What new set should I get?

Well, this is so wrong in all but one thing.

1. I agree that I would rather save money by going direct for the same quality product.

2. The discussion is about quality and not cost being the highest priority.  It also is not about slight differences in design.  You seem to assume the quality is equal across the span of sets.  I assure you from experience, it is not.

3. You avoided saying that you have handled and inspected these sets.  I have.  It is quite arrogant to give advice on something you do not have actual experience and knowledge.

4. I have never and will never kiss up to any vendor or anyone else.  You can read in these very forums the negative things I have said about each and every manufacturer’s or retailer’s product.  I also will write positively when appropriate.  For instance, I have written very positively about Chess Bazaar a good number of times.

Actually you and I totally agree on this.

I replied to him because I did not want a beginner in this to be fooled into thinking it all is the same.

Of course the choices you have made and the things you have said show you are looking for the best quality at the best price, like I do.

Good luck on your buys.  Let us know how it turns out and give us some pictures.

Something a little off the beaten tracks. Man Ray, the artist, designed a chess set: https://www.dwr.com/accessories-art-objects/man-ray-chess-set/9589.html?lang=en_US

Update: Reading a bit of the thread I see Man Ray's set was mentioned already.

Marcel Duchamp also designed a set, but his estate will not release the rights for reproduction. Duchamp was a good player, thought to be at the "master" level. https://gambit.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/duchamp-and-chess/

An unweighted dubro will be a little lighter, but it is negligible unless you intend to use the pieces for blitz or something (I don't think you really want to be whipping the pieces around even when unweighted, so it probably doesn't make much difference).

And all the Noj made set weights are not too heavy at all.

most everyone that owns one has said they are lightly weighted, but still well done.

This is a good description of the weighting; I find it to be just right. I've owned heavier sets and sometimes it felt like I was dropping a dumbbell on the board or something (however, to each his own; some people like extremely heavy pieces while others like no weighting at all).

  Looking good. I'm not sure how I would feel about the rook. I guess it would depend how much different it was and how much I fixated on it. Your call I suppose.
  As far as I know, ebony will show its brown color under a bright enough light. The frequencies from different lamps (LED, fluorescent, incandescent) may make it appear different also. I believe some vendors even consider the occasional easily visible brown streak to be normal. I don't care for that opinion. If the pieces look black, or at least extremely dark, under normal lighting I would be happy.

Congrats on your new set.

I agree with Gomer.  Based, no pun intended, on the looks of the pieces in the picture, I would be talking with Kevin to replace both the Rook and that Knight.  

That's one of the few issues with wooden sets. Color variations does create an annoyance. Glad to hear that you might be getting replacements. I had a Bishop from my custom set that was way too light in color on the Rosewood side. That was a real eye sore. I was happy when I received the darker Bishop that matched much more closely to the rest of the Rosewood side of set.  

@MCH818 Hopefully the replacements match you current Reykjavik 72 Championship set. Out of all the World Championship sets. The Fischer/Spassky 1972 set is my favorite. I ordered an Ebonized Boxwood version from Royal Chess Mall. Just waiting on India to reopen. So RCM can deliver my set. 

@KnightsForkCafe Btw, I thought India opened up already? I've been thinking about getting the Lardy set from TheChessEmpire and I remember their site said they would reopen on 5/3.

India has opened up.  I have a package in transit from RCM that shipped a few days ago.

@DrChesspain Thanks! I thought so but you never can tell these days as everything is so fluid. Lardy or no lardy... that is the question for me to ponder...

Cool. Looking forward to seeing my sets I ordered from RCM and HoC.  @MCH818 I got a reproduction Lardy set from RCM and I love it. Hard to beat the cost what RCM is selling theirs at. I mainly use it for club play. I have the ebonized boxwood version but the golden rosewood looks very nice as well. It's up to you if you want the one from The Chess Empire or RCM.

https://www.royalchessmall.com/product/french-lardy-staunton-chess-pieces-set-weighted-golden-rose-wood-4-queens/

@KnightsForkCafe Thanks for the info. That's an awesome price. However, I am pretty set on the one from TheChessEmpire because it is very similar to the original ones from the 70s. There is a 3" one posted by Izmet (I believe) which has a very nice knight. I can't find the link but here is a similar but slightly different version of the knight in a 4" set https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/1974-olympiad-lardy-set-4-kings. Here is the link to TheChessEmpire one https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/726481664/lardy-staunton-35-boxwood-glided-brown?ref=shop_home_active_3&frs=1. I just love the knights from the 70s version for some reason. 

@MCH818 Yeah I have a 4" original Lardy set. However I never play with it because it is irreplaceable and the White King is a leaner. That's one thing I hate about my original Lardy set. Since the Lardy is my favorite basic chess set. I mainly stick with the reproductions. Good for any kind of play and are easily replaced and are robust enough to handle blitz and children playing. That is the main reason and also it just looks tons better than the Basic Club sets. Both wooden and plastic. I have a library size and tournament size reproduction Lardy set. 

Original Lardy is very good chess set for playing with. There have been some efforts to copy and reproduce the Lardy set but they all look unnatural and wrong which proves the true value of original Lardy sets.