i just bought the House of Staunton Deluxe Tournament Bag and luv it. Normally around $50 but i caught a sale at 20% off. Excellent quality and holds everything.
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I picked up a Richmond Unified School District violin case at Urban Ore in Berkeley years ago. I put the pieces in two Crown Royal bags. The clock and the pieces fit in the body of the case and the board rolls up and fits in the neck. It's all beat up and has RUSD stenciled on it, but it works.
And years ago I carried my set and clock in a men's toiletry bag like this one:
The board rolled up and set on top of the zipper and I put a strap through the handles to hold it in place.
catnapper wrote:
I picked up a Richmond Unified School District violin case at Urban Ore in Berkeley years ago. I put the pieces in two Crown Royal bags. The clock and the pieces fit in the body of the case and the board rolls up and fits in the neck. It's all beat up and has RUSD stenciled on it, but it works.
Ah! I admire your talent to make due with the resources at hand! But you must admit that your opponents smile when those Crown Royal bags come out of the case!
Thank you!
I never really thought of it before but you could always go the route of a non-standard chess case by picking up one designed for musical instruments. I bet a lot of those have a higher quality construction than most of the chess bags and would have likely have plenty of room for you set plus just about anything esle you can put in it.
Maybe even something like a rifle case, but that may be too large and a bit disconcerting to take to a tournament or coffee shop 
Of course, those are going to cost a lot more than most chess bags.
Martin_Stahl wrote:
I never really thought of it before but you could always go the route of a non-standard chess case by picking up one designed for musical instruments. I bet a lot of those have a higher quality construction than most of the chess bags and would have likely have plenty of room for you set plus just about anything esle you can put in it.
Maybe even something like a rifle case, but that may be too large and a bit disconcerting to take to a tournament or coffee shop
Of course, those are going to cost a lot more than most chess bags.
Good ideas!
Martin_Stahl wrote:
Of course, those are going to cost a lot more than most chess bags.
Not really. I picked up the violin case for a couple of bucks, Urban Ore is a second-hand store on steriods. Keeping your eyes and imagination open at second-hand stores and garage sales will not only get you something cheaper than a commercial chess bag, but one that is unique as well.
"And years ago I carried my set and clock in a men's toiletry bag like this one:
"
Add one of those silicone boards that you can really crumple up and you've got pieces and a board that is tournament specs, with a clock yet, all in a tidy bag.
For a while I did fold up a roll up board and it fit in the bag, but it was one of those boards with the coloured squares silk-screened on and the paint was flaking off. Soon nobody wanted to use my board, so I wound up getting another and just rolled it up and secured to those little handles by the zipper.
I see what you mean. Too bad they didn't have those back in 1976.
95% of merchandise directed at chess players is complete crap....
You do have to do some serious sorting/shopping or you'll end up with something you're likely to replace later on.
Just an idea. . .
www.briefcase.com has an excellent selection of leather duffel bags, totes and briefcases. I doubt they sell leather chess bags by name but maybe there would be something there you could use it as your go to chess bag. I've bought several things from them over the years with no complaints. If you don't mind spending a little more money for a higher quality item.
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renumeratedfrog01 wrote:
95% of merchandise directed at chess players is complete crap....
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Chess bags are not my bag, pun intended. I use a samsonite briefcase to hold my pieces, scorepad, clock and there's room for a book or 2 as well. I carry my rollup bd in a pvc pipe with caps at both ends, one is glued on and the other isn't. Both the briefcase and esp the PVC pipe also make handy legal, unconcealed weapons although fortunately I've never had to use them in that respect.
I do use crown royal bags for my pieces and clock though.
I have to get used to taking my chess stuff to tournaments all over again after 14 years in Europe ! So far I do NOT like the changes I have seen in chess here . Delay clocks, faster time controls and too many rounds per day with little/no time between rounds .... ugh !
I'm in the market for a tournament chess bag that will allow me to tote a mousepad board (rolled up), triple-weighted plastic pieces (3.75 King), score pads, a clock, etc. Basically, I just want a carry-all that will enable me to packe everything I'll need if I want to go mobile and play away from home.
We've all seen--and many of you likely already own--these bags that have zippered compartments and straps. I think I've seen them for around $15-$18. However, I've read reviews in which customers complain because the fabric is thin and cheap, and the zippers break too often and too easily. Put simply, they call it "flimsy and temporary; typical Made in China junk."
Do you agree? Have you ever owned one of these bags? Can anyone offer an alternative? I'm the type of person who doesn't mind paying for higher quality merchandise that will stand the test of time. Opinions?
Thanks for any input.