SET 4
This set shows a ‘new to me’ mark on the Rook, with it having a four-pointed star on top. I hope this is might be familiar to you…
It is a large set; but of what maker?
Thank you again.
That set is the Cavalier Set. Arrco Playing Card Company once owned the Cavalier Set.
https://www.madeinchicagomuseum.com/single-post/arrco-playing-card-co/
Thank you KnightsForkCafe; very good to know!
Thanks again to all who have shared their expertise in helping identify the chess sets.
Please see this Drueke 26” board. What year(s) was it made? Original Drueke or later model?
Thank you again!
I believe the gold logo indicates it was made in the 90s after the company was sold to Carrom.
@Pawnerai, after your message that showed the 35H, i was motivated to go to storage and dig out my various Drueke sets. Imagine my surprise when I found out that I actually owned a 35H as well as a 36H. They both weigh 48 ounces, so there is no substantive difference between the two sets as far as I can tell. @MCH818, you are correct in identifying the last board as a Carrom era Drueke. Another telling difference in the Carrom boards is that they used Aspen for the withe squares rather than Drueke’s traditional maple. The router bit they edged the board with is different as well.
@Pawnerai, after your message that showed the 35H, i was motivated to go to storage and dig out my various Drueke sets. Imagine my surprise when I found out that I actually owned a 35H as well as a 36H. They both weigh 48 ounces, so there is no substantive difference between the two sets as far as I can tell. @MCH818, you are correct in identifying the last board as a Carrom era Drueke. Another telling difference in the Carrom boards is that they used Aspen for the withe squares rather than Drueke’s traditional maple. The router bit they edged the board with is different as well.
Thanks for the confirmation. How different is the edge of the boards between the ones made in walnut/birch vs walnut/aspen? I tried looking for photos but it is hard to see the edge from photos online. I don't suppose you have a good photo comparison.
Also, do you know anything about the sticker logos? Some show the model while others do not. Here is one I found online that shows model 62.
Here is my Drueke 64 that shows no model number.
Which one is older?
@Pawnerai, after your message that showed the 35H, i was motivated to go to storage and dig out my various Drueke sets. Imagine my surprise when I found out that I actually owned a 35H as well as a 36H. They both weigh 48 ounces, so there is no substantive difference between the two sets as far as I can tell. @MCH818, you are correct in identifying the last board as a Carrom era Drueke. Another telling difference in the Carrom boards is that they used Aspen for the withe squares rather than Drueke’s traditional maple. The router bit they edged the board with is different as well.
Thanks for the confirmation. How different is the edge of the boards between the ones made in walnut/birch vs walnut/aspen? I tried looking for photos but it is hard to see the edge from photos online. I don't suppose you have a good photo comparison.
Also, do you know anything about the sticker logos? Some show the model while others do not. Here is one I found online that shows model 62.
Here is my Drueke 64 that shows no model number.
Which one is older?
I had some conversations with Bill Drueke III about 5 years ago where he indicated that the edge router that the Drueke company used for their boards was unique to them, and was in his possession — it was not passed on to the company that bought Drueke, who then sold to Carrom. The original molds for the Player’s choice sets also were destroyed and did not convey to the new owners. As far as those board stickers, they are both genuine. The top one dates from the late 60’s through the 70’s. The bottom one is one of the original stickers used in the 50’s, but looks too new to be anything other than new old stock. I actually received several of these from Bill when I bought a NOS set from him. You are fortunate… none of my Drueke boards have surviving stickers.
I had some conversations with Bill Drueke III about 5 years ago where he indicated that the edge router that the Drueke company used for their boards was unique to them, and was in his possession — it was not passed on to the company that bought Drueke, who then sold to Carrom. The original molds for the Player’s choice sets also were destroyed and did not convey to the new owners. As far as those board stickers, they are both genuine. The top one dates from the late 60’s through the 70’s. The bottom one is one of the original stickers used in the 50’s, but looks too new to be anything other than new old stock. I actually received several of these from Bill when I bought a NOS set from him. You are fortunate… none of my Drueke boards have surviving stickers.
Again thanks for the info! That's makes sense about the edge router. I have seen some recent boards made by Bill Drueke III with what looks to be a similar edge to the board I have. Here is the board produced in 2021. It is owned by @KineticPawn. The edge looks just like mine... so beautiful!
As for the labels, I somewhat figured the label without the model number is older. I bought mine used from eBay recently. It was well used as it has some scratches and condition issues on the bottom. The sticker looks good... maybe too good to be true. The top is in good condition with a nice warm patina. It seems logical that it was an NOS item at some point given the sticker is in good condition but there are condition issues on the bottom.
There is a Drueke board with the below label for sale at eBay. I am not interested in buying it but I am curious to know about the label. I have never seen such a label for a Drueke board. The ad says it has been in the seller's famous for over 50 years. Can anyone confirm this label was from the 60s?
I've never seen one like this before.
I've never seen one like this before
I know, right?! The way the sticker is partially attacked makes me think the label is from another Drueke product like a chess set.
Yep — peeled off of another Drueke product and put on this board. Looks like a sticker from a Model 100 Play-a-way set from the sixties. I’ve been looking at and playing on Drueke products for over 50 years. This isn’t a board sticker.
Yep — peeled off of another Drueke product and put on this board. Looks like a sticker from a Model 100 Play-a-way set from the sixties. I’ve been looking at and playing on Drueke products for over 50 years. This isn’t a board sticker.
Thanks for the info! Yeah it definitely looks suspicious. I guess the original sticker fell off so he decided to put another sticker on his board to identify it as a Drueke. I think that's not needed. We all know what a Drueke looks like.
Btw, this is what the board looks like in the ad. It looks too new to be 50+ years old. Shouldn't it be more yellowish/reddish?
Here is mine which has the amber color birch squares and light brown walnut squares.
Nah I don't believe that board is 50+ years old, there is hardly any patina showing.
Nah I don't believe that board is 50+ years old, there is hardly any patina showing.
What we consider "patina" is a product of age and use. If it was hardly/never used it probably won't show much, if any.
Nah I don't believe that board is 50+ years old, there is hardly any patina showing.
What we consider "patina" is a product of age and use. If it was hardly/never used it probably won't show much, if any.
That could be true. I really don't have a lot of experience with leaving boards unused for long periods of time. I have one board I really do not like. I left it in the closet for almost 2 years and it got a little darker. I am not sure what the result would be if I left the board in the closet for 50 years or if I left it in the original box while in the closet.
Here is a photo from December 2019. I put this in the closet when I received my JK Creative board in January 2020.
Here is a photo from this past October.
The difference isn't as extreme as the photos indicate. I took the photos with different phones and from different angles. You can see the difference in color in the chair in the background. Regardless, there is still a difference. I only pulled this board out recently to see how one of my Chavet sets look on a slightly darker board. Other than that, I have not used it at all.
I am not sure what the answer really is. I just think there should be more yellow/red to the Drueke on action. I guess it is possible to maintain that color if he kept it in at the box which he has.
Don't know if it's hardly been used, but the original label fell off and there is clear distinction in the color of the wood where the label has been. That tells me it's been in the open for some time. 50+ years the light squares should have developed nice patina but I don't see that here, that's odd to me.
Still it has its box ? not a bad board 
Then there this one ! some TLC & bingo / not that bad for the price 
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/294529816732?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20180816085401%26meid%3Df649e1cfce174e8a9182d8bb9f0def1a%26pid%3D100970%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D294529816732%26itm%3D294529816732%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2380057%26brand%3DDrueke&_trksid=p2380057.c100970.m5481&_trkparms=pageci%3A0b4bceeb-5125-11ec-bc78-66fd54284186%7Cparentrq%3A6c35daf217d0a44c1f29ee37ffead298%7Ciid%3A1
I have a Druke 36 set in a different box. It is made of a light colored plywood ( almost white). The wood has 5 laminations . The sliding cover is masonite. There are no marks or labels on the outside of the box. there is a foil Drueke model 36 label on the bottom ( inside ) of the box. each queen weighs 32 grams. I have added 2 extra queens to this set. They weigh 55 grams. If not for the Drueke label, I would have thought that this set was not in a Drueke box., because it looks so cheap compared to the other Drueke boxes that I have seen.