Two recently acquired boards from Etsy

My first post. Feel it may be worth sharing. Two boards from "SakisTsiogkasWood" at Etsy.

The drueke-style board is, in my opinion, closest to the original vintage drueke, based on its appearance and craftsmanship (I own both vintage and revived versions, as well as similar ones from Chesshouse and other seller from Etsy); 2.2-in square and 22 inches for the entire board.

The surface-elevated board uses the Greek chestnut as the light squares, it has a unique appearance, slightly darker than maple; 2.2-in square and 19.5 inches the board.

Thanks!

The top board looks like a perfect reproduction of my Drueke board.  Very nice!

Was it shipped from Greece?

Indeed, the size might be slightly different, but it can be worked out with the maker; shipped from Greece.

So, out of curiosity, approximately how much for shipping to the USA?

Right now it charges around $70 shipping for one board when you check out, but there may be cheaper options that may be worked out with the seller.

Thank you.

I have 3 Drueke boards as follows:

• One Board w/ 2.25 in. squares.  I purchased new in 1989.  Each of the 4 sides of the border are made of a single, solid piece of walnut.  I believe this to be an "original" Drueke, i.e., made by the father of the current William Drueke.
• Two boards with 1.75 in. squares.  Both purchased used (eBay) in 2013.  One board has 2 sides made with a single piece of wood with the other 2 sides each comprised of 3 or 4 sections of wood.  The other board has 3 sides each of a single piece of wood and the fourth side made with 4 pieces of wood.  I have no idea when these two boards were manufactured, or which Drueke (father or son) made them.

I have noticed from photos of the current/new boards being sold by Bill Drueke on the internet that they are being made by gluing multiple pieces/sections of walnut together to make each of the sides of the border.

Very nice boards.I love the wood grain.

Congratz mister PFMR. They're really nice. I had considered to buy the first one but then I decided to buy one directly from Bill. Tough decision back then. 

Great looking boards. Only a handful of woodworkers offer custom chess boards with CNC notations. Nowadays, chess board makers are a dime a dozen but this guy is worth  consideration. Nice, careful thoughtful wood grain selection. His shop is bookmarked in my browser. Thanks for sharing and posting!

FYI. Enclosed is a picture of Drueke border construction. Usually, it's 2 full strips on 2 sides. And glued blocks for 2 sides. But once in a while you will see a glued full strip on one side as well. 

Is the finish as smooth as a drueke?

Ive tried a lot of etsy boards and was dissatisfied with the finish, rough grain compared to the soft smooth surface of a drueke.

Thanks to all for kind words. Just to answer or add some of details.

The notations were free of charge at your choice, you can select 4 sides or 2 sides, or no notations at all.

Indeed, I agree with the previous posts about the Drueke boarder, all my original drueke boards also used multiple blocks on the two player's sides (a~h) but single blocks on the sides (1~8), as MCH818 noted, in order to line up the grains in the same direction for an aesthetic perspective, a thoughtful detail we all appreciate. Obviously Etsy sellers are probably less attentive to such detail.

The seller used an acrylic matte polish; the surface feels especially soft, I feel it is smooth enough and probably better than some of the other etsy sellers based on my experience, but probably not as smooth as the original dureke or those commercially available boards such as from Chesshouse.

Arriving a bit late i know but… thanks for sharing. Both boards look very nice. I haven’t experienced the Greek chestnut before and it looks similar to maple. The grain in this one (chestnut) has a nice appearance, stands out without being overbearing. Two thumbs up!

I think the chestnut board would look best when playing next to an "open fire".-

Well, it’s been said many times, many ways… but yes, next to a fireplace would look very nice.

...Figured you'd get it.