I just read online that, as a result of "The Queens Gambit," chess equipment orders are up almost 90%, and book orders are up an astonishing 650%!! That places a lot of stress on order entry and product fulfillment, not to mention customer service!
Staunton Castle Unresponsive (Issue Resolved)
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Anyone order a padouk set from SC and had problems with it oxidizing?
I have purchased several Padauk sets over the years. All are kept in enclosed boxes/cases, and all exhibit the white dust to a varying degree. It seems to collect in tight spaces like the folds in the base or around the collars. I've tried waxing the pieces without success.
My final solution is to brush away the dust with a old toothbrush every time before I use the set, which takes only a couple of minutes.
Thanks Lou. Does that brushing bring back the new appearance and would a softer brush do like say a watercolor brush or do you need those stiff bristles?
Brynmr wrote:
Thanks Lou. Does that brushing bring back the new appearance and would a softer brush do like say a watercolor brush or do you need those stiff bristles?
Brynmr,
Art brushes are too soft. A medium toothbrush works just fine. Stiff enough to remove all the dust, but soft enough not to do any harm. Makes it look good as new! The small amount of infrequent 'dusting' is a paltry price to pay for the beauty of Padauk (also marketed as Blood Rosewood and BudRosewood). It's a lot less hassle than cleaning my steam humidifier!
At first I thought the person who posted this thread was being dramatic. But I myself placed an order on Staunton Castle's website on the week leading to new year's, and have been completely unable to get an email, live chat or a phone response to this day. No way to ask questions, get a quote on special orders, Nothing. Zero responses, not even a way to leave a voicemail. Sorry, people. But in the 21st century, there is NO EXCUSE to not even have a voicemail set up as a company. Or at the very least, knowing that they are slammed with orders, they could at least have an automated e-mail template message go out explaining their current expected delays. But complete and utter silence is highly disrespectful to ANY customer.
I don't buy the "chess boom" excuse as a valid reason for that level of disdain for your customers, to not even have the decency to TALK to them in some way.
I've been able to talk to people within seconds in the past week when reaching out to House Of Staunton, American chess equipment, and have even been corresponding with noj about a pending order i have with them for the past few days. Noj is a small family ran business that currently has a 4 month waiting period due to the chess boom and they are in a small country in Eastern Europe but STILL, he responds within 24 hours.
What is staunton castles excuse in Canada?!
I am filing a stop payment with my credit card
company first thing tomorrow morning. To echo the sentiment of the OP, when it comes to Staunton Castle: BUYER BEWARE!
I am particularly concerned about quality control light of what appears to be a massive upswing in demand.
Even pre-covid I have been caused to wonder about the consistency of the boxwood pieces. Some of the sets pictured on the sight evidence what I would consider to be an unacceptable degree of variation in the light color pieces, ranging from greyish neutral taupe (the blue end of the spectrum) to a warm yellowish cream (the red end of the spectrum) in the same set; and that's in a display set used for the photo shoot!
Before anybody who is indifferent themselves to quality control, or who believes that inconsistency celebrates the natural nature of this organic medium takes the time to posts to discount the value and aesthetics of uniformity, be advised that (being a wood worker myself) I am well aware of the natural variation in wood. Color is their uniform!
Even something as purpose driven and mundane as a drumstick manufacturer takes the time to match not just the color but also the resonant tone of each pair of sticks in order to make a $5 set that is destined get chopped to pieces in a matter of months by cymbals and rims, so I don't think color matching its too much to ask for in a decorative chess set costing hundreds.
Ask any 'decent' woodworker' and they will tell you that color matching and book matching grain is part of the satisfaction of the craft. I suspect that given the new demands on production, the first thing that will slip will be quality control. What is your experience with color matching pre-covid?
A discerning manufacture would color match the pieces at the factory.
I Googled the address, and its just a home in a pleasant Indo-Canadian suburb of Brampton, Ontario. There is no business it seems beyond a mailing address, which may or may not have a phone (which is not hooked up) attached to it, an email address, which the proprietor doesn't respond to, and internet service sufficient to receive and place orders. Thanks to cheap courier service, there is no store or warehouse to speak of because they don't fell the need; those things are only necessary to service customer satisfaction. This set-up, in an of itself, is not that unusual in the time of ecommerce. No store, no stock, no overhead, no risk. Personally, I would rather pay 40% more for the privilege of being able to walk in a store, see what I'm getting, and walk out with it under my arm, but alas those days are gone.
tskeldon,
Could there be some tax benefit for SC having nexus in Canada?
tskeldon wrote:
I Googled the address, and its just a home in a pleasant Indo-Canadian suburb of Brampton, Ontario. There is no business it seems beyond a mailing address, which may or may not have a phone (which is not hooked up) attached to it, an email address, which the proprietor doesn't respond to, and internet service sufficient to receive and place orders. Thanks to cheap courier service, there is no store or warehouse to speak of because they don't fell the need; those things are only necessary to service customer satisfaction. This set-up, in an of itself, is not that unusual in the time of ecommerce. No store, no stock, no overhead, no risk. Personally, I would rather pay 40% more for the privilege of being able to walk in a store, see what I'm getting, and walk out with it under my arm, but alas those days are gone.
I agree with 100%. It is not unusual and I also to walk into a store and see it before I buy it. I miss the physical stores.
loubalch wrote:
Brynmr wrote:
Thanks Lou. Does that brushing bring back the new appearance and would a softer brush do like say a watercolor brush or do you need those stiff bristles?
Brynmr,
Art brushes are too soft. A medium toothbrush works just fine. Stiff enough to remove all the dust, but soft enough not to do any harm. Makes it look good as new! The small amount of infrequent 'dusting' is a paltry price to pay for the beauty of Padauk (also marketed as Blood Rosewood and BudRosewood). It's a lot less hassle than cleaning my steam humidifier!
Yep, the padouk wood is stunning. I just need to convince the wife I need a second luxury chess set. It'll go something like this: "But baby baby baby... it's PADOUK wood! Red's you favorite color!" Yeah, that'll work.
Brynmr wrote:
Yep, the padouk wood is stunning. I just need to convince the wife I need a second luxury chess set. It'll go something like this: "But baby baby baby... it's PADOUK wood! Red's you favorite color!" Yeah, that'll work.
Look at it this way, chess sets are a lot like shoes. So why does your wife need more than one pair of dress shoes? For the same reason you need more than one luxury chess set! As they say, all's fair in chess and shoes.
loubalch wrote:
Brynmr wrote:
Yep, the padouk wood is stunning. I just need to convince the wife I need a second luxury chess set. It'll go something like this: "But baby baby baby... it's PADOUK wood! Red's you favorite color!" Yeah, that'll work.
Look at it this way, chess sets are a lot like shoes. So why does your wife need more than one pair of dress shoes? For the same reason you need more than one luxury chess set! As they say, all's fair in chess and shoes.
Not even Kryptonite could damage that logic... and I'm using your aphorism.
Brynmr wrote:
Not even Kryptonite could damage that logic... and I'm using your aphorism.
Don't be surprised if your wife confiscates a pair of your best dress shoes in exchange if you get the go-ahead!
loubalch wrote:
Brynmr wrote:
Not even Kryptonite could damage that logic... and I'm using your aphorism.
Don't be surprised if your wife confiscates a pair of your best dress shoes in exchange if you get the go-ahead!
Trust me, that would not be a fair exchange. She'll ask for expensive tubes of Daniel Smith watercolors and maybe a few sheets of oversized 300 lb Arches watercolor paper.
Brynmr wrote:
loubalch wrote:
Brynmr wrote:
Not even Kryptonite could damage that logic... and I'm using your aphorism.
Don't be surprised if your wife confiscates a pair of your best dress shoes in exchange if you get the go-ahead!
Trust me, that would not be a fair exchange. She'll ask for expensive tubes of Daniel Smith watercolors and maybe a few sheets of oversized 300 lb Arches watercolor paper.
When we were kids, life was much simpler, the girls were satisfied with finger paints and construction paper!
Jan 8, 2021
0
#99
Are you kidding me! I wish my wife would be satisfied with mere shoes!!!
I agree with tskeldon about the possibility of loss of chess piece quality,during this surge in popularity.....Hope it's not so,but there have been so many issues with a few of these mfgrs. over the last couple of years....Companies like NOJ,or Official Staunton,I'd not hesitate to buy from,but almost everyone else? Well,I don't know....Just sayin'>
Btw,I was very lucky to acquire a "stunning" Padauk/Boxwood Russian Zagreb set(they call it The Yugoslavian set) from The Chess Store,just before Christmas.
They had it on sale and I jumped at the right time,because it's now gone up $60.00
The Padauk is absolutely gorgeous wood and the overall quality destroyed my similar set from C.B.....which was not bad at all,just not in the same league...The C.B. version is being gifted to my grandson,who shows real interest in the game, at only 8 years old.
I would not hesitate to recommend The Chess Store,as the set is equal in quality to that of a rather high priced sets i own.....
And 
Good news @Loubalch!
So far, so good. "Better" news when acceptable replacements arrive.
I'd just like to say, I'm not trying to bust SC's balls here. On the contrary, I'm rooting for them and for all the other companies supplying us with quality chess equipment. But I do feel an obligation to other forum members to keep them informed about issues that could affect them directly, both positively and negatively.
I try and communicate the facts with a minimum of editorial comment, though I may not always succeed. I also use this forum to provide feedback (constructive criticism) when I'm unable to communicate directly with the supplier. In fact, 90%+ of all the issues I've had with chess equipment suppliers in the past were handled directly and never even mentioned in this forum.
I think it's only fair to give everyone an opportunity to respond and resolve the issue at hand in a way that benefits both parties.
Here's hoping things work out for all of us!
If that was your goal then I think you have done an excellent job at that.