Clay Poker Chips
In the middle 1600’s when gambling houses were first legalized in Italy poker chips as we now them today were not used for placing bets. Instead, players used coins, gold pieces, gold dust, gold nuggets or any number of small objects of value. It was not until the late 1800’s poker chips were manufactured and of course evolved from there.
In the late 1880’s several companies began to make clay poker chips. By the late 1930’s there were over 1000 designs for patrons to choose from. Most of the chips made were white, blue, yellow and red, but almost any special color request could be made. The chips that were manufactured early on were made entirely of clay or a natural substance making them quite soft. Since the 1950’s no clay chip has been produced that has been 100% clay. In order to make the chips more durable composite materials were added to the clay chip process.
Each manufacturer has a slightly varied process for producing clay chips, all of which are rather expensive and quite time consuming. Clay chips are known for their edge spots. Theses colored spots are not painted but actually inserted as part of the chip. The edge spots are either cut and placed in each individual chip or done added to a cylindrical block of materials before the chips are cut. This is one of the many reasons why most clay poker chips are more expensive then chips made of other materials.
Some clay chips also have a center inlay added. The inlays are usually made of paper and feature a vast assortment of graphics. After the inlay is placed on the chip it is covered with a thin film of plastic making it waterproof. Once the inlay is affixed the chip is placed in a mold, then compressed at typically 10,000 psi and heated at around 300°. Once this process has been completed the inlay has become part of the chip and if attempts are made to remove it the entire chip will be destroyed.
Today, most casino poker chips are clay composite chips, varying in weight from 8.5 to 10 grams. The chips have usually been customized with logos and denominations to suite the specifications of the individual establishment. Clay chips are also available for the average Joe to purchase. These chips are certain to add a casino element to any type of home game.