I think the most affordable are from RoyalChessMall
Quality is mid-range (considering something like 'chinese wooden chess pieces' the ones of less quality) and you'll need a bit of luck (I got a 'fide repro' and its quality surpassed its price of 70usd).
There are plenty of available items there.. ( RoyalChessMall Products )
It would be weird if an account from india somewhat filters results. Filtering by "items location" as "Asia" still gives all items.
What a beautiful set. I would be deathly scared of dirtying the pieces with grubby fingers.
ah, LSW33 it would help develop the patina! or you could choose to play black. The pieces are very tactile/ergonomic...I weighed the Queen earlier and it is 98 grams, the King was too heavy for the scale I have which only goes up to 100 grams.
@jivatman - Absolutely beautiful set (the King is my favorite piece in the set)! I'm happy I was able to drum up some business for them based on what an excellent product they provide but I'm even more happy that you're satisfied with the set! Love the review as well.
Enjoy that one, it'll outlast you! Lol.
Thanks mdero83, I’m really delighted with the set, and yes it will easily outlast me. Mandeep has been very kind and helpful so I’ve also made new friends. I’m grateful to you for your research and sharing.
Marvelous pieces!!, thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the review! The Danum set is stunning! I was looking to buy the padauk version of this set but after reading all the information regarding oxidation due to improperly cured padauk wood, I'm now considering the ebony set.
@Brynmr I read the same stuff. However, my HoS Collectors is made from boxwood and blood rosewood which is really African Padauk. I never had an issue with my set. I am not sure if it was cured properly or what.
@MCH818 You're fortunate. It's a real mixed bag. I'm hesitant to roll the dice on $360. If HoS guaranteed no issues then I'd go for it but I doubt that would happen though I imagine it would be an easy thing to do - just look at the set your sending. Plus I don't know what the oil from the wood (if any) would do to the foam in a storage unit over time.
Using new wood for reproduction sets has its dangers - that’s why good after sales service is so valuable. 2 years after purchase I noticed one ebony pawn from the Danum set had developed a hairline crack - I contacted Staunton Castle and Mandeep had a replacement shipped out from India at no cost.
@Brynmr I can understand your hesitation. One of the reasons why I want my pieces standing up is exactly what you described with the foam storage. But I think there would also be concern over ebony which is known to crack. The way I look at these sets is if it happens it happens. There isn't much we can do about it other than to store the pieces properly, keep the humidity levels proper, etc.
@Jivatman That's good to know about Mandeep. No one really talks about Staunton Castle's long-term support. That makes me feel good about buying from him. HoS also has good support in my eyes. My experiences has been excellent with them and I have read a story about the HoS customer service department sending a customer a missing pair of extra queens 10 years after the sale. It makes me feel secure that issues can be resolved if something happens down the line.
@MCH818 Sorry, meant to say Staunton Castle not HoS (so many vendors). I didn't know ebony was prone to cracking. Every wood seems to have it's unfavorable characteristics. I will inquire about the padauk and the ebony stored in foam. I hope I can get good news on the padauk. @jivatman Very encouraging! And btw great design of the pawn's head.
I won't buy from them if there's going to be a logo on the King (or anywhere else) however. That's a deal breaker for me. I'm OCD in that regard - no logos!
@MCH818 Sorry, meant to say Staunton Castle not HoS (so many vendors). I didn't know ebony was prone to cracking. Every wood seems to have it's unfavorable characteristics. I will inquire about the padauk and the ebony stored in foam. I hope I can get good news on the padauk. @jivatman Very encouraging! And btw great design of the pawn's head.
I think I somewhat understood your HoS statement. I took it as "if SC guaranteed it like HoS..." As for ebony, it is well-known for cracking. Don't get me wrong though. I own 4 sets that are ebony. I bothered me initially. That's why I did not buy my favorite set, the Collectors Series, in ebony. I have since gotten over that fear. Where I live seems to have pretty consistent humidity levels. I would be concerned if I lived in a place that had swings in humidity levels. However, that can always be addressed with a humidifier.
@MCH818 What cracks the ebony? Too much humidity or too little?
@MCH818 What cracks the ebony? Too much humidity or too little?
Both causes cracking in wood. I think it is the changes in humidity that causes the wood to expand and contract. This is fine if it is just a piece of wood. What causes issue is the wood expanding and contracting around a solid metal object like a metal weight that causes the cracking. I read boards can crack too if the two different woods are not constructed in such a way where the wood grain is going in the same direction. When the grain from two different woods are going in different directions each will expand into the other instead of both expanding with each other if that makes sense.
yes, exactly. I'll remember to send you a link once the Staunton Castle website is up & running.