HOS Plastic Marshall

I just received a new  plastic Marshall set from HOS.  It's a very nice set with no obvious flaws. The quality is good and I would not discourage anyone from ordering the set who likes the design.

That said, I'm able to compare this 2021 edition with the Marshall's from 17 years ago.  I didn't feel like taking a lot of photos, so I just took a quick shot of the kings with my phone.  

The king on the left is the older version.  As you can see, the coloration is significantly different.  The older piece has a deeper, warmer coloration.  In addition, the older piece looks more "finished", like polished wood.  In my opinion, the older set is therefore more attractive.  I apologize for the low quality photo.

Very interesting.  The newer king is by no means "bad", just different.  Could the difference be UV exposure over 17 years?  I have two instances of the plastic Collector's (maybe 10 years separated) where the red is burgundy in one set and "fire engine" in the other - no UV exposure.

Hahaha, pondering the "patina" of plastic...

I don't think the color has changed much if at all. It's not just the color. The older piece looks satiny while the newer piece gives an impression of porousness. Might be an illusion.

Wouldn't years of handling partly explain the "finished" look of the older set you describe? Just a thought.  I have the Marshall (burgundy/natural) and also the Collectors (black/natural) set, and when new I thought the black pieces were a little bit too matt, and not reflecting quite enough light for the contours of the pieces to stand out.  So I gently polished them a little with a soft cloth and they now have just the right amount of shine and smoothness for my tastes.  I agree with you that it's a nice set.  If anything the quality of my Marshall set is marginally better than the Collectors set (less obvious seams), but I like them both.

I do like the color of the older one more. With this much time in between the 2 sets. Plastics and coloring will vary due to who made the pellets 17 years ago compared to pellets made today. The manufacturer of the plastic pellets may have change and have a different formula today. UV lightens and pales colors not darkens them. 

Yes the plastic Marshall set is one of the best plastic sets on the market. Can't go wrong purchasing that set. I have one in Red & Natural. Great looking set on Black & White boards. 

I do like the Collector's and Marshall but the Hastings is my favorite due to the rooks and knights:

The Marshall is probably my favorite design.

I know this is an old thread. Just want to say that I’ve used the Marshal plastic set since about 2011. It has held up well. I had to re-glue a weight in a Knight the other day. The third time I’ve had to do that to any of these pieces. The other thing is that Marshal plastic set plays much better on the larger boards with 60mm (2.375”) squares rather than the the more common ones with 57mm (2.25”) squares.

Mine is scuffed up quite a bit after a dozen years but not chipped or broken.

The Fischer Ultimate set from ACE may be the best plastic set on the market, but the HOS Marshall costs only about half as much. You could by two sets and have all four colors for the price of one of the Ultimate sets. The Marshall does weigh about a half pound less though. Still it is over three pounds and quite a hefty set. I highly recommend it.

I have the black and Natural, I purchased it from Wholesale Chess before long before HOS owned it. Mine also has the pale colors to the so called natural pieces and it is twelve years old, so the change was made a long time ago.