Danum Series 4.4

Konig Tools Soft Wax looks interesting. Never heard of them or their products. I may need use of one of their colors. Btw what do these chess set makers use as a finish on the surface of their pieces? I assume some kind of wax? 

It's a bit uncanny. Under normal lighting they appear black. Not jet black like my dyed/stained Punjab set from CB but just a nice black color. You don't really notice the browns. But under a stronger light like a desk lamp, especially LED lights, the stripping shows up clear as day. I was surprised when I noticed it. I went like, whoa! LOL 

For people who are "OCD" level, uber-critical of chess pieces, a basic 10x (or higher) jeweler's loupe is a must have   It'll be interesting to look at that Rook under a loupe to see what the heck is going on. Is it definitely an imperfection that goes beneath the finished surface of the wood? Or something like stringy glue residue from the application of the felt?

I can see a little of the stripping if I hold a piece near to my window. It's cloudy outside. You'd notice it if you were playing a game outdoors in Central Park NYC (Searching For Bobby Fischer). 

I'll dig mine out and have a look. I tried scraping that white stuff off with the edge of a credit card but no dice. 

Bryant Park in NYC is where the outdoor chess action happens.Loads of chess hustlers though.

There are lots of cool regular players to. However I prefer Washington Square Park, Chess Forum and Marshall's.  Chess forum is a great place if you're by yourself and are looking for a friendly game. $5 per hour isn't bad. 

So it is definitely some kind of residue on the surface of the finished wood? And not a crack? It didn't sound like you were so sure before. What about a little dab of Goo Gone? 

No, I'm not sure. I'll get to it asap.

My mistake re: Searching for Bobby Fischer. Those games took place in a smaller park not Central Park. Bryant or Washington Sq? Not too familiar with NYC.  

Ok curiosity got the better of me and with extreme magnification I took my #11 X-acto  blade and carefully removed most of the white material. It's definitely a crack or a serious scratch which something got into, glue, wax, dunno. But no matter really because the rook has a crack in the base in another area. Poor little dude's gonna get benched. 

Dang. Sorry to hear that. Even with all the numerous recent talk of the risks in modern ebony sets, people still roll the dice and continue buying them up. Ebony really is such a beautiful wood. It's so hard to resist! For a high-end $400 set, the vendor should make it right. Good luck!

@Brynmr Searching for Bobby Fischer was definitely Washington Square Park South West corner. It looks different now than in the movie due to renovations around 2008-2013. Mostly easily noticeable is the removal of a 3ft wall around the circumference of that section. During that time lots of the chess moved uptown to Union Square.  Many strong players still play in WSP including some titled players. 

Ty on info. How does chess hustling work. Is it the same as pool hustling. I know about that.

Do cracks broaden over time? This crack goes up the base about a 1/4 inch. I'm thinking they tend to get worse.

$5 a game. Gotta pay up front. If you actually win, good luck getting some of them to pay you. Lol

Russian Paul, one of the stronger players,  offered to relieve me of my money when I was a kid back in the 90s. I was watching Searching for Bobby Fischer the next day with my father and recognized Paul in one of the park scenes. He looked much healthier in the film than when I encountered him. He still plays as far as I know, and is actually Ukrainian. 

How much money do you get if you win and if you can collect?

It use to be a wager $3-$5 a game was the most common but now its more of a service fee type of system. Many will say and ask for donations win or lose (typically $5 unless otherwise states) and many will play $5 for a game but IF you win then the game was free. Many will also teach chess at differing prices. Like anywhere there are some really nice cool guys who will discuss and analyze the blitz game you guys just played for 20min. Or will have some great stories or will show you a game that was played thst was the model of what they played....etc stuff of that nature. But their are a few that feel speaking to you if money isn't involved is a waste of their time.  Not hostile just a cold work like vibe that I don't enjoy playing with.  

I usually go there with friends and we play mostly each other in slower rapid time formats that I prefer but to the friendlier guys I'll often patronize for a game or 2 an give them the money win or lose. Or I'll ask one them for a little lesson on a pet side line I saw them play. 

Thanks KP. So in some cases it's a teaching exprerience. I mean all games are teaching to some extent but here some verbal teachings. That's what was going down in Searching for BF. Anyway, I've been wondering how that worked.

I already have this set on order and won't cancel. But I was considering another. Like you, I will wait until Brynmr writes about Mandeep's response and responsiveness.