Ebonized Boxwood vs. Genuine Ebony

Have you handled both side by side? If so, what was your opinion of the comparison on weight, quality, finish?

I have both ebonized & real ebony pieces from different sets. The ebonized is ok but the ebony has a certain sheen/glow that is hard to put into words. You just need to see the real ebony to become a believer in this fine wood. The ebony pieces will be more heavy than the boxwood counter parts if their not I would think its not real ebony. Prices for a real ebony set has went up considerably from the 70's.

So the black pieces would outweigh the white?

They should as ebony wood is heavier than boxwood. I am not talking lead VS aluminum though. On a postal scale the ebony is slightly more heavy than the boxwood counter parts. like 1/2 to 3/4 oz more heavy. You won't notice this in actual play, Only my postal scale detected the diference in weight. I could not tell which one was heavier by lifting each one individually.

Found more info during a search:

Ebony Chess Pieces-Cracking Revisited (10 months ago)

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/ebony-chess-pieces-cracking-revisted

House of Staunton Morphy Ebony review (2 years ago)

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/house-of-staunton-morphy-ebony-review

Ebony Pieces Cracking (4 years ago)

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/ebony-pieces-cracking

how does ebonized boxwood look? (4 years ago)

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/how-does-ebonized-boxwood-look

HOS FAQ

What is the difference between Ebonized and Genuine Ebony Chess pieces?

http://www.houseofstaunton.com/faq?src=footer

Ebonization, the process in which Ebonized Chessmen are created,. In this process, Boxwood (the wood used to create the white pieces) chess pieces are treated with a special stain to turn them jet black in color. When done properly, brand new Ebonized Chessmen are nearly indistinguishable from Genuine Ebony Chessmen.

Ebonized Chess pieces are often referred to as faux Ebony, because it has the look and feel of Genuine Ebony at a fraction of the cost.

Over time, the Ebonizing can wear off on the sharp corners and details of the Chessmen, but it is easily restored using a black marker.

For a wood set buy the genuine article while ya still can-Ebony all the way...or if not the Dubrovnik is a great choice....

I've seen pictures of your set - very nice!