Chessbazaar "Empire" modern-style chess pieces

Found this set of chessmen today, looked at both wood types and decided that I just couldn't continue living without the glorious Ebony version!  Hit the "buy" button a few hours ago, $140 after 20% father's day discount.

All of my sets up to this point have been pretty traditional... but I think these look bada$$ to the bone, and they look like a decent "poor man's BCE" style chess set alternative.   I really love the styling of the knights, the bishops look like sniper's bullets, while the king looks like he's going to rule with an iron fist for 10,000 years. The queen looks like a subdued, yet ominous and majestic alien that wants to eat your brain for breakfast!

What do you all think?

undeniably original...

Looks good, Bawker. Post pics when the set comes in.

I think Rook may not be easy to hold, a little slipy. The style is quite unique then.

Yeah... of all the pieces in the set, the Rook is the one I'm wondering about the most. I think it looks OK, but doesn't really "grab me" like the rest of the pieces. Something about it kind of doesn't fit with the rest of the pieces, but kind of does too... hmmm.

I guess I'll just have to handle it "in person" to know for sure.

I like this design. I bought the HOS Empire set in both Ebony and bud rosewood years ago. I think it is now discontinued. They redesigned the rooks to make it more "curvy". People complained they looked too much like salt and pepper shakers.

"I like this design. I bought the HOS Empire set in both Ebony and bud rosewood years ago. I think it is now discontinued. They redesigned the rooks to make it more "curvy". People complained they looked too much like salt and pepper shakers."

It looks like HoS still has the Empire set, but only in Blood Rosewood/Ebony (I will never understand that combination - looks great but the lack of contrast makes it TOTALLY impractical for actual play!).  I like the rooks on the HoS set better than the CB rooks... but at $995 they can keep them!  I'm pretty sure I can find someone with a lathe and woodworking skill to modify the CB rooks, if I decide it's worth doing.

Congratulations, Bawker!

I own two of the original HOS version of the Empire. I've played with it, and with similarly styled rooks in NOJ's BCE set. There is no problem holding onto them. Your set will play just fine.

I was attracted by the art deco look of the Empire, but I find the knights to be a bit out of place. They look like 19th or 18th Century throwbacks, not knights of the future. For example, the CB Empire knight looks very much like the knight in CB's Haslett reproduction set.

To my eye, the Empire set calls for an art deco knight. Perhaps something like the knight in CB's Joc Catalan set.

Or even one more like that in CB's Berliner reproduction.

I think the BCE knights, by comparison, fit well with the art deco style of the BCE pieces.

cgrau,

Thanks for your input!

I agree with you on the knights... the Berliner, and ESPECIALLY the Joc Catalan knights would look better with the Empire set than the piece they designed for it.  In fact,  I am SERIOUSLY tempted to buy that Joc Catalan set just to have the knights to use with my upcoming Empire set... but alas the price is just too high.   I think I'll fire off an email to CB and see if they'd be willing to sell a set of the Joc Catalan knights to me... but they probably won't.

P.S. I would buy that Joc Catalan set just for the set's own sake, but I completely HATE those rooks... with a passion!  Yeah... I know.  Everyone is a critic!

I don't think I really agree with you about the BCE knights though... they seem as out of place to me as the Empire knights for some reason... just not "modern" and minimalist enough to match the rest of the pieces.  Might be better without the mane?

Just out of curiousity, what wood type(s) did you buy your HoS "Empire" sets in?  If you have both the Rosewood and Ebony, which of the two woods do you like that set better in?

Bawker, I have both and prefer the blood rosewood.

Well, the HOS Empire Rook will have no problem with holding. This is what I think a good design should be. With the similar logic, that BCE can never be the best Chess set ever IMHO!

Greets again, all!

To my surprise, the Empire set arrived today... 2 days ahead of schedule!

Unwrapped them during my lunch break.  OMG... Beautiful!!!

The rooks are going to be fine... no problem at all picking them up, holding, and moving them.

Photos to follow... probably tomorrow.

I haven't been this happy with a new set in a LOOOONG time!