Best spot to go for current chip reviews is Hobbyphilic on YT.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_-...m94U90WnB_fv1Q
Heres what I can tell you since I got my samples last night.
-The china clays you must oil with mineral oil, the difference is night and day. From the factory they are dull.
-You have to get samples. What I liked least online ended up being one of my top choices when they got here.
-The Monaco Paulsons dont have perfect QC, one of the inlays is quite off.
I got Majestics, Dunes, Milanos and Monacos. The 3 china clays quality wise seem the same to me. The Monacos instantly seemed higher. I think its a lot to do with the sharp edges The sharp edges, bright white and crisp colors are what I liked most about the Monacos.
My top 2 of the samples are the Monacos and Majestics. I like the bright/bold colors of the Majestics, especially the .50 and $25. The Dunes and Milanos tied for least liked. The first impression was 100% to buy the Monacos but now that I slept on it the decision is harder. It seems like a toss up between Majestics and Monacos. If the Monacos didnt have QC issues it might be an insta-call, but I have weeks to decide so Im gonna wait and see.