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Poker Chip Care
I've seen it referred to many times around the internet where people recommend oiling poker chips. I thought I would use this space to clarify the poker chip oiling process to eliminate any headache or waste of time and money on the part of the oiler.
- Poker Chip Oiling FAQ
Why should I oil my poker chips? - Oiling poker chips is a method used mostly by retail buyers who purchase clay chips brand new. The chips usually arrive with a faded or dusty look due to the manufacturing process. Oiling the chips is a way of simulating the oil chips receive in casinos from regular use. Oiling your clay poker chips will enhance the colors and look of the chips significantly as well as improving the handling and feel of them. It is basically a way of breaking in the chips to give them a casino look when they are brand new. - What poker chips need oil? - Only compression molded clay poker chips will benefit from oiling them. Do NOT oil ceramic, composite clay, or plastic poker chips. The chips that seem to benefit the most from oiling are chips made by the Blue Chip Company and chips made by ASM. Paulson chips have much better color to them upon arrival and do not need to be oiled in my opinion.
- What kind of oil should I use? - Only use Mineral Oil. This is very inexpensive and can usually be found at your local drugstore in the health section. It is considered a laxative. It is clear and odorless and will not harm your chips. Do NOT use vegetable oil, olive oil, baby oil, or any other type of oil except mineral oil. I was able to oil over 650 chips with only half of a 16 ounce bottle of mineral oil.
So now that you've decided to oil your chips, you're probably wondering how to oil them. Let me start by saying this ....oiling poker chips is a process that requires some time to complete. Prepare to spend several hours depending on the size of your set. If you are only oiling a few chips, simply rub oil onto the chips with clean dry cloth and then wipe off the excess oil and let dry. If you have a large set of poker chips that need to be oiled, there are a number of ways to oil chips and I will outline them here for you.
- How to Oil Poker Chips
Method 1 - This is the way that I recommend. Lay out all of your chips on a towel. Pour some mineral oil into a bowl. Take a Kiwi Shoe Polish applicator and dip it into the bowl of oil and soak up some oil. Take the applicator and press it against each poker chip one at a time. Once you have finished oiling the face of 1 side, turn them over and do the same for the other side. Since the applicator is slightly wider than the chips, the oil will get onto the edges of the chips so there is no need to oil those separately. Once all of the chips are oiled, let them sit for at least 30 minutes to soak in. Then take a dry clean cloth or towel and wipe off the excess oil to dry them. Place them on another clean towel and allow them to dry sit overnight and dry completely. - Method 2 - Basically follows Method 1 but using a washcloth or towel instead of the shoe polish applicator. I find that it takes more time to pick up one chip one at a time to oil the faces and the edges separately. I recommend getting the shoe polish applicator in Method 1.
- Method 3 - Dumping your chips into a bowl or bucket of mineral oil and then taking them out and drying them with a towel one at a time. Many have used this method with success, but I personally would not recommend it. If oil gets underneath the protective cover over the inlays it could ruin your chips.