Regarding the pieces - I’ve flipped and flopped on these pieces and I currently think they are an excellent modern interpretation of a classic design - just too expensive for me.
I’m sure, views will continue to differ markedly on these pieces. They seem to divide on lines of a love of the pieces and respect of the design ideas, to a deep disdain and dislike.
In the end, our individual perspectives drive our individual purchase decisions and I hope that you’ll enjoy your set. I reckon the Chavets will look lovely in the board, as will the Weil’s if you find a set.
As I've alluded to here in the past, I've been wanting a reduced size (torn between 1.5" and 1.75" squares) board that I can easily stow in my backpack. While I like the idea of the JLP "stack" & Colorado Woodworker "tower" series, I felt that a board that folds in half would be more practical (taller and thinner, and therefore a better fit for my backpack or shoulder bag, vs. a thicker square shape). I also did _not_ want a board with 'storage' - both for structural integrity purposes as well as ease of use. Getting pieces out & putting them away into a storage board seems way fussier than just using a cloth bag.
With that in mind, I've been intrigued by the World Chess Studio set's folding board. Found one on eBay this weekend that was a tempting enough price to pull the trigger on. Will report here with some impressions once it arrives.
Now the question is... do I use it with my size 2 Chavets? Or splurge on a set of world chess studio pieces...
In a related note - anyone selling used world chess studio pieces at a discount? I've read so much about how terrible they are and how everyone hates them, they must be available somewhere!