock ‘n Roll come second for me.

I think I would also prefer these Claysmith over China Clay for durability reasons.

 

[mummel]

Bluff colors are the best but they have sharp plastic edges and spinners are an issue.

Poker Knights are the best made but with bland colors.

Milanos have the best feel but some quality control issues.

Overall I would chose the Milano’s if I was bound to claysmith.

 

[AnteAndy]

Bluff colors are the best but they have sharp plastic edges and spinners are an issue.

Poker Knights are the best made but with bland colors.

Milanos have the best feel but some quality control issues.

Overall I would chose the Milano’s if I was bound to claysmith.

I actually choose the Showdowns a while back and made it my cheap travel set. Milanos are nice, played with them several times through a fellow PCFer, but I didn't like the brown frac, they tended to be slippery a good bit of the time, and didn't like the mold as much.

I like the Showdowns in terms of feel, no spinners at all, and I kinda like the color of the frac. It is true the colors are drab and heavy, but the mold and design are nice, and great to have a cheap 400 qty travel set that far exceeds dice chips that everyone else I know uses, outside of my fellow PCFer.

 

[Indyscammer]

I just procured 1000 Tourney set of Milanos. The other Claysmith offerings all feel “rubbery” to me. While Milanos have a few minor quality issues like dirty spots or stress marks, they feel closest to a true clay chip.

Get samples.

 

[arch3r]

My first set of chips.

 

[TX_Golf_N_Poker]

These chips are great for the price. At $.12 a chip you can get custom labels from @Gear and only be into these for $.32 per chip.

Chips below are Monaco Casino with custom labels designed by @Quicksilver-75 . This is by far the nicest "inexpensive" set I own. Finally placed my order using the link above to complete the set and use the extra labels that I had.

View attachment 314629

Hey all, Sorry to drag up an old post, but I'm now looking for some cheap chips to re-label for some custom sets as gifts for family members. They're not chippers, so won't care whether they get sluggos vs. Paulsons. I'm considering all the chips in this thread. And some even cheaper ones.

@Potsie1 do you recall the label size that these Monaco Casino chips take? Back when I first was starting, I ordered samples of the Lucky Horseshoe chips from the same vendor. Based on your description, I think they are the same base chip, just with a different mold. But, they have TINY labels. Only 3/4 of an inch. I'm hoping the Monaco Casinos are at least one inch to take the labels I'm getting. Thanks!

 

[mummel]

If the showdown chips had the bluff colors, I would have bought a few thousand for a traveling tourney set.

 

[TX_Golf_N_Poker]

If the showdown chips had the bluff colors, I would have bought a few thousand for a traveling tourney set.

So even though you liked the Bluff colors, you disliked the mold (or labels?) too much to buy them? They're both Claysmith, so aren't the actual chips pretty similar? (handling, shuffling, splashing) What caused you to not just pull the trigger on Bluffs?

 

[Legend5555]

So even though you liked the Bluff colors, you disliked the mold (or labels?) too much to buy them? They're both Claysmith, so aren't the actual chips pretty similar? (handling, shuffling, splashing) What caused you to not just pull the trigger on Bluffs?

The Bluff/Desert mold is far more slippery than the Monaco/Knights mold. I owned both. I still use the Monaco for tournaments. Buy I upgraded the Desert Heat chips to CPS.

 

[mummel]

The Bluff/Desert mold is far more slippery than the Monaco/Knights mold. I owned both. I still use the Monaco for tournaments. Buy I upgraded the Desert Heat chips to CPS.

This. The bluffs also have lots of spinners where the poker nights don’t. The bluffs have sharp edges and that plastic “flashing” (hobbyjon’s terminology). Overall, the poker nights are MUCH BETTER in terms of construction.

However, their colors are very dull. So dull to a point that it over comes any superior construction. They are really bland. On the flip side, the bluffs colors are fantastic, particularly the high denom’s. For real. I’ve had a sample set for a long time now. No fading. They still look great after lots of shuffling (whereas my china clays picked up a lot of dirt).

I hope Claysmith reads this. Make me a poker night with the bluffs colors at 13c a chip and I’m in for a few thousand.

 

[Legend5555]

This. The bluffs also have lots of spinners where the poker nights don’t. The bluffs also have sharp edges and that plastic “flashing” (hobbyjon’s terminology). Overall, the poker nights are MUCH BETTER in terms of construction.

However, their colors are very dull. So dull to a point that it over comes any superior construction. They are really bland. On the flip side, the bluffs colors are fantastic, particularly the high denom’s. For real. I’ve had a sample set for a long time now. No fading. They still look great after lots of shuffling (whereas my china clays picked up a lot of dirt).

I hope Claysmith reads this. Make me a poker night with the bluffs colors at 13c a chip and I’m in for a few thousand.

+1 to this. The Knight's colors suck. And colors aren't consistent over the production batches. The more recent ones are much more muted. To the point where the $100 and $500 are hard to tell apart even in good lighting.

I don't run many tournaments, so until I have some money to just throw around, I can live with them for the 4-6 tournaments I run a year.

 

[Beakertwang]

This. The bluffs also have lots of spinners where the poker nights don’t. The bluffs have sharp edges and that plastic “flashing” (hobbyjon’s terminology). Overall, the poker nights are MUCH BETTER in terms of construction.

However, their colors are very dull. So dull to a point that it over comes any superior construction. They are really bland. On the flip side, the bluffs colors are fantastic, particularly the high denom’s. For real. I’ve had a sample set for a long time now. No fading. They still look great after lots of shuffling (whereas my china clays picked up a lot of dirt).

I hope Claysmith reads this. Make me a poker night with the bluffs colors at 13c a chip and I’m in for a few thousand.

I bought a set of the Poker Knights, and was instantly disappointed with the colors. Additionally, the ones I got had the rough “flashing”. Deciding I was going to get rid of them is what brought me here.

For a tourney set, I now have the Monaco Casino (not Claysmith, as far as I know) set from Discount Poker Shop. They’re less slippery than the Knights, have smooth edges, and feel pretty good.

 

[Trihonda]

Milanos...

enough said

 

[mummel]

Milanos...

enough said

Milanos...

enough said

Haha so true. Post some of those awesome photos from a few years back. I remember you had a couple of thousand in drawers. Bad ass!

 

[BGinGA]

They're both Claysmith, so aren't the actual chips pretty similar? (handling, shuffling, splashing)

They aren't the same chip at all. Claysmith is just an importer, and was not involved with the development of the spade mold chips (Poker Knights, Monaco, Showdown), which were originally created for a different importer.... and possibly even made by a different Chinese company than Claysmith's other plastic chips.

 

[Trihonda]

Haha so true. Post some of those awesome photos from a few years back. I remember you had a couple of thousand in drawers. Bad ass!

only pics I could find. Tho at one time I had 3500 of them, from a mistake on Claysmiths part..

 

[CrazyEddie]

They aren't the same chip at all. Claysmith is just an importer, and was not involved with the development of the spade mold chips (Poker Knights, Monaco, Showdown), which were originally created for a different importer.... and possibly even made by a different Chinese company than Claysmith's other plastic chips.

I was wondering about this just yesterday, when I noticed that Claysmith didn't list Poker Knights on their website as one of "theirs".

Do you know who actually "owns" (i.e. designed/developed/commissioned) these:

• Sword-and-Spade slugged (Showdown, Monaco, Poker Knights)
• Meander slugged (Gold Rush, Desert Heat, Bluff Canyon)
• Gear Wheel slugged (The Mint, Rock and Roll)
• Stitch and Line non-slugged (Milano)

I had the impression that Apache commissioned Majestics and Royals, and I know they commissioned Bank. I thought Milano was Apache's as well, but Claysmith's website claims credit for them...

 

[BGinGA]

I was wondering about this just yesterday, when I noticed that Claysmith didn't list Poker Knights on their website as one of "theirs".

Do you know who actually "owns" (i.e. designed/developed/commissioned) these:

• Sword-and-Spade slugged (Showdown, Monaco, Poker Knights)
• Meander slugged (Gold Rush, Desert Heat, Bluff Canyon)
• Gear Wheel slugged (The Mint, Rock and Roll)
• Stitch and Line non-slugged (Milano)

I thought Milano was Apache's as well, but Claysmith's website claims credit for them...

Afaik, Claysmith currently owns the rights for all of those chip designs listed above. I believe the spade & sword mold chip designs were originally imported/offered by Chip & Games.

 

[RudysNYC]

I currently have the 12-stripes and at the expense of being a blasphemer I f'n love them. Sure a barrel is heavy enough to be used as a blunt force object but they shuffle great, stack great, play fine, and are super budget-friendly. Obviously there are much better options out there for those of us who appreciate the finer things in life, but I was able to get a set of blanks labeled for like 30¢ a chip.

Way I look at it, sure I'd love to drive a Ferrari but if all I'm trying to do is get from point A to point B, a Toyota can be a great option

 

[mummel]

I’d love to get in contact with someone at Claysmith to provide them with feedback on the bluffs/poker nights combo. Anyone know anybody there?

 

[BGinGA]

Nope. Don't know anybody at my local Toyota dealer, either.

 

[mummel]

I currently have the 12-stripes and at the expense of being a blasphemer I f'n love them. Sure a barrel is heavy enough to be used as a blunt force object but they shuffle great, stack great, play fine, and are super budget-friendly. Obviously there are much better options out there for those of us who appreciate the finer things in life, but I was able to get a set of blanks labeled for like 30¢ a chip.

Way I look at it, sure I'd love to drive a Ferrari but if all I'm trying to do is get from point A to point B, a Toyota can be a great option

They shuffle better than any of my china clays. And as I said, they are very durable. My china clay shuffle stack picked up a lot of dirt and grime over the course of a few months. The Bluffs got the same use and looked good as new. And I actually like the weight vs regular chips. Has more perceived value when I hold them in my hand. And the colors look real good.

But again, the spinner thing is real. It rubs me the wrong way. No way to fix that unless you want to spend $ and throw out the bad chips (but then this chip no longer becomes a value chip). The flashing thing you can get around with a lot of patience (use your finger nail to grind down the edges).

Im telling you guys. Poker knights construction with Bluff colors would be a huge hit. I’d get a few thousand myself.

 

[RudysNYC]

But again, the spinner thing is real. It rubs me the wrong way. No way to fix that unless you want to spend $ and throw out the bad chips

I think the spinner issue has less to do with the chips themselves and more to do with the labels. The 12-stripes I have are the blanks the Bluff Canyons use, and with unlaminated labels I've never had any spinners.

 

[mummel]

I think the spinner issue has less to do with the chips themselves and more to do with the labels. The 12-stripes I have are the blanks the Bluff Canyons use, and with unlaminated labels I've never had any spinners.

Very interesting. I wonder why?

 

[CrazyEddie]

For me, the flashing is a complete deal-breaker, no matter how good a deal the chips are otherwise; that rules out all the slugged chips I listed in my post above. They just feel too rough around the edges.

Outlaws are another possibility for a nice cheap chip. No flashing problems with them at all. But you have to like their graphic design. They wouldn't be good for a relabel project because they have the word "OUTLAW" molded into the edge.

After that there's a ton of cheap chips that would be great for relabeling for people who aren't going to discriminate between sluggers and high-end chips. I've tried a bunch of 'em; some I like, some I don't. The nice thing is that getting samples is dirt cheap.

Good luck with your project, and let us know what you decide on!

 

[mummel]

For me, the flashing is a complete deal-breaker, no matter how good a deal the chips are otherwise; that rules out all the slugged chips I listed in my post above. They just feel too rough around the edges.

Outlaws are another possibility for a nice cheap chip. No flashing problems with them at all. But you have to like their graphic design. They wouldn't be good for a relabel project because they have the word "OUTLAW" molded into the edge.

After that there's a ton of cheap chips that would be great for relabeling for people who aren't going to discriminate between sluggers and high-end chips. I've tried a bunch of 'em; some I like, some I don't. The nice thing is that getting samples is dirt cheap.

Good luck with your project, and let us know what you decide on!

You tried using your finger nail to smooth the flashing/sharp edges?

 

[CrazyEddie]

I tried it just now, it improved things but I can't say I found the results satisfying. YMMV.