Worst chess set design ever?

What happened! Maybe the designers wanted to make the most stupid chess set.

Deep in a dark dusty forgotten corner of the World Wide Web lives this chess set. For $116 USD it can be yours.

There is no need to be vulgar.

I know this will get me expelled from class but I frankly never understood the love for the Dubrovnik NOJ sets.  I think these are the worst popular sets available, that are not just budget catastrophes.  Clunky and ungainly to my eyes.  And I know Fischer liked them.  But he was a great player, not someone whose aesthetics I'd trust.

Has to be this set 

Hey, I like that set. Love the knight especially. 

Let me be completely honest.

I did not and still do not like how the Noj Dubrovnik sets look, especially the way we see sets, a side profile of the pieces as if they are in a police lineup.

My favorite looking sets are the Staunton designs, not all of them mind you.

Note that the way the set looks, especially pictured on the internet, is not nor should not be the only decider of a good design.

My favorite sets for aesthetics as well as handling and playability are The Craftsmen Series and Cook sets of HoS and designed and commissioned by Frank Camaratta, and the Leuchars set by Official Staunton.  My Craftsmen is in Blood Rosewood, the Cook is Mopane and the Leuchars is Black Ebonized.  These sets are all extremely well designed for great play and aesthetics. 
The Noj Dubrovnik ones I own are just as good as the previous mentioned three for playability.  And during play, the design works just fine as I have a tendency to quit paying attention to the piece aesthetics during a good game.

So, in the lineup I agree the Dubrovnik’s don’t look that great.  On the board, during play though, they are tops with the best Stauntons.

By the way, my three Staunton sets cost me $380, $314, and $220, not expensive.

Yes, I bit the ole’ bullet and spent more on the Noj sets.  But I would do it again for the quality.

The Queen and the rook are too short in the Dubrovnik set. Cool Knight - dorky bishop - love the pawns. King - ok.

i think we have a winner here!!!!

Those ubiquitous crown & coronet shaped King & Queen pieces that are always advertised with snobbish jargons such as Royal, European, Handmade, Wooden, International, etc.

I have to agree with your definition of "worst". All those figure chess sets would be impractical for playing a serious game of chess.

This board is usually for decoration or for fun not for serious game.

I bought this Wegiel Ambassador set over 25 years ago and sold it awhile back.  The low density wood used made the set too light, but I weighted them with pennies.  The "court jester" queens became increasingly bothersome, although the rest of the set was fine.  The company that produced them, based in Poland, missed an opportunity to produce at least some of their sets based on Russian or other Eastern European designs such as the Dubrovnik.  The wood burned elements of the pieces and the board reflected excellent craftsmanship.

@MCH818 Yeah not bad but for that one 50s set (Honey, I shrunk the queen). I think this set is pretty ideal in terms of height.
 

That's quite the size change. I'd like the see rooks taller as well. Rooks are major pieces yet they're often much shorter or smaller than knights and bishops. That's one of the criticisms I have for the set I bought but here, as with the queen/king sizing, I'm splitting hairs. I'm very very happy with my set.

@MCH818 You're right about the Knight. He makes a fierce statement doesn't he? Should have extra powers.  

@sound67 That rook made me laugh. A one man turret. A player could mistake it for a pawn. 

Perfect for sneak attacks.

As if red and black wasn't bold and in your face enough, they had to outline each square in gold too. You know, just to be sure. When someone walks by and accidentally knocks into the folding card table you're playing on, half the pieces will get knocked over. It'll take at least 3 moves before either of you release there are three light square bishops on the board. In which case, there's no going back. House rules say to just go with it. It's part of the fun. Hah!  "A bad workman blames his tools."