One of the finer things...
 

For those of you who appreciate some of the finer things in life... my Christmas gift was delivered to my front porch yesterday and I was so impressed with it's quality that I decided to snap a few photos of it last night. I've been wanting a House of Staunton (HOS) Collector Series chess set for about ten years. So this year my wife decided to buy it for me for Christmas. I think I'll keep her. :)

If any of you guys happen to possess an interest in fine chess sets, I must say that HOS receives my highest recommendation. The quality is simply extraordinary. Your kids will fight over it after you're dead.

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u...s/IMG_9376.jpg

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u...s/IMG_9381.jpg

Only problem is that my current board is simply NOT in the same league. Not even close. So I'll have to anté-up for a better board.

What is it made out of? I have always wanted a real nice set. I like the marble sets the best. I am not any good at playing, but I have always enjoyed the game. For a board, I want a table with matching chairs. I really don't have anywhere to put it right now, but I would find someplace. Possibly in the main hall from the front to the back of the house. It is pretty wide.

What ever happened to that online chess played with some of the folks around here?

Oh my...that is nice. :)

Check these folks out...I've seen some of their work: Custom Chess Boards

Thanks, guys. The white pieces are boxwood and the black pieces are ebony. Ebony is rare and expensive. It's also very dense. It's one of the few woods that won't float in water. HOS offers various woods at various prices. Money can be saved by purchasing the "ebonized" black pieces which are (visually) almost identical to ebony.

HOS also offers the only legal new ivory sets available anywhere. They're literally crafted from 30,000-year-old Mammoth tusk ivory. The tusks are considered to be fossils by the feds, hence the legality. But those start in the $5000 range, depending on the market, so that ain't gonna happen at my house anytime soon.

This one is their "Collector Series" with the 4-inch king. Note that four queens are included. They have larger (read: taller) sets, but I prefer the 4-inch size for play. The larger ones get a little awkward. The HOS is also a distributor for Jaques (pronounced "Jakes") of London, but I consider those sets to be terribly over-priced (thousands). The HOS set is a virtual steal by comparison.

The included coffer is simply astounding. It's truly gorgeous. Gone are the days of hiding the ugly chess box when the set is put away. You'd be proud to leave this box out for everyone to see. I may get some better photos tonight as all my studio gear was in storage yesterday (pending my relocation to GA).

I'll probably buy the board from the HOS also. They have an exceptional model crafted from amboynia and birds-eye maple. They don't give 'em away, though. The cover photo on their HOME PAGE shows the board I want.

Man, I forgot all about that online chess we had around here...

That is a nice board...your pieces would really stand out.

Yup...we did have some lengthy battles, didn't we. ;)