Reproduction and Real Jaques of London Chess Set

Yeah I would have thought that there were many factors involved in creating "patina" on older pieces. Another I would guess would be tobacco smoke for pieces before 2000 or so. It turns walls, ceilings and even teeth yellow 😁 so it could well have had some effect on wood pieces with people so close to them puffing away!

In my case I believe it was the linseed oil I used to put on them about once a year. I never thought about what it would do to the finish, I just wanted to keep the wood from drying out or absorbing moisture. It's the only set I've ever put oil on and I'm not a bit sorry. The pieces have a nice patina. I'll make an effort to post some pictures soon. The set is nothing very interesting but it's like a comfortable old glove to me from using it almost exclusively for many years.

Linseed oil in my experience is basically yellow, its a drying oil so the residue will polymerise and protect the surface, but it will add a yellow tinge.  Once you have a continuous coating of dried linseed oil, you aren't adding oil to the wood when you re-oil, but are re-polishing and repairing the polymer layer.   

are you sure about that?  I don't use it myself, but i can't find anything that says that tung oil NOT drying is anything other than unusual or a problem

Well, it took almost 5 years but finally, we have nailed it! and I believe we have made a truly superb Jaques reproduction and one that surpasses ALL others so far  

https://www.officialstaunton.com/products/1851-antique-ebony-morphy-4-4-chess-pieces

I may have used mineral oil. It was so long ago I don't remember for sure. Linseed oil does have a reputation for taking forever to dry. I believe some type of drying agent is added to create what's called boiled linseed oil that is supposed to cure much faster.

Your sets are looking very nice. Unfortunately, the current state of my finances prevents me from buying one any time soon. Maybe if I sold a few of the sets I have...

Looks good but it seems like it should be displayed on a board that looks equivalently vintage, not that hideous (IMO) green board.

Mineral oil doesn't dry.  Untreated linseed oil will cure slowly, boiled linseed (which often has additives to make it cure faster, but which traditionally was just boiled) would take a few days to properly dry depending how well it is rubbed in/off.  

Bite your tung. 
I couldn’t resist. Please continue on.

I agree that that is a really good looking set. I also agree with forked_again that the green board does not show off the set in its best light.

I couldn't quite tell from the pictures - are you using felt or baize for these?

Thanks Matt...ill get the board changed no problem if you guys don't like the current set up....yes green felt with lozenges as per original 

This is my opinion:

If your a serious collector of very expensive chess sets, then you would want both an antique and brand new Jaques of London *club chess set. 

*club chess set has 4.4" king.

That being said. House of Staunton sells collectable chess sets, and given enough time, eventually many of the sets will eventually become antiques. How much an old HoS set will be worth in 50 to 100 years from now remains to be seen.

Luckily, House of Staunton's main purpose is to get high quality but reasonably priced sets to the masses, with price ranges for every pocketbook.

My guess is, not much.  

Indeed, me too  i'll worth not much in 50 to 100 years from now.

Thanks Robert  ..I thought so too 😊

Sorry to disagree. I'll bet when Jaques of London created his Staunton set did he ever envision his sets being worth very much. Remember Jaques was into all types of games, not just chess. The Staunton pattern was was designed be be a utilitarian set, built to take a beating unlike chess sets of the day with all their fine carvings. The ONLY reason that the pattern still exists is pure marketing genius. Whether was Jaques or his brother-in-law who persuaded Howard Staunton, who -- if stories are true -- had an ENORMOUS ego, convinced him to lend his name to this simplified design. And as the saying goes, the rest is History.

Fast forward to the present time. HOS has re-invigorated chess piece design. Some of the sets being produced today could qualify as works of Art compared to Early Jaques of London sets, which are absolutely PRIMITIVE compared to some of  the sets being produced today. Indeed many of today's sets are being designed more or less with the same ideals in mind as those Early Jaques sets were created for: Less ornimental design which could be broken, but still designed to take to take a beating. And most sets designed today can a fair amount of hard play. These modern day Staunton sets are faithful and true to the underlying philosophy behind those early Staunton sets, the difference can be seen in the detail carved into each sets.

Before HOS all we had were a bunch of poor quality knockoffs of the original Staunton pattern, HOS instituted, for instance, the concept of having TWO queens in a set per side, not just one, now EVERY company has followed suit; HOS designed Staunton sets that were future looking such as their Empire Set that was featured in Star Wars;  they introduced sets made with other types of woods other than the "Traditional Boxwood and Ebony" sets, and the Artistic High Quality Sets that are being produced today are further proof as to the enormous impact that HOS has had of the production of HIGH QUALITY sets, not just by them, but by the entire ecosystem -- if it is junk it will be not long be remembered.

If I were to ask WHICH Jaques set was the BEST set ever produced there would be arguments galore -- some would point to the 1849 set , others the Anderson Sets and so on, but the Era of Jaques sets had both a Beginning and an End and IF you bought ANY Jaques Chess Set you were guaranteed to have bought a HIGH QUALITY set. Then somewhere probably around the 1930's Jaques became a shadow of itself, producing a bunch of crap that would have never seen the light of day when those first Staunton sets were produced. Today Jaques is still a Shadow of its former glory, trying to capitalize on its glory years of the 1800's. Today it is the House of Staunton, and Official Staunton Chess Co. that is re-imagining Chess Sets for the 21st Century. They are not only recreating the Jaques 1849 set -- for traditionalists -- but are creating a true FANTASY set that was actually supposedly available for sale but none have ever turned up. It was a Club Set in Boxwood and Rosewood. 

Those who believe that a HOS or a OS set created today will not be worth very much in 50- 100 years has failed to grasp the lesson of those Early Jaques of London sets. They were created strictly to be utilitarian -- no one ever expected that they would ever be coveted sets 170 years later.  170 years ago Jaques of London was a name associated with Quality; 170 years later it is House of Stauaton, Official Staunton,  and NOJ. If you buy *any* of their sets you are guaranteed to have bought a HIGH QUALITY set. 

People living 170 years from now -- assuming we have not blown ourselves up, or killed each other off over petty differences -- may look back as the current age as the Golden Age of Chess Set Innovation.

Amazing and well said ! 😁

I suspect they'll hold their value but I wouldn't expect them to appreciate much, since there are so many being produced.

Genuine antique Staunton style (especially Jaques and BCC) chess sets seem to have risen in price in the past few years, perhaps because there are now so many people playing chess. How long that trend will continue for is anyone's guess.

Cooke 3.5"