I like my wood set to play on, Below is an example of a board I handmade myself. All out of Australian Hardwoods. Pieces I bought from a place in the UK. They are triple weighted so they feel nice to handle.

I also have a Limited edition Load of the rings set. This one mainly for show. It weighs about 8kg and the board is about 500mm square.

The LOTR set sends chills down my spine.  Give me a staunton set any day.  To me, the 'theme sets' are at best sculpture - at worst, toys.  I have to confess a weakness for the old red and white bone sets from the 19th century, especially the turned pre-staunton English sets (Calvert, St George, etc.).

Burr, I'll defer to your knowledge of classical music - but your taste in whiskey could use some work.

I posted this earlier, but I really like this set for under a $100. The Knights are not as toothy as they are in more expensive sets.

http://www.wholesalechess.com/chess/chess_pieces/wood_chess_pieces/majestic_staunton_wood_chess_pieces_with_4_king_to_sheesham

I use a standard vinyl mat with plastic pieces very cheap and easy to replace if they ever get damaged and if someone spills juice or coffee on it easy to clean.

I like a lot of the figural sets. They have character. Staunton's great to play with, but there are only so many variations on a theme and so the standard Staunton designs can get boring. 

One of my fave sets I have, although I've never played with it, is a Mexican wood and bone one I got at the antique shop for $30 after tax. I had to reglue a couple crowns and broken finials, but it looks good when set up. The only thing is part of the collar on the white queen is missing, but it doesn't affect functionality. As you can see here, Jacob had to inspect my repairs to make sure they were up to his exacting standards:

I've also got a basic wood Spanish Regency style set, a stone set where the pieces are all Chinese ministers or something, the Chinese Immortals set that pops up on Ebay a lot, a magnetic wooden travel set (it's the one that sells for about $50 on Wholesale Chess--I found it for $6!!), wild animals, mermaids vs. sailors, one carved out of animal horn that I found for $4 @ the flea market, and a few others. My fave plastic set is my weighted E.S. Lowe Renaissance set--it's worth grabbing one if you can as they're common on Ebay but haven't been made in 30 years.

All in all I've got about two dozen sets and I keep. buying. more. This is a sickness, I tell you, a sickness.

Hehe, nope. Jacob wanted to know where that acrid smell came from in this photo. Epoxy is not normally part of a cat's world. Fortunately, he didn't get *too* interested as that stuff reeks and is pretty toxic. I had to let the set sit undisturbed for 24 hours for the strongest bond.

I love the look and feel of bone pieces. I just wish it wasn't so brittle.

I actually prefer the cheapest set on here ...
http://www.thechessstore.com/category/chess_sets_category.chess_sets_price_50/

and another one, for $24.95 ... 

 TThe second is a magnetic set

Taste is taste -- there is no right or wrong, whether in chess sets, music, or corn squeezin's. Just out of curiousity, though, what do you consider better than either Dickel or Knob Creek?

Knob Hill is not bad, but a tad sweet (kind of like Jack).  If you are going to spend the money for a premium bourbon anyway, try a bottle of Woodford Reserve. 

As for George Dickel, its pretty much a factory made whiskey thats bottled by a giant foreign corporation.  At the same price you should try Ezra Brooks, family made in Bardstown KY for over 100 years.

Dickel was only relatively recently purchased by that corporation, it's evidently still not exactly mass produced, and fortunately it doesn't seem to have changed. As one of only two Tennessee sour mashes, it's still far and away the No.1, with that used sock washwater Jack, a mere over-hyped, overpriced footnote.

I'm open to experimentation, and may give your suggestions a try. I'm really not a big booze hound, though (I was just hoping to get Reb to spring for the refreshments.), so it may take a while to get around to them. I'll let you know.

I'm a Scotch guy myself, but I have to keep a bottle of Ezra around for when dad comes to visit during the holidays.  Getting a couple of drinks in him is about the only way I can beat him.  I keep waiting for senility to set in so that he forgets how to play that damned KIA of his, but alas, retirement has not dulled his game much.

I prefer sake, Korean raspberry wine, salmon eggs, and a salmon skin hand roll with my chess. Sashimi of any type is also a winner. So long as the drinks don't spill on the board and pieces and I'm not trying to sweep off bits of sticky rice, I'm good.

@Vacuous -- the style of those pieces is fine with me.  I just don't care for the coloration of the dark pieces.  Some dark woods work for me -- but not those.

I'm a Knob Creek fan myself -- good for sipping neat while finishing up some work late at night.

I'd like to see the rest of the set brilliantboy got those knights from!

It occurred to me that the only times in the past I had heard of Knob Creek being referred to as "sweet," were when it had been ruined with ice or otherwise watered down. Sipped straight and at room temperature, it has an elegance and subtle complexity analogous to a decent cognac, without immediately striking one as being sweet.

I use a cheap wood set, but almost never play over the board chess

 The first pair of knights are from an English Chess Company set which you can find here: http://www.ukgamesshop.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=chsewoo709&Category_Code=checcse

Pricy, but my god it's beautiful

The second, from a budget set found here: http://www.chessbaron.co.uk/chess-E2013.htm

I actually like pretty wood as much/if not more than the pieces themselves.  Cruising through the HOS website - man there is some gorgeous stuff on the market.  I'd still rather play with a nice functional set that weathered well though.

What price on nice plastic should one expect yo pay ?