The ideal chess set

The more that I look at chess pieces the more partial I become to the bridled knights. I just like the added detail.

I have that exact chess board with 2.5" squares.  It is ok, but it is a thin veneer over particle board.  Looks nice, but I didn't treat it so well and kept it outside for a couple of snow storms last winter, and there is some very slight raising of some of the square edges (rpobably not even noticable to most people).

Anyway, I wish I knew about Colorado Woodworker before I bought that board.  For a similar price you can have a solid wood hand made board.  I would also suggest that if you want a wood board that you can travel with, he makes a Tower series board, which is a 4 piece board held toegther by strong magnets along the inside edges.  Makes a smaller package for traveling.  I think he'll even make a storage box for it if you like.  

About $385 after the 40% off at ChessBazaar.  You can do it, GET IT!!

The House of Staunton is the gold standard for chess sets. I plan on buying one someday.

Buy American. Made in the USA.

I just checked the site and House of Staunton has really gone downhill. The classic Staunton look isn't even there. The true Staunton set I remember have the Knights facing forward, with teeth showing and the detail was perfect. This stuff, even at the 8 thousand dollar price range is junk by comparison.

The plastic Drueke 832.97 I can see the similar design of Supreme Staunton from House of Chess.

Here is my Supreme Staunton set up on a PVC folding tournament board from wholesalechess.com

Is the picture you posted an example of the 'junk"?  Of course they still sell classic Staunton look pieces.  Whatever your definition is of that I'd like to see what you think HOS is missing.  And 8000 dollar sets???

I think your post is ridiculous.

Well, each of the things he says is off excepting his first comment, kind of.

He says The House of Staunton is the gold standard for Staunton sets.  Frank Camaratta made it the gold standard for modern day sets but Jaques is the gold standard for Staunton sets.  

I own a lot of House of Staunton sets.  They are not that expensive and are easy to get.  So just planning on buying one and not actually already owning one is an indicator that this guy might know pictures of sets, but not the actual thing.

The true Staunton sets he remembers have the knights facing forward and...

Uhm, if you have a real set in front of you, you can have the knights face any direction you want.  This is too funny all by itself.  Oh wait that HoS Morphy Series set of mine have the Knights always turning and facing sideways at me, all by themselves, no matter where I stand, eek!

Jaques, you remember as the true gold standard, has had many differences in how the knights and other pieces look, and they all still are Staunton sets.

So it is easy to like the look of one knight and not the others.  And a retailer can offer a set you like and even some you do not and maintain their integrity.  But this brings us back to a person that is just planning on buying their first purchase from said company.

Yeah, those $8000 Chess sets just aren’t made the way they used to be.  Wait a minute, the most expensive set they currently sell is $2000, and that is for the very limited number of DGT, Singuefield sets.

Perhaps he was looking at Frank’s antique set page.  But then all those would be Jaques originals at that price and not a HoS product, per se.

So yes, forked_again Is right in calling it ridiculous.

Knights facing forward lol!  

This set looks like a pre hartston from 1886 or later by Jaques ? both kings would be signed .

A very nice looking set in real life .