Recently a customer asked if Celluloid and Bakelite were the same. That got me to thinking about the materials in general used to make poker chips and dice back in the day.
To answer my customers question, "No" they are not the same. I'll explain the difference below as I cover all the materials used in the manufacturer of chips and dice.
Let me begin with the 1870's since this blog is all about the "Old West" and that period is generally agreed to run from 1865 to 1899. In the 1870's Ivory was all the rage and poker chips and dice were made of this material. Ivory poker chips can readily be found today and I would suggest that if you are in the market for an Ivory Chip or two pay the extra cost for one that has no defects i.e. no cracks or nicks.
With Dice I will throw up a big red flag and suggest - buyer beware! I say that because in the twenty plus years I have been collecting I have yet to handle a pair of Elephant Ivory Dice. I have bought dice guaranteed to be Ivory only to be disappointed time and time again.
I recommend that if you are in the market for some Ivory Dice then make the seller prove it is Ivory. Things you should know about Ivory: there is Elephant Ivory, Mammoth Ivory, Hippo Ivory and Walrus Ivory.
Elephant and Mammoth Ivory has the tall-tale cross-hatch "X" pattern. Hippo Ivory has a pattern similar to growth rings of a tree and Walrus Ivory has a "crushed ice" look that sets Walrus apart from all other Ivories. Synthetic Ivory does not have this cross-hatch pattern. I am not an expert on Ivory but I did research it after being "eBayed" back in June/07. The eBay seller sold me a pair of 1880's Ivory Dice. God, was I a fool. They turned out to be Vegetable Ivory, which is nothing more then a "nut" that comes from a tree found in the South American Rain Forest. So, Buyer Beware.
The cost of Ivory and the cost to manufacturer Ivory Poker Chips made them expensive for that time. So much so that by the 1880's "Composition Chips" became the norm. A "Composition Chip" is a chip made of man-made materials. Celluloid, actually Cellulose Nitrate, an early synthetic polymer is one such man-made material. Celluloid was made from gun cotton and camphor and when in a pure state resembles ivory in texture and color. Celluloid is also know as; Parkesine, Pyroxiline, Xyloidin, Xyloidine, Xylonite and Zylonite.
By the 1890's many of those small burgs, the mining camps and cattle towns had either turned into ghost towns or grown into cities. Once they became a city they were able to stand on their own and no longer needed gamblers and gambling joints to support them. The reformers had always been around in one form or another but the town fathers spent their time pandering to the reformers, never really taking their concerns seriously because the gamblers were a necessity. But once the cities no longer needed gambling the reformers were now in vogue. Laws were passed and gambling was outlawed in city after city. Now the gamblers weren't about to just give up so they moved behind closed doors. The "ringing" in of composite chips made it easy for officials to discover these illegal games and raid them. The gamblers needed a quieter chip and manufacturers quickly responded. Chips made of rubber, wood and paper were soon available. Gambling thrived behind closed doors and all was well with the world. Well, at least for awhile.
You can find wood and paper chips today in most any Antique Shop. They have little value, in fact, the box may be worth more than the chips but it's nice to have a box or two because they help complete a collection. Especially when you understand there purpose and place in history.
This brings us to the turn of the century and Bakelite. First introduce in 1909, Bakelite is a synthetic resin formed by the reaction under heat and pressure of phenol and formaldehyde and a wood flour filler.
So the difference between Celluloid and Bakelite is Celluloid is a synthetic polymer and Bakelite is a synthetic resin.
Stop by Old West Antiques and look over the selection of poker chips and dice available and remember items are added on a regular basis so stop back often.
p.s. keep in mind that Old West Antiques would love to talk to you about listing your items.
p.s.s. we can also provide a seasoned group of old west reenactors for your upcoming events
tag: poker chips and dice
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