Hearing protective device and method of making the same

A mold for forming a foam earplug comprising:

• a lower mold portion including a lower cavity;
• an upper mold portion including an upper cavity and a means for venting a gas during a rising of the foam;
• and
• a plurality of ribs projecting from the upper mold portion radially into the upper cavity and traversing the upper cavity in a longitudinal direction;
• wherein the lower and upper mold portions are engageable so as to communicably engage the lower and upper cavities.

A mold for forming a foam earplug comprising:

• a lower mold portion including a lower cavity;
• and
• an upper mold portion including an upper cavity and a means for venting a gas during a rising of the foam;
• wherein the lower and upper mold portions are engageable so as to communicably engage the lower and upper cavities;
• and
• wherein said means for venting comprises a tortuous path extending from an interior of the mold to an exterior.