Plastic and clay poker chips

How can you tell the difference between plastic and clay poker chips?

I just purchased a bunch of very old poker chips and think they are clay but I don ‘t know for sure. I ‘m pretty sure they are not plastic, when shaving the edge of a chip that comes as a powder. The color seems to go completely. “Sure way to tell? Some of these chips are skipped, again, not like plastic. They sound rather dull when FIPP on a hard surface. I bought a blue 80 in a garage sale, 40 White, 20, and red 20. They were in a baggie in the zip lock in a litter box. Cost $ 1. There is a fancy design on both sides.

Posted by: cdb

Answer

There are a few ways to help determine if your poker chips are made of clay or plastic:

1. Weight: Clay poker chips are generally heavier than plastic ones. Clay chips usually weigh between 8-11 grams, while plastic chips are typically lighter, weighing between 4-6 grams.
2. Texture: Clay poker chips have a slightly rough and textured surface, whereas plastic chips are smoother. If you run your fingernail along the surface of a clay chip, you’ll likely feel the texture. In contrast, plastic chips are generally smoother and feel more slippery.
3. Sound: When you drop clay poker chips onto a hard surface, they produce a dull, solid sound. On the other hand, plastic poker chips make a higher-pitched, more brittle sound.
4. Edges: Clay poker chips often have rougher edges compared to plastic chips. As you mentioned, when you shave the edge of a clay chip, it comes off as a powder, while plastic chips may produce more solid shavings.
5. Color: The color of clay poker chips typically goes all the way through the material. However, this might not be the most reliable test, as some higher-quality plastic chips can also have color throughout.
6. Chipping: Clay chips are more prone to chipping than plastic chips. If you see chips with small chips or damaged edges, they are more likely to be clay.

Based on your description of the chips’ weight, texture, sound, and chipping, it seems more likely that you have clay poker chips. However, without a definitive test, it can be challenging to be absolutely sure. You could try comparing your chips to known clay and plastic chips to get a better idea of their material.