That is a wonderful box! It's out of my league but I'd buy one if I could afford it.
New JLP Walnut/Maple Chess Piece box @ ChessHouse
Sort:
May 29, 2023
0
#23
Since I recently bought two S.C. sets,a HOS set and a JLP board,I'd be spending on a lawyer if I went for that box...Which I love.
The minute that ChessHouse has a sale, I’ll update this posting. It’s $174 shipped right now with their current offer, I think it can drop as low as $150 shipped during a sale.
The quality is… superb. I couldn’t be happier, and it hurt my wallet quite a bit to buy these. However, it’s the best investment for set storage, practical, and will outlast your grandchildren.
May 29, 2023
0
#25
You're one heck of a good salesman! Nobody's going to argue that point.
I measured out what I need for my set and the box is a bit too small. It's a shame because I would have likely bought it had it been an inch bigger.
jsto wrote:
I measured out what I need for my set and the box is a bit too small. It's a shame because I would have likely bought it had it been an inch bigger.
Are you sure? Please take a peek at this photo, and what set are you looking to store? I’d be very surprised if there is a set with a king height of 4” or less that can’t fit in this box.
Thanks for the image. The "Latvian" pieces have veery broad bases, so indeed a 4" of any (standard) kind should fit.
Still concerned about those cheap hinges, and the fact it doesn't have a lock and doesn't isolate the pieces against humidity changes.
May 31, 2023
0
#29
I’m curious to know what people feel is an acceptable price for a quality, hand- made wooden box. Thoughts?
May 31, 2023
0
#30
I have two Blake & Lake boxes and one exact copy sitting in an Amazon box,waiting to be opened now....They are very well made and finished.The only issue(not for me,since they don't leave the house) is no locking mechanism.I use a little soft packaging material as a cushion for the pieces.Works like a charm.
Btw,Having 22 full size sets(one on order from HOS) I do have plenty of expensive boxes/coffers,but after a while one gets the sense that the "box thing" can cause one to go a bit overboard price wise,so I've scaled it back with the Blake & Lake boxes.
chessmaster_diamond wrote:
Still concerned about those cheap hinges, and the fact it doesn't have a lock and doesn't isolate the pieces against humidity changes.
I hear you on the hinges, and have relayed the feedback to JLP/ChessHouse. However, the last thing you would want on a box like this is humidity protection; pieces crack when exposed to changes in humidity, and if you created an artificially humid environment (or dry, depending on your climate), and then exposed them to ambient humidity, that would be worse and accelerate cracking.
To my knowledge, there are no wooden cases on the market short of a cigar humidor that would accomplish that, and those tend to be shorter. You could, of course, pursue a sealed (o-ring) dive case, such as the Pelican brand, but that would be counterproductive, per the above. Far better to create the appropriate environment in your chess area, as you likely have boards/tables that cannot possibly fit in a humidified case.
A lock is also not needed; with the design of this box having the pieces upright and exposed, any situation in which a lock is necessary to prevent the lid from opening would likely have damaged the pieces already (for example, in my Latvian set, destroyed the king finials). This is designed to be stored upright, and placed next to or on your chessboard (felted bottom) to set up and remove the chess pieces.
May 31, 2023
0
#32
I appreciate all your thoughts on the box pricing. Really good points to ponder.
Jun 1, 2023
0
#33
The easiest method to assure a safe/non cracking environment is to add a small/portable in room humidifier.So easy to maintain and can be had with a digital humidity adjustment.
I did this for years when I played acoustic guitar(sold due to hand issues) and now with my chess sets.The only thing is you have to check the water levels and keep it filled up....5 minutes of work at most.-
Jun 2, 2023
0
#34
I'm in the North East USA....In Winter months it is definitely something i need to keep an eye on.
Funny story...During the Covid lockdown,my son,who is an infectious disease specialist, forbade my wife and myself to pretty much go anywhere except shopping for food.....I needed to keep fit,since I like to go to the gm a few times a week,however it was shut down.....so....I'd bundle up in the cold(wear a cloth mask to keep the face warm) and walk 3 miles and then used my two 5 gallon "humidifier cannisters" to do arm curls,when I came back inside,
See! It pays to have a portable humidifier anyway.
VBerriz hat geschrieben:
I hear you on the hinges, and have relayed the feedback to JLP/ChessHouse. However, the last thing you would want on a box like this is humidity protection; pieces crack when exposed to changes in humidity, and if you created an artificially humid environment (or dry, depending on your climate), and then exposed them to ambient humidity, that would be worse and accelerate cracking.
To my knowledge, there are no wooden cases on the market short of a cigar humidor that would accomplish that, and those tend to be shorter. You could, of course, pursue a sealed (o-ring) dive case,
Well, I had to buy a few boxes to accommodate my new 4.3+" chess sets recently, and I chose a box that doesn't come with a felt inlay (though I could have put that in myself, if needed), where most of the pieces can stand up. I still had to put in a few pawns horizontally. but the pieces not being "Lardy fruitwood" I don't see a problem there (after all, many classic Jacques sets came in boxes where the pieces were just lying on top of each other, and countless chess sets, even expensive ones, have been put in such containers for centuries). Keep in mind those weren't designed as "chess boxes", rather they're simply "boxes". The dimensions are 27cm (w) x 20cm (d) x 13cm (h, without lid). With the extra headroom provided by the lid they can accommodate pieces of up to and including 4.4" kings' height.
Those boxes have a nut in the lid, like some humidors do. The lid doesn't completely isolate the contents against humidity changes, but - I imagine - will reduce the exchange between the outside and the inside considerably. You actually have to manually press down the lid for the boxes to close. Those boxes cost me $25-30 a piece.
Of course, the quality of the materials and the workmanship aren't on the same level, they're clearly different products. And the quality varies quite a bit (I had to send 2 of 8 boxes back because of manufacturing defects), but then, the price difference is HUGE. As far as I'm concerned, chess boxes should provide protection first, everything else is secondary.
Jun 3, 2023
0
#36
The Blake & Lake boxes(there's one exact copy at a lower price,btw) are exceptional values.I always use the soft material that comes with the box (the protective soft covering) as an inner cushion for the pieces.I just clip it to size and place it inside.
Thanks for the Blake and Lake recommendation, guys. These look very nice and functional for the price.
magictwanger hat geschrieben:
The Blake & Lake boxes(there's one exact copy at a lower price,btw) are exceptional values.I always use the soft material that comes with the box (the protective soft covering) as an inner cushion for the pieces.I just clip it to size and place it inside.
I used to buy self-adhesive felt paper that I cut to size and glued it to the inside of the boxes, but laziness has gotten the better of me in the past two years.
Jun 4, 2023
0
#39
Laziness is quite contagious. I've had a good case since Covid lockdown.
Maybe I’m just being stubborn about the quality of the JLP boxes, but I broke down and ordered another.
My logic is as follows - almost any good quality set is well over the $200 mark, without even mentioning the Noj (or Raikis!) heights. Some of these sets, if vintage or otherwise scarce, might be almost irreplaceable.
With that in mind, saving $100 to buy an inferior box and potentially damage a $300-500 set isn’t really a good equation, to me. Of course, we can all make that calculation based on our circumstances, but this is my opinion.
Raphael Neff has released a video that has the JLP box as one of the highlights:
Nice box.