Amazing artistry. Wonderful photographs. Congratulations and thank you sincerely for sharing with us. Beyond that, I’m speechless really. 🫢
My Commission From Oleg Raikis: "The Ideal Staunton" - A Jaques 1849 Reproduction
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@VBerriz : Will do!
@Wits-end : Thank you! I did spend quite a bit of time taking the photographs and uploading them etc.; it was alot of work!
This set is truly breathtaking and might just be the most accurate Jaques reproduction ever made. You can tell that a lot of work went into this, it's an amazing project.
The carving on the knights is especially well done, and I appreciate the one-block construction, which I had never seen offered anywhere before. The rest of the set looks great as well, as you would expect from Oleg.
I also really like the african blackwood option for the black pieces, another option I had never seen before. I prefer that wood to "true" ebony for its aesthetics (look at the wood grain on those pictures, beautiful) and the fact that it's more durable (very hardy, not prone to cracking in dry conditions like ebony, stays oily naturally, etc.).
Congratulations on the excellent work and getting this project together. I'm sure whoever orders this set will be very happy with the results.
jsto wrote:
This set is truly breathtaking and might just be the most accurate Jaques reproduction ever made. You can tell that a lot of work went into this, it's an amazing project.
The carving on the knights is especially well done, and I appreciate the one-block construction, which I had never seen offered anywhere before. The rest of the set looks great as well, as you would expect from Oleg.
I also really like the african blackwood option for the black pieces, another option I had never seen before. I prefer that wood to "true" ebony for its aesthetics (look at the wood grain on those pictures, beautiful) and the fact that it's more durable (very hardy, not prone to cracking in dry conditions like ebony, stays oily naturally, etc.).
Congratulations on the excellent work and getting this project together. I'm sure whoever orders this set will be very happy with the results.
Thanks!! A few interesting facts about African Blackwood; it is known as the “original Ebony”, as it was imported to ancient Egypt (and the rest of the ancient world) as “Ebony”; it is technically a Rosewood and is, therefore, more stable than the other woods known today as “Ebony”; it is one of the most (if not the most) expensive woods in the world, and its source tree is near-threatened!
Jan 15, 2023
0
#66
Hi MGT. It's been a long time since I've visited this forum last. I gotta say, this set takes the cake for me. It's beauty is on another level compared to anything else Staunton I've seen, including original, antique Jaques sets. The cuts on the bishops look great, the king and the queen have those thicker stems that nonetheless slope correctly, and the pawns' collars and queens' coronets look properly detailed and a touch delicate.
In a previous post I made way back when, I thought that getting one of these 4.4 inch king designs from the 1850s/1870s would be great if you could get it in 3.5 inch king size. This is exactly what I had in mind when I said that. For me, it's like you say, an ideal Staunton set.
Now as to the price, I'm sure it's worth it, especially with that discount that has no doubt been snagged by somebody by now. However, I wouldn't be able to justify the purchase, especially given the fact that I still have my 2 Noj sets, and I've been considering selling one of them, and to just keep the one. I simply don't get to play enough over the board these days.
Anyhow, congrats on the set and to the carver, he obviously knows his trade. Enjoy!
maik1988 wrote:
Hi MGT. It's been a long time since I've visited this forum last. I gotta say, this set takes the cake for me. It's beauty is on another level compared to anything else Staunton I've seen, including original, antique Jaques sets. The cuts on the bishops look great, the king and the queen have those thicker stems that nonetheless slope correctly, and the pawns' collars and queens' coronets look properly detailed and a touch delicate.
In a previous post I made way back when, I thought that getting one of these 4.4 inch king designs from the 1850s/1870s would be great if you could get it in 3.5 inch king size. This is exactly what I had in mind when I said that. For me, it's like you say, an ideal Staunton set.
Now as to the price, I'm sure it's worth it, especially with that discount that has no doubt been snagged by somebody by now. However, I wouldn't be able to justify the purchase, especially given the fact that I still have my 2 Noj sets, and I've been considering selling one of them, and to just keep the one. I simply don't get to play enough over the board these days.
Anyhow, congrats on the set and to the carver, he obviously knows his trade. Enjoy!
Thank you for this wonderful post! It's really great to read this kind of response from a forum member like yourself; in a way, the "Ideal Staunton" set was made specifically for the "Chess Books & Equipment" forum, as it is the only place/community I've ever used to learn about/discuss chess equipment; I kept the forum in mind throughout the project, and looked forward to creating this thread the entire time!
You wrote: "Thanks!! A few interesting facts about African Blackwood; it is known as the “original Ebony”, as it was imported to ancient Egypt (and the rest of the ancient world) as “Ebony”; it is technically a Rosewood and is, therefore, more stable than the other woods known today as “Ebony”; it is one of the most (if not the most) expensive woods in the world, and its source tree is near-threatened!".
I didn't know that about African Blackwood so I checked it out and found the wood is protected by CITES, the same convention that protects elephant ivory. Do you have a permit to import it?
Rosewood generally is more immune to environmental factors such as heat, cold and humidity than ebony. Ebony is denser than rosewood but it can crack. The ebony from Madagascar is denser than the Indian version which tends to have brown spots and mineral deposits. I believe good quality ebony from Madagascar is now on banned wood list and is not allowed to be exported.
Gabon also possesses very high quality ebony but because it is expensive it is rarely used for making chess products nowadays. Ebony is also found in Brazil and the quality is very good but I don’t know if it is on the ban list or not.
God post
Thanks
I’d say this is firmly #1 on my list of sets I want…. I think it’s just stunning!!!!
I think Official Staunton also sells this type of Jaques.
alanfersht wrote:
You wrote: "Thanks!! A few interesting facts about African Blackwood; it is known as the “original Ebony”, as it was imported to ancient Egypt (and the rest of the ancient world) as “Ebony”; it is technically a Rosewood and is, therefore, more stable than the other woods known today as “Ebony”; it is one of the most (if not the most) expensive woods in the world, and its source tree is near-threatened!".
I didn't know that about African Blackwood so I checked it out and found the wood is protected by CITES, the same convention that protects elephant ivory. Do you have a permit to import it?
Shipments of finished products containing below 10 kg (approximately 22 lb) of African Blackwood are exempt from CITES controls:
Thank you very much @GMM4U @SpanishStallion @RichardOMaior @Krames
It seems the ban on the export of Madagascar and Gabon ebony is stil in place but it is possible that some other African countries are still able to export ebony but I am not that sure about their wood quality.
Gorgeous set. The quality of the carving is incredible, puts every other luxury set I've seen for sale to shame. I want one but I could never justify the cost. I love the downsizing of the 4.4" set dimensions to a 3.5", the traditional 4.4" definitely has better lines than the traditional 3.5" but I think you've definitely combined the best of all worlds here in regards to quality, sizing and styling. Bravo. I'll keep thinking about this set for a long while. Also I thoroughly enjoyed how you shot down the Troll. A mate in 2 moves!
Mar 5, 2023
0
#79
I'm glad that this thread has gotten some new life.I've been so involved with my last few chess set acquisitions that I forgot how beautiful and perfect a nice 1849 Jacques set can be.
Btw,Stallion....You gave some good info on the woods.
@MGT88 - GORGEOUS!
Question, can Oleg make a set in European maple/ebonized maple? I prefer the clean look, even after aging, and the hardness is superb.
I’ve asked Oleg about this in the past and he has considered it; I will ask him again.
@VBerriz @Wes350 I spoke with Oleg on this and he said that he prefers, for various reasons, to use only his current catalogue of materials (boxwood, african blackwood, bokaut, and mammoth ivory).
Understandable! Please do let him know that once he can accommodate maple, there is a very eager customer for him (likely in 2024 anyway, this year is a bit chaotic already…)