Noj 1941 Soviet chess set

As I had mentioned in this thread a few days ago, I have been waiting on the 1941 Soviet chess set by Noj Ltd.

I have finally received it today and have been using it to study games for a few hours to give it a go.

The first thing I will say about this set is (as usual, with Noj sets) the pictures don't do it justice. It is much bigger and "thicker" than I had anticipated. It is a very sturdy, solid and tall set. On pictures, it looks almost too thin, but in the hand, the feel is very substantial and just perfect. The pieces tower over my other chess sets, as the king in this set is just about 106mm and I'm used to 88-95mm sets. It will make a beautiful set for both playing and displaying. Its size works perfectly with my chess table, which has 2 1/4" / 57mm squares.

The finish of the pieces is perfect as usual. This is my first Noj set with walnut instead of dyed black side (my BCE Stage 2 is dyed black, and Minceta dyed brown), and I just love the grain of the wood.

The only thing I dislike about this set, and this is not the set's fault, is I find the walnut pieces blend a bit too much with my chess table, so I may reserve using this set only with my chess boards.

I'm not going to do a long review, because I think the pictures speak for themselves:

WOW. That's just awesome. Beautiful pick for NOJ #3. Your super hi-res photos really showcase the finish and polishing.

Lol how many #1's do you have on your list?

Lovely set John.....I think they look just fine on the chess table.Hope you get much pleasure from them.