Ultimate chess set

I actually do love the color.

I am one of the first to call that color Butter.  And I am here to say that I actually like it as well.

I remember the original Ultimate pieces. I thought they were a light banana.

No optical issues that I noticed when I had them in hand. A very playable set.

Hey Shelby - How is the new version selling?  Any plans for a cream colored version in the near future?

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From the photographs I have seen of the Ultimate Chess Set, the color of the white pieces does look like that of butter. So I don't think it's a bad color, although it certainly is different.

I have to admit, though, that I'm not sure I even like the set.

I feel a molded plastic set doesn't need to have the limitations of an individually-carved wooden set, so I expect the Knights to have a fully-sculptured form.

The Pawns have a stubby design that makes them look short.

The set comes in 3.5" King height instead of 3.75" King height, but that may not be a bad thing.

And while I don't think the yellow color is bad-looking, something this different seems gratuitous to me.

However, I may just be reacting negatively because it is different, and after a while I might be won over.

Thanks for posting this. I have the old set I purchased in about 2003. Its taken a ton of abuse and still looks pretty good but I'd love a replacement more than anything. I'll buy a new one from you just to support the cause in getting the old ones remanufactured. They are by far the best plastic pieces I have ever come across. 

Shelby,

Thanks for the update.  That's a great price for this great set. I'd love to see a set that's less yellow but I'm with you in not wanting it to be just another boring white set. 

I agree. You gotta go with white!!!

Insulting the guy certainly will not get you what you want.  He does have a clue.

You say he should have the weights molded into the pieces.  Do you know this as an actual manufacturing possibility or are you just dreaming?  Seeing that no other chess sets in plastic have the weights molded into the pieces and what I have read and heard of the various molding and manufacturing procedures I would say you are dreaming.  And if it can be done I would imagine the cost to skyrocket.

You also say they should go with billiard cloth.  How much would you expect that to add to the cost of a single set?  Plus how many plastic sets are available with billiard cloth?  This is more of a luxury wood set feature.

There are a majority of people that I have talked with that do not like the ivory or white for the pieces.  The vast majority prefer the natural color to look more like wood.

Yes, the Chinese manufacturer made the color much yellower than what they asked for.  I saw the color sample he sent them.  But when he caught their color discrepancy it was too late.

I agree that he needs to act more like Frank Camaratta and somehow demand and force them to make the product right.

Having the felts cover more, making the weights better and getting the color right are the minimum, in my opinion.

Good luck finding a manufacturer that will comply with what you expect and still come in with a reasonable cost.

Being an armchair quarterback is easy.  If what you say could be produced to your specifications and still be reasonably priced others like Raphael of The Chess House, Quentin of Chessusa.com, The wholesale Chess guy, Shawn of HoS and a host of others would have already produced them.  And they have not.

I understand and agree with what you say, however...

1. The majority of manufacturers for plastic sets are in China.  I know this from talking with Raphael/Chess House, Shelby/American Chess Equipment, Ron/Rochester Chess Center, Shawn/HoS and a few others that have looked to have plastic sets made.  While there are some producers in Mexico for instance, the competitive prices come from China.

2. As you pointed out, plastic sets are cheap both in production and price.  And the need to have molds, which cost a lot of money, makes it so they need to be produced in higher volumes than their wood counterparts.

3. Dewain Barber was the originator of the Ultimate Chess set in plastic and used a manufacturer in Taiwan, I believe.  After Shelby bought the business from Dewain he tried to contact the manufacturer, who had the molds, to make a new order.  He could not find the business, literally.  They had folded up and the building was actually gone, from what Shelby told me.  He also lost the molds from this.  New molds demanded a $30,000 payment by the retailer/wholesaler to the manufacturer and then there would be a minimum order of 2000 sets.  So this set being remade was not an easy endeavor from the retailer/wholesaler point of view.

2. Shelby told me that the weights of the Ultimate sets were to be enclosed in the plastic, eliminating the problem of them falling out.  Obviously that was wrong.  While the weights were not included with the molding process, there were to be enclosed in the plastic somehow.  That's what I was told.

3. The color was a fiasco, in my opinion.  The manufacturer obviously changed the color and began production before the buyers had a proof sample in their possession.  i remember seeing the color of the proof pieces and a number of us commented on the color being way off.  Shelby responded that the manufacturer in China had already completed the White piece production and they could not get it changed.  Frank Camaratta, who I knew during his "production" times, would never have accepted this.  But Shelby and the new owner that he sold the business to did accept it.

4. The weights problem obviously was one of production quality control.  Not every set or piece have the problem.  Once again, they would need to talk a bit harshly with the manufacturer making sure this did not happen again..  And I think if they wanted to change the design so the weights were molded in the pieces,, that would call for new tooling and molds and another staggering cost for set-up.

5. Sure,, adding the billiard cloth might be easy and not cost that much.  But at this stage I think this is the least of the problem with the set.

6. I talked with Raphael of The Chess House a good number of months ago and he shared a lot of this insider reality with me.

7. Then the other problem arises and that is if you have a plastic set made as well as we would like, how much more would be the cost?  These cheap, Chinese manufacturers most likely would not bother with such details,, and if they did the cost of the set would rise.  I just paid $40 to the Legend Chess Products guy for his nice, plastic Alegria set.  That set is made quite well but does not have the higher quality characteristics we have discussed.

8. If a plastic set gets to over $50 retail, would people buy it?  I just purchased a wood set from Chess Bazaar and paid just a little over $88 complete and delivered.  I don't care how nice a plastic set is, the wood one will be more desirable to me in this cost range.

In all deference, I suggest you go ahead and get such a Chess set as you describe manufactured.  If you do it as inexpensively as you claim you can, I bet there would be a good number of retailers buying from you.

I do not agree with this statement and it is a personal attack on a person who probably knows more about manufacturing plastic sets than anyone in the business.  This is my opinion but to call him incompetent is way overboard. 

Regarding felt, you can buy quality felt for dirt cheap. I just bought a sheet of it at Hobby Lobby for 39 cents, which was enough to cover two sets. I had to replace the junk green paper that was on my plastic Reykjavik set from HOS. That green paper was so thin it allowed a few pieces to wobble. I don't know anything about billiard cloth but I do know that decent felt is worth it to me.

Here is the Pantone 127 U color swatch apparently provided to the manufacturer by Shelby, for production of the recent, controversial (i.e., "yellow") incarnation of the Ultimate Chess Set.  The swatch is clearly a variant of yellow (at least, to me) - certainly not cream, natural, beige or white.  Nor does it match the color of the original Ultimate set (as shown in the photos of the original rooks together with the 127 U swatch posted earlier by Kenardi on 17 & 19 Nov 2017)....

Here are some examples of what I consider to be a cream, natural or beige color......

PANTONE P 7-1 C

https://www.pantone.com/color-finder/P-7-1-C

or....

Pantone P 7-1 U

https://www.pantone.com/color-finder/P-7-1-U

Pantone P 4-1 C

https://www.pantone.com/color-finder/P-4-1-C

Pantone P 7-2 C

https://www.pantone.com/color-finder/P-7-2-C

To my eyes, either P 7-1 U or P 7-1 C are closest in color to the original Ultimate set.

I saw one of these new Ultimate Chess Sets for the first time recently.  Immediately picked up and examined the pieces due to their distinctive shape and finish.  Loved the heft, even better than my HOS plastic set!  However, I was turned off by the yellow color...

Saw one of the originals today, and had the same visceral positive reaction - even better, because the original color was great!  I went out looking for more info, and found my way to this thread.  

I’m sure that the manufacturing process is a challenge, and it’s been super stressful to bring this set back to market.  I really appreciate the work Shelby has put into this!  It’s very difficult to get quality engagement from a manufacturer when the lot size and dollar amount is this low.  

The current run’s not for me, but I look forward to the next one, with color that matches the original.  I’d happily pay $50 for a well manufactured version of this set, and if it is, I’ll sing it’s praises to everyone at the club I run.  Hope the kinks get worked out, and another run comes out in the next couple years!  

I think Shelby is doing a fine job with ACE. I had two of the original Ultimate sets. White (cream) and black set and the Susan Polgar blue and yellow version. I ordered them from ACE when Barber owned it. I gave the white and black to my brother the blue and yellow to my son. Since my son is only 12, that set still resides in my home and we use it often. They both played well but developed loose weights too.
I don’t have the new version. yet anyways. But I don’t think I would mind the yellow color one bit. If most chess players don’t like it, that seems like a good reason to buy it. Because it would be an annoying psychological intimidation factor to OCD opponents who care about the color of the light pieces.

However, the loose weights are annoying, they sound like baby rattles. I recently bought the Traditional Staunton set from Wholesale for my daughter she also wanted a blue set. It arrived with several loose weights too.
Since I gave my original Ultimate set to my brother circa 2011, I’ve used the HOS Marshall as my main plastic set. Doesn’t feel quite as good in hand as the Ultimate especially the comparably skinny pawns, but the knights are nicer and no loose weights. I also have HOS plastic Reykjavik, no loose weights either.

If I were Shelby at ACE, I would have the Ultimate pieces made in half sets offering several color options, white, natural, current yellow, and black, navy blue and burgundy /maroon red. Let folks pick & choose which colors that they want. Sell them in half sets. That way folks get a say in the color options and will be happy with their purchases, if they are not, then they can’t complain about it because it was their choice.

It is just a plastic chess set, why all the discontent? Furthermore, a lot of the complaining is from grown men! Complaining about color isn’t a very mainly thing, now is it? Most men don’t care about the color of the walls in their kitchen or the cars and trucks they drive. Most men leave the color choosing and complaining to the women folk.
My wife tells me what colors to wear, paint the porch or anything else because I don’t care and it isn’t worth arguing about.
If you don’t like the color... so what? Man up and quit complaining about it.

Possibly the Legend Products (here) Alegria sets are a good option?