nice travel set
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Looking for advice on a nice travel board, I’m thinking 15x15 or 16x16 with 1.625 or 1.75 squares. I’ve looked at a ton of 30-35$ wood folding ones on amazon but not sure I’d be happy with those. Thanks in advance
Jun 6, 2021
0
#2
Did you want a full travel set or just a board?
You can't go wrong with an old Soviet set with folding board. Have a look at the other items in these shops too:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1017877516/soviet-wooden-chess-set-80s?ref=shop_home_active_1&pro=1&frs=
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1020189371/the-queens-gambit-chess-set-wooden-old?ref=shop_home_recs_12
Avoid Amazon- most of what you find there is just cheap Chinese, Indian or Polish junk.
Cool thanks, full set or board and I get the pieces separate is fine. I’ll look into those in the morning when I get some time. Is magnetic nice or just weighted. Much thanks
Jun 6, 2021
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#4
Glad to help, guy. Just remember that since these pieces are vintage, they will have the usual wear of history. That is part of the charm. It is perfectly fine if that is not your sort of thing. Inspect the photos carefully so you know what you are getting.
The new stuff out there is a hit or miss, and you will have to deal with customer service if it goes awry.
I don't have one yet and have been looking at chesshouse options, seems though most are out of stock as is the one i want. They say they will be trying to get some in for the summer but I want one now. Will be keeping an eye on this, its a good question. I had bought a cheap magnetic fold up pocket chess from a different retailer but don't recommend it. From what I see at chesshouse.com they seem to offer some good sets, anyone deal with them by any chance?
Jun 7, 2021
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#6
sound67 wrote:
look at one of the options by House of Chess, they make high quality golfing sets.
@phase10king Ignore this Seagull. Nobody is talking about golfing.
Like I said, avoid anything coming out of India. The quality control and service stinks overall. What you SEE is NOT what you might GET. You can't say the same for a used set.
The Seagull mentioned House of Chess - I bought 3 sets from this store and the product did not match what was advertised. I also got mismatched knights in two sets. Their product photos are outdated and they are using different carvers.
=============================================
Advertised Knight:
What I received looked nothing like the one above. The carver even forgot to touch up the mane:
===========================================
Advertised knight:
What I received:
Admittedly, the carving is better but not what I was expecting. I do not like the overly pointed mane. That is prone to chipping.
===========================================
Another mismatched knight pair:
This set also came with a broken box and cracked pieces.
Let me repeat, avoid anything coming out of India. The quality control stinks overall. What you SEE is NOT what you might GET. You can't say the same for a used set.
I had looked at the house of chess so thanks for the input
And the ones from chess house? When they do get in stock
Just noticed they’re made in India as well.. that 16x16 is pretty much exactly what I’m interested in, sucks to hear of so much quality control issues
Be less concerned about the country of manufacture and more concerned about who is the retailer. And will the retailer stand behind the product they sell with after-sales support and customer service.
+1 with what @Pawnerai said. I bought about 8 chess items from Etsy in the last 2 years. All were made in the US. 3 of the 8 had quality issues. One was a custom box. You can see it below. The bottom was so thin it cracked during shipping. The bottom of one of the sides broke off prior to shipping. The latch was so flimsy it fell off during shipping. The phrase poor quality was an understatement. Another was a chess board with bubbles in the finish. The last was a chess board with 5 misaligned squares. It happens no matter where it was made. It matters if the company selling it deals with the issues properly or not.
Certainly there are plenty examples of late of bad quality from everywhere. This is something that is true but where it is made is probably not the reason.
I appreciate all of the input!
@Phase10King Shelby stands behind his products. He is a good retailer and supplier of chess products.
Please refrain from any political talk here. Thank you. I travel and am away from home 4 days a week by vehicle, I have no issue the kind of weight or size a 15x or 16x folding set offers, as long as hinges and latches are sturdy. I want a long lasting product. It may or may not see a ton of action, doesn’t change my view of what I’d rather spend the money on. Quality product
Both of you stop please. You could possibly be deterring someone that could have a lead to exactly what I’m looking for. Thank you
Might not be your cup of tea, but just putting it out there. Below is my travel set. Pretty much indestructible and waterproof. Packs easily. Lightweight. 14" silicone board and 32 plastic pieces. I've taken it on 3 road trips so far. Stuffs easily into a backpack. Or odd space in the corner of suitcase next to the mini bottles of shampoo and socks. Silicone boards have pros and cons. For me, it serves its purpose well.
@pawnerai I really like those however, the locations I might play I feel I’d rather have a solid board
Jun 7, 2021
0
#18
I was having the darndest time remembering the name of this company... a little smaller than you were looking for, but some nice sets that have been well reviewed in these forums. https://thinket.com/collections/chessmate-pocket-travel-chess-sets
Edit: Might as well link to one of the review threads https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/chessmate-pockettravel-sets---excellent