How to care for Pharaoh's

jamby · #21 (**permalink**) 11-20-2005, 07:21 AM

This is a very interesting thread guys. Thanks for all the good info so far.

I just purchased Boondockers Pharaoh's that have already been oiled and broken in during his regular games. I'm adding 500 new low denomination chips (.25, 1, 5) to the 1020 (25, 100, 500, 1000) that he sold me.

The high denom chips will be used primarily for tournaments and the low for cash games, but the 25 and 100 chips will undoubtedly be used for both.

What would be recommended in order to get the brand new ones looking somewhat like the broken in chips?

What kind of oil are we talking about? How much? How to apply it? Is there a thread here somewhere that describes the oiling process that I've perhaps missed in my searches?

Thanks in advance,
jamby

boondocker96 · #22 (**permalink**) 11-20-2005, 10:18 AM

Thought I might chime in here...
your new chips, especially when oiled, are just going to look nicer (and therefore might stand out to the discerning eye) than the ones that have seen play. I dont think there is really anyway to get around it. The newer chips will get broken-in in due time, probably more so now that they'll be mixing with somewhat broken-in chips.
I use mineral oil, pour a small amount in a shallow bowl, and dip a couple finger tips in the oil (which is good for 2-3 chips) and then thouroughly rub it in to both sides of the chip.
Ill go through a stack of 20 and let them sit for 5-10 min (just a personal preference), then begin to dry them off. Small handtowel to dry, or paper towels work as well.

jamby · #23 (**permalink**) 11-20-2005, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boondocker96

Thought I might chime in here...

Your chiming is appreciated. I hadn't considered how mixing the new chips with old would aid in the process. Thanks for the mineral oil tip as well.

Are you planning to oil your new Samurais as well?

-j

boondocker96 · #24 (**permalink**) 11-20-2005, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamby

Are you planning to oil your new Samurais as well?

Im going to play that by ear. Its a somewhat laborious process. Im sure Ill end up doing it, Im just not all that excited about it at the moment.

Colquhoun · #25 (**permalink**) 11-21-2005, 10:44 AM

i found it easier and less messy to take a cloth (clean cotton rag for example) and hold one corner over the bottle of mineral oil and invert the bottle for a sec or two...to just get a small amount in the corner of the rag. Fold it around the edge of the chip and rotate the chip until it is lightly coated. I do a stack of 20 or 30 and then go back and wipe dry with the other end of the rag. Add oil as needed, but man, it doesnt take much.

jamby · #26 (**permalink**) 11-21-2005, 07:25 PM

There's an article at http://www.pokerchipreviews.com/oiling.html that describes the benefits of oiling and methods for doing it. The author ends by stating:

"Option 1 is to lightly rub the chips with a paper-towel soaked with some Mineral Oil. This will help in the dry-off time spent, but you also spend a lot of time rubbing the oil ON and getting into all the nooks and crannies of the mold. After you've let to oil soak in for a minute or two, rub off the extra oil with a cotton towel.

Option 2 is to just dump your chips into a container of Mineral Oil and let them soak a while. You then take them out one at a time and rub them dry with a cotton towel.

As I said, both options will take a LONG time. I prefer Option#2 myself, but that's just me."

What do you all think of method #2? Is anybody familiar with this method? Do the chips absorb too much oil this way? Is it risky and can it damage the chips? How long is "soak a while".

Thanks in advance,
jamby

Colquhoun · #27 (**permalink**) 11-22-2005, 12:05 AM

I don't know about option #2. I had read that before I started, and frankly, I was concerned about letting them soak, especially since the inlay is actually a paper with a plastic cover. I did not want the oil to creep onto the paper. Oil + paper =

I had NO trouble getting the oil into the "crannies". If there is enough oil on the rag, one swipe gets it all...the deepest parts of the mold and all. I had to reapply oil to the rag about every 15-20 chips or so, to keep it wet enough that i didn't have to rub and rub to fill all the recesses. I don't know how long you are expecting this to take, but i could easily do 100 chips in 30-45 minutes. The biggest problem was hand cramping wiping on and wiping off.

jamby · #28 (**permalink**) 11-24-2005, 09:41 PM

That's a really good point about the oil affecting the labels, Colquhoun. Thanks for your post. I think I'll stick with the tried and true method of applying carefully with a cloth and then drying.

-j

Manity · #29 (**permalink**) 01-30-2006, 02:56 PM

Don't let them soak.... the oil will go under the inlay.... tried it with a sample and if the oil goes under the inlay it will take MONTHs to go away.

Chad

noelsarchs · #30 (**permalink**) 01-30-2006, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manity

Don't let them soak.... the oil will go under the inlay.... tried it with a sample and if the oil goes under the inlay it will take MONTHs to go away.

Chad

Very good point. Clay is a porous material therefore when it gets wet the result is called wicking. For the same reason, I am extremelty concerned about reading posts where people soak them for 10 minutes or more. So I think the oiling should be done sparingly and quickly removed. Then they should be rewiped a day or so later, and not replaced in storage for a few days. Let them air out for awhile before putting them back into the racks.