I've just had word back from Official Staunton, they are going to put it right for me. Their customer service has been good in my experience, I've had another set from them a few years ago. They respond within a couple of hours normally.
Many thanks
New chess pieces, am I being too picky?
Sort:
May 12, 2023
0
#23
DesperateKingWalk wrote:
That is total crap. I would be sending them back. I am not sure how others think brand new chess pieces should look. But I have been buying chess sets for 40 years.
Have you had to send many back?
You sure it don't have no lead in it's butt?
Proper genuine Gaboon ebony is only 5% denser than Ceylon.
https://www.wood-database.com/gaboon-ebony/
https://www.wood-database.com/ceylon-ebony/
Of course, I'm not disputing Gaboon ebony's +150 elo boost to ones tactical skills when playing with these pieces - it's a real pity that chess players have taken this wonderful wood to near extinction.
I have to say I admire your knowledge and your ability to tell the difference between Gaboon and Ceylon ebony by just picking up a weighted chess piece.
This makes me think that instead of spending my years woodworking, I should have spent them buying chessmen - maybe then I could dream of matching your expertise.
I would indeed prefer a set made with african blackwood or Macassar ebony.. since noone is producing them I will turn my own set. Now about the pictures posted, picture with the small nicks is somewhat ok since they were caused by grain tearout. Should have been sanded a little bit more. For the others, yeah, not great quality there.
@DesperateKingWalk
Since I'm in a good mood this morning, here's a free educational session.
Weight:
It is not highly unusual to observe up to 20% variance in physical properties of wood blanks even when cut from the same billet. There is no way in hell anybody would ever be able to tell Gaboon and Ceylon apart just by picking up a finished chess piece. Attributing your king's 120g weight to it being made from Gaboon instead of Ceylon ebony, when its base is packed with lead, was just too much for me not to have a chuckle. Even if it was not weighted, the difference is weight is so small, that it gets completely wiped out by intra-species variance on a piece-by-piece basis.
In regard to hardness - you are correct that statistically, Gaboon will have higher janka rating than Ceylon but, for instance, lower than Macassar. On a piece-by-piece basis I expect some cross-over of the ranges between species. You will never see or feel this difference when using a chess set - only when working them. They are all very hard woods that don't dent easily.
As to the colour, again, yes, statistically, Gaboon will have a lot more pitch black blanks. Other ebonies are also capable of producing perfectly dark wood. I never had to dye any ebony black despite working a fair bit with it. Nobody must dye it black - it's just companies sourcing very low-quality cheap ebony blanks and shifting them to unsuspecting consumers who are so blinded by marketing hype, that they demand a uniformly pitch-black wooden product that's made from "ebony", and they want them cheap. Most won't be able to tell genuine Gaboon ebony from genuine Gaboon plastic if their life depended on it.
Enjoy your chess sets and enjoy playing with them.
I just don't like people spreading factually incorrect, misleading marketing hype while posing as experts on the subject. And I dislike wood fetishism that assigns mythical properties to wood so people are prepared to pay 10-fold for buying a product made from endangered species - the ultimate effect of that is illegal logging and endangered species becoming even more endangered. Fair enough, we'll never exhaust the planet's supply by producing chessmen, but it's the culture of "The more endangered, the better" that grinds my gears.
May 14, 2023
0
#29
In my opinion this is within the acceptable imperfections. If the scratches showed the wood underneath then it’s valid. If pieces were actually chipped or cracked then definitely valid concern also.
Also I think it’s important from where and how much you paid. If it is from an individual who sells an occasional set then I think this isn’t valid concerns. If it is from a company that promises certain degree of quality then maybe there is more basis for requesting replacement.
Another thing to remember is if you bought them for use then they will quickly accumulate scratches and damage that in the future will , in my opinion, add value as it will make it look like a used set that will gain some “patina”. I am aware that patina is usually applicable to metals, but wood will also gain it. I am attaching a picture of two pieces from sets I use myself. The darker one, the king was already decades of accumulated patina. The knight is just my hands twiddling it around.
May 14, 2023
0
#30
It would be ironic for it to be the Noj set that was one of the eight that was faulty;-)
Yeah I had quality issues with all except for Noj. MCH818 But then you had a Issue with a design change on your 50's Noj repro , Me have good memory , it took a while with many a photos with Noj , still Noj made good with you in the end ,
Yes , MCH818 my point is what you saw on the seller photos can not be what you get , in your case with Noj you expected get what you saw on there web page
& quite rightly so "you stood your ground"
As i had pointed out to you back then it's not a cheap buy , so get what you pay for , even then you took a lot off slack on here for this , How dare you say this about Noj , Me stood up for you then later on you disown me as a friend , such is life anyway buy vintage then its full of hard knock that comes out of life , He he ho he with a AH !
By the way where is my hat ? 
MCH818 wrote:
lighthouse wrote:
Yes , MCH818 my point is what you saw on the seller photos can not be what you get , in your case with Noj you expected get what you saw on there web page
& quite rightly so "you stood your ground"
As i had pointed out to you back then it's not a cheap buy , so get what you pay for , even then you took a lot off slack on here for this , How dare you say this about Noj , Me stood up for you then later on you disown me as a friend , such is life anyway buy vintage then its full of hard knock that comes out of life , He he ho he with a AH !
By the way where is my hat ?
Oh! I did not understand your point from your previous post. Yeah photos from sellers can be misleading. And yeah I took some slack from a few people. I think most were just surprised by me being the first to say something negative about Noj. Noj as you know has a great reputation for producing great sets and having great customer service. Their reputation is well deserved even though my experience with them was not the best. In the end like you said they made it right so it was fine.
It is true that you stood up for me in my thread which I appreciated it very much. It is also equally true that I unfriended you here previously. The reason I did that was because you took many shots at Americans in other threads after you stood up for me. I don’t remember if you said it but someone generalized us Americans as being people who drive gas guzzling SUVs while talking on our cell phones. I remember being really upset by that. I am proud to be an American and if you insult my county you insult me as well. I wouldn’t insult your country or assume that what a small group of people in your county do is also what you would do too. I befriended you again after a long while because people sometimes say things they do not mean. This includes me too.
Still not far from the truth , in this case , where is my hat ?
May 14, 2023
0
#34
My brother acquired a bud rosewood Dubrovnik set from Staunton Castle. I won't elaborate but it had a number of flaws, which my brother photographed and sent to them. Their attitude was basically that wood is an organic material and will have some natural flaws in it. My brother's attitude is that if a worker saw the piece had flaws in the wood, it should not have been used. Pretty much an impasse until my brother mentioned that he was going to take photos of his set, and would SC prefer photos of a perfect set being shown, or one with flaws? That got things moving, and Mandeep promised to send the 3 replacement pieces. Well,, they sent two, and one was not one of the pieces requested. Mandeep finally said he would send the new pieces when he got to Canada, as it was much cheaper to ship from there. I understand he is a busy man, and he forgot to take the replacement pieces with him. My brother had to send him yet another email when he was back in India, and it seems at long last the new pieces are on their way. Fingers crossed they will be ok when they arrive. My brother says "Mandeep and I have a special relatioinship". I am not quite sure what that means. I do know he has requested a photo from my brother of his set. My brother showed him the photo he took of my Mom clock on the board with my SC Dubrovnik men, and he said he will frame the photo of my brother's set and put in on the wall of his office. Let's hope it all works out. Here is one of the photos my brother took in January of my set. It is lovely and I can see why Mandeep liked it. I am using this as the desktop image for my laptop at the moment.
May 15, 2023
0
#35
DesperateKingWalk wrote:
M_Chavez wrote:
You sure it don't have no lead in it's butt?
Proper genuine Gaboon ebony is only 5% denser than Ceylon.
https://www.wood-database.com/gaboon-ebony/
https://www.wood-database.com/ceylon-ebony/
Of course, I'm not disputing Gaboon ebony's +150 elo boost to ones tactical skills when playing with these pieces - it's a real pity that chess players have taken this wonderful wood to near extinction.
Yes the pieces are weighted. The white king is only 109g. So about 13g less.
Here is the main issue with the Ceylon ebony. As it is a low quality ebony species, and must be dyed black. And is softer, and much cheaper.
Here is a LED test to show the difference. In normal light they both look black.
One king is real Gaboon ebony, and one king is Ceylon ebony.
Just want to make a guess. Is the 2nd piece from ChessBazaar?
May 15, 2023
0
#36
DesperateKingWalk wrote:
Drawgood wrote:
DesperateKingWalk wrote:
M_Chavez wrote:
You sure it don't have no lead in it's butt?
Proper genuine Gaboon ebony is only 5% denser than Ceylon.
https://www.wood-database.com/gaboon-ebony/
https://www.wood-database.com/ceylon-ebony/
Of course, I'm not disputing Gaboon ebony's +150 elo boost to ones tactical skills when playing with these pieces - it's a real pity that chess players have taken this wonderful wood to near extinction.
Yes the pieces are weighted. The white king is only 109g. So about 13g less.
Here is the main issue with the Ceylon ebony. As it is a low quality ebony species, and must be dyed black. And is softer, and much cheaper.
Here is a LED test to show the difference. In normal light they both look black.
One king is real Gaboon ebony, and one king is Ceylon ebony.
Just want to make a guess. Is the 2nd piece from ChessBazaar?
That is the issue and with not just Chessbazaar. Ceylon ebony can be jet black like Gaboon ebony, but it is expensive. It is cheaper for the manufactures today to just buy low grade ebony and then dye it all black.
And the chess manufactures can still claim it as ebony and charge ebony prices.
The LED test will generally let you know if you have a high grade ebony that is naturally jet black, or a low grade dyed ebony.
The issue is the dyed ebony will not hold that color forever. A natural jet black ebony will hold that color forever.
My question was whether I guessed correctly that the 2nd king is from ChessBazaar. Is it?
May 16, 2023
0
#37
As the owner and founder of the Official Staunton Chess Company, I would like to take a moment to shed some light on the topic of quality issues in hand-carved chess sets. Crafting each chess set involves intricate processes, including hand carving and turning, which require great skill and attention to detail. Despite our best efforts to maintain high standards, it is important to understand that, due to the law of averages, occasional quality issues may arise.
The nature of hand-carving introduces an inherent level of variability in the manufacturing process. Skilled artisans meticulously carve and shape each individual piece, but slight variations can occur, leading to differences in size, weight, or even minor imperfections. This craftsmanship is part of the charm and uniqueness of hand-carved sets, but it also means that no two sets will be identical.
Furthermore, the volume of sets we, as a retailer, purchase periodically - approximately 100 sets of each design, four times a year - presents additional challenges in ensuring consistent quality. Even with stringent quality control measures in place, a certain percentage of sets may still exhibit minor issues due to the complexities involved in mass production and the intricacies of hand-carving.
To gauge the overall quality of our chess sets, the best approach is to consider the collective feedback and reviews from customers over a period of years. By examining the experiences shared by our valued customers, you can form a comprehensive understanding of the quality and consistency we strive to achieve. A single isolated incident does not define the overall quality of our products, as every manufacturing process has its inherent margin for occasional imperfections.
We encourage our customers to provide honest and detailed reviews, highlighting both positive aspects and areas where improvement is needed. By doing so, we gain valuable insights that enable us to refine our production methods and address any quality concerns that may arise. We take customer feedback seriously and continuously work towards enhancing the quality of our hand-carved chess sets.
While it is true that occasional quality issues can be expected in hand-carved chess sets due to the complex manufacturing process and the inherent variability involved, we strive to provide products of the highest standard. Evaluating the quality of our chess sets should be based on an accumulation of reviews and experiences from our customers over a period of years. We remain dedicated to continuously improving and delivering exceptional chess sets that meet the expectations of chess enthusiasts like yourselves.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support
MCH818 wrote:
DesperateKingWalk wrote:
I am not sure why you are off on this tangent. My point was and is if the product is not right. Have the seller make it right. It does not matter if the chess set is $100 or $1000.
Well, your original point was correct. However, you said other things along the way that seemed strange to me. What you said about never having to ask for replacements over 40 years seems strange to me because of things that I have read here at CB&E and things I know to be true. Also you implied on more than one occasion that the stuff they make now is not as good as they made before. I strongly disagree with that. Overall, I was just asking about your experience and other things to find out more.
First you’ve been buying sets since the early 80s. Frank started HoS in 1990. @EyeChess said on more than one occasion that Frank checked each piece before it went out the door. It was implied that no one did it before him and based upon my own experience, no one at HoS or anywhere else did it after. It seems likely to have imperfections being delivered to the customer if you were not buying from Frank.
Also, I remember reading members of this community said most of the sets being produced before Frank started HoS were not good both in quality and design. Again there was probably issues with the sets being delivered to the customers.
Also, I told you that WalterBiensur posted a photo of the Chavet factory where they dumped 1000s of newly carved pieces into one bin. I’m not sure how Lardy and others did it but I can imagine the same thing happening everywhere. That had to have produced lots of imperfections such as dents, scratches, broken finials, bad finish, etc for the pieces at the bottom of the pile. Again, it seems unlikely for a customer not to receive imperfections.
Also, my own experience of needing to ask for replacements contradicts your statement. Of course, your experiences spans a different time period, but it seems nearly impossible for someone to produce many hand-made sets carved out of wood for the masses without their being at least a few pieces that have imperfections.
Lastly, you seem to imply in some of your posts in this thread and other threads that they just do not make things like they use to. You even said “crap like they make today”. My point in my last post was that in every time period there will be stuff that was made well and stuff that was made poorly. Just because you bought stuff a long time ago does mean it was good. The same for the stuff that can be purchased now does not mean it is not good. Just ask people who own a Noj set or perhaps ask MGT88 about this newly produced 1849 set from Oleg Raikis not to mention @Pawnerai’s Raikis set. How about the JLP owners who swear JLP is the new modern Drueke. I am sure all of these people would say they love their modern products.
In way there is more crap being made today along with more choice , All the set's & boards etc from JLP & others stated by you , come at a very high asking Price MCH818 Let's face it Unless you want to spend more than $300+ it's a gamble with cracks to follow in some cases or even then , My only newly made set came from TCE & that was on a very good sale price on esty + payment made with pay pal just in case of a refund ,
Just needed to add 100 euro for import tax + Vat & handling fee from Fed EX with a demand of 6 days to pay after sales bill , so not a cheap buy really in the end or deal as I would have liked or led to believe , See small print . so my fault .
As I only really like antique chess sets or Vintage sets as you know " Just my taste " Mind you would not say No to a Oleg Raikis set .
DesperateKingWalk I can also understand why you would buy your stuff from amazon in to days market at your age , cuts out all the fuss etc .
lighthouse wrote:
In way there is more crap being made today along with more choice , All the set's & boards etc from JLP & others stated by you , come at a very high asking Price MCH818 Let's face it Unless you want to spend more than $300+ it's a gamble with cracks to follow in some cases or even then , My only newly made set came from TCE & that was on a very good sale price on esty + payment made with pay pal just in case of a refund ,
I’m going to lightly disagree here. When you look at prices in relation to what they have been in the past, it’s never been cheaper to buy good quality sets, boards and pieces.
$100 in 1980 is almost $400 today…
May 16, 2023
0
#40
I vehemently disagree with the argument that it's very difficult to assure a good and consistent quality of merchandise. High volume should not necessarily equate to many issues.
Example: The Martin Guitar Company has a high volume of acoustic guitar sales.They've been around since 1833 and know how to produce a quality product and offer consistently good instruments.I've been to their factory and even their "cheapest guitar" is extremely well made and blemish free!
Ownership really,"really cares" about turning out a great product!.They demand it....A'hem 190 years and still successful.
I used to inhabit the Martin Guitar Forum and though there were a few issues(mostly related to shipping wood in cold climates and the buyer not acclimating it correctly,or an unsavory dealer taking poor care of his inventory,or UPS etc.) the overall satisfaction level trounces what we have "way too commonly" seen in the chess set world.
Even when I had my print/graphics/marketing business and we were flooded with work,in 35 years I had "maybe" a half dozen quality issues...A fish stinks from the head down.I am not trying to thump my chest,but I killed myself to make sure I kept my customers happy and I had "caring employees".
If anyone buys a chess set these days,no matter who supplies the pieces,you take a chance.
Sure,some sellers are better than others,but every time I get a new set shipped to me,I loathe the process of having to scrutinize each piece....The overall level of quality coming out of the vast majority of sellers is a disgrace.
yes