In the end you get what you pay for ? The patina you desire in this case is from a Jaques 4.4
which is going to be 150 years old or even older give or take on which set ?
So you would be looking at 2k & up with box .
No repo chess set can give you this kind of patina .
Lets call it a fake sun tan !
I like the antiquing on the Cambridge Springs set. Reminds me of a chess set an old-timer brought to the chess club when I was in college. How time flies, now I'm the old-timer!
Thank you all for your answers and photos. If I'm being completely honest, I find the distressed variant cruel.
But from your answers I conclude that the antique statues from Stauntoncastle look better than the orange ones from RCM or CB. But now I have discovered the following set at SC:
https://stauntoncastle.com/collections/chess-sets/products/b-company-reproduction-4-4-staunton-chess-set
We are talking about semi-antique boxwood. But I think the figures themselves don't look any different on the SC homepage than other figures in antique boxwood. I can't tell what the difference is supposed to be between antique and semi-antique boxwood.
I think these figures are very beautiful in shape, but it wouldn't make sense to buy them if they are the same color as the set I already have from RCM.
Maybe someone has photos of these semi-antique figures, so that I have other comparative photos in addition to the photos on the homepage.
Thank you!!!
Yes, my characters are exactly the ones you linked here. My photo is a little too dark and the photo from RCM is too light. If I hold the figure directly in front of the monitor, the figure is significantly darker.
I want to make sure that the semi-antiquities from SC look "better", hence my question about photos.
I also agree with Lou. The 1904 Cambridge from CB looks authentic. I somehow never liked the distressed antique. The chocolate antique looks more of a burgundy color rather than an antique.
In the meantime I have ordered the figures discussed here from Staunton Castle and they have been received. I don't want to withhold the result from you, here are a few pictures. On rows 1 and 3 are the figures from Staunton Castle, on rows 2 and 4 the figures from RCM. As explained, I only bought the figures from SC because the color of RCM didn't quite suit my taste. When I compared the new figures with those from RCM, it seems to look very similar at first glance. But on closer inspection, the color of the figures from SC was more noble and coherent and despite the only minor color differences, these figures meet my taste. I don't want to make RCM bad, it's a matter of taste. In terms of form, the two sentences differ slightly. In the SC set, the base of the king is slightly larger, it just fits on a board with a 60 mm field size. The set of SC is better weighted. However, a few dust inclusions can be seen under the paint on the set from SC. That doesn't bother playing, but the photo shows that the tower from RCM is "cleaner". But I'm only mentioning this for the sake of completeness. The tower of RCM is more powerful, it is the most powerful tower of all figures I have. Overall, I don't regret buying the set from SC. But it will remain hidden from me forever, which is why this set is offered as semi-antique, although it looks exactly like the antique things from SC. But whatever, the main thing is that the color meets the taste.
Addendum:
The forum software itself did not understand why the pictures are suddenly upside down.
Antiquing, yes if done properly. Distressed antiquing, a big NO, and I'll tell you why. Below is a picture of an authentic 1849 Staunton chess set. Do you notice any black lines in the crevices of the pieces? No. What you see here is a chess set that has been lovingly cared for over the years. Notice the quality of the patina, a product of 170 years of exposure to air and light, and the oils of all who used the set over the years.
What distressed antiquing tries to duplicate is the look of an aged chess set that hasn't been well cared for. One that might have been a club set that was used and abused for years and never, if ever, cleaned. It's obviously a faux finish that shouts, "Gee whiz, don't I look old!" Not unlike distressed jeans or furniture. It isn't my cup of tea but to each their own.
Oh no, too much faux!
@Moseleifel I prefer plain boxwood, so I like the lighter version in ranks 1 and 3 better.
@Loubalch I agree you just can't reproduce that type of patina. But hey they can make artificial diamonds. Maybe someone will figure out how to make a good antiqued look.
I don't mind the antiquing, it's the distressing that looks really fake.
If you try and resize the pictures after they've been placed sometimes they'll flip vertically or horizontally.
On the Staunton Castle antiqued and distressed sets it appears that they have a thin layer of a varnish or lacquer?
Or am I wrong and it is just the way they polish the wood?
I love the appearance of antique chess pieces, but fake antiquing just doesn't look right. So I'll buy plain boxwood, and hope that my great great grandchildren appreciate the set in 100+ years.
Staunton Castle I think does a very creditable job of antiquing on ANY of their sets. And in 100+ years your grandchildren will probably be preoccupied too much by fighting for the earth's last resources to spend any of their time on chess.
Chess will be a good pastime for my grandchildren while they are hunkered down in their bunker. But I will take a look at the Staunton Castle sets.
Staunton Castle I think does a very creditable job of antiquing on ANY of their sets. And in 100+ years your grandchildren will probably be preoccupied too much by fighting for the earth's last resources to spend any of their time on chess.
That a bleak out look ? sound ! what happen to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWKznrEjJK4 
Staunton Castle I think does a very creditable job of antiquing on ANY of their sets. And in 100+ years your grandchildren will probably be preoccupied too much by fighting for the earth's last resources to spend any of their time on chess.
That a bleak out look ? sound ! what happen to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWKznrEjJK4
The opposing view:
Perhaps something between the two will play out.
I personally don't like artificial antiqued Boxwood. However there is one I do like and it is this one. Looks more natural looking to me.
Royal Chess Mall Soviet Grandmasters Chess Pieces. Only going by what they labeled it as.
Hello,
A few months ago I bought a set of figures made of antique boxwood from RCM. The pieces look beautiful on their own, but I don't think they look really beautiful on any board. I am attaching a photo where they stand on a Tiger Ebony board.
My question:
Does the antique boxwood look the same from all manufacturers or are there color differences? Alone at Stauntoncastle on the homepage I see the antique boxwood in different colors. Because of such uncertainties, I can't possibly buy a set of figures for several hundred euros. I would be very interested to see photos of ancient pieces on chessboards here with an indication of which dealer the pieces came from.