The Lardy of All Lardys
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Mar 3, 2023
0
#62
I totally get your view CT. I have a Lardy and a Dogface. I really like them but they are what they are … very basic and utilitarian pieces. Romantic because of their age and their European origins … lucky for you, you’ve got that plus beautiful, skilled carving on a set with classic proportions. That said, I really enjoy the variety and range of different sets I have … it’s a joy… but maybe false joy because I’ve never owned (or seen) a Jacques the flesh. You’re lucky (or unlucky) to have such a fine set in your hands.
Definitely lucky AND unlucky. Then again, it's a bit like the saying, "tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all". Joy often comes with suffering; nobody wants to suffer but who would forego the joy?
the Jaques set is my pride and total joy....and it has ruined everything else for me. Lol. countertheory ,
What I do , is rotate my sets , This way it's not just stuck in a box + when it comes back around to my Jaques set , I really get to admire + respect the craftsmanship & history of these's fine chess sets . 
@countertheory could you post a photo of your Jacques set? I'm curious about what makes it so desirable.
Ibuildchess wrote:
@countertheory could you post a photo of your Jacques set? I'm curious about what makes it so desirable.
I don't want to hijack this thread (apologies for diverting the conversation!) so pm me and I'll send you a couple of pics.
Mar 3, 2023
0
#67
Yes, the Lardy design is "modern" compared with the classically carved Jaques sets, but were there not those in 1849 who said the same about the Elgin inspired knights versus the decorative Calverts and Lunds? Fersht describes the Jaques sets as more playable than the earlier sets--why can we not say the same for the French Lardy design? David and Engre versus Van Gogh and Picasso?
Impractical wrote:
Yes, the Lardy design is "modern" compared with the classically carved Jaques sets, but were there not those in 1849 who said the same about the Elgin inspired knights versus the decorative Calverts and Lunds? Fersht describes the Jaques sets as more playable than the earlier sets--why can we not say the same for the French Lardy design? David and Engre versus Van Gogh and Picasso?
We definitely can say the same about the Lardy sets: they are far more playable than the pre-Staunton sets of Calvert, Lundy etc. We agree. By the way, who's Engre?
A very beautiful Lardy set. Very playworthy set, unlike the new era luxury chess sets with fancy knights. Love the dark brown walnut staining on the chess pieces.
Bought thus https://www.chessbazaar.com/reproduced-french-lardy-exclusive-tournament-size-weighted-wooden-chess-pieces-in-indian-rosewood-box-wood-3-75.html but got this
Bought this https://www.chessbazaar.com/reproduced-french-lardy-exclusive-tournament-size-weighted-wooden-chess-pieces-in-indian-rosewood-box-wood-3-75.html but got this
Doesn't look like it's made of Indian Rosewood (Dalbergia Latifolia) . Can someone confirm?
Jun 16, 2023
0
#75
Yeah, undisputed_champion. It just doesn't have the same cut as the old Lardy pieces. The dark pieces look a bit like walnut from the pics.
@undisputed champ, you're right - that doesn't look right. Any way of returning them? Personally, I have never been impressed by the Indian repros I've seen. There's another factor, which worries me: where do they source their wood, and is it sustainable? If you're priviliged enough to live in a developed country (and even if you're not), these are things you should probably be thinking about, IMO.
Jun 20, 2023
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#77
I just thought I’d add a picture of my Lardy to this thread …I lucked upon it some time ago and wasn’t sure if it was a Lardy but now after more research and feedback, I’m convinced. Here ‘tis on a couple of different boards and in different light. The are basic, functional and quite lovely pieces.
Jun 20, 2023
0
#78
@Powerderdigit Interesting set, beautiful patina on the dark pieces! The knights from the front look quite different from other Lardy's I've seen - much squarer and wide. Also the turn mark on the top of the queens is interesting. And the rounded top of the king!
Do you see the typical Jura boxwood swirl on the pawns? Did it come with a box?
Edit: looking at the pics in the next post I note the cuts in the bishops mitres. They seem to be less wide than a typical Lardy. Another thing is the cuts on the queens crown. They seem to be more on top of the crown whereas they'd be cut with an angle on a Lardy.
The pattern on the wood is suspicious too - doesn't look like boxwood to me. All in all a very interesting set - I'd conclude that it is a (pretty old) effort to copy a Lardy. But by who??
Jun 20, 2023
0
#79
Hi @broomstuck - I don’t want to hijack this this thread so I might try and find my original post and link it. In short - no box, no provenance … and thus I’ve never been sure - (so for a time called it ‘maybe Lardy 😊) but then after posting numerous photos - people seemed to think so.
Here’s a few more photos but I’ll try and find my original post from circa June 2022, when I picked it up with an old board too. (Not the board pictured below.) I can take some more pictures over the next few days but from memory the white pieces have interesting grain/markings. 
Yep, it's all wrong according to my sensibilities (though nice, clean set you have there). I had the luck/misfortune to be given a c. 1890 club-sized Jaques set together with huge 19th century Jaques board by my stepfather about eight years ago. The experience is a little like flying in first-class: you don't care much until you do it; after that, you never EVER want to go back.
In short, nothing else even comes close for me now. These Lardys are just cheap and nasty, the top-end HoS repro sets etc. are overpriced and horrible (why on earth can't they even get close to the real knights???!!!). In other words, the Jaques set is my pride and total joy....and it has ruined everything else for me. Lol.