A couple of weeks ago, Nate posted scans of a BudJones plastic sample that had a cross-hatched rather than the traditional smooth surface. I was able to scan the samples and have a hypothesis of why they were created.

About 20 years ago, BudJones began some experiments with the surfaces to respond to customer complaints that the chips were prone to stick together. The scan below shows the Atlantis, Reno $1, one of the first released chips that incorporated the "radial groove" or "BJ 24-lines" mold. Next to it is the prior release that has a smooth surface.

I speculate that the surface finish on the red sample chip that Nate posted (also shown below) was one of the trial designs intended to reduce the tendency of two smooth surfaces to adhere to one another. Some have speculated that the grooves provide a way for air to enter what is a kind of vacuum that holds the chips to one another when squeezed together. I think it's more likely the reduction in the area of the two chip surfaces in contact with one another is the reason both methods seem to work.

Kind of strange that we have seen no other examples of these experiments; only 20 years later does a sample come to light. However, there have been a number of other casino chips released with the radial groove design.

Any comments?