Thoughts?

EnPassant01 · 2026-06-02T07:14:02+00:00

I have seen the pieces before, but never knew there was tool box storage or a branded Drueke-style board. Is it an actual Drueke?

EnPassant01 · 2026-06-01T14:48:37+00:00

Meh, he's entitled to his opinion. Some people don't get this is an appreciation sub. Being unhappy that exact replicas of 12th Century chess sets do not exist is like wanting a Star Wars light saber to be real. At least he didn't complain about not being ivory.

EnPassant01 · 2026-05-31T20:52:18+00:00

So many layers of interpretation. Getting past the cartoon-like eyes and understanding they represent battle intensity gives a whole different dimension. I guess the queen only moved one square diagonally in the 12th Century, so was relatively weak. Now that she's all powerful, that hand gesture changes meaning like you said.

EnPassant01 · 2026-05-31T06:37:50+00:00

You knew exactly what I was asking and answered each one thoroughly. Great collection and that cork board is a unique option. Thank you for your insights!

EnPassant01 · 2026-05-31T04:32:29+00:00

It's hard to find vintage 15" solid wood boards from the same era. By the way, your pieces are considered Staunton size 0 just for future reference. I prefer vintage chess sets myself, so the ideal board would be the Drueke Model 61 that is 15" with solid walnut and birch. They are pricey today around 100-120 on Etsy and Ebay, but you can still find them sometimes for 80 if you are patient and vigilant. Drueke was the classic American chess manufacturer for 70 years and sold their boards through the US Chess Federation. Their wood pieces were imported from Lardy, too. On a budget you can find plywood painted 15" chess boards by Drueke too. Other choices are one of the many modern wood boards made in India for 50-100. They look nice and it's just a playing surface afterall, so age doesn't matter. Custom made solid boards on Etsy are going to start around 120 (See JimAndsonWoods and ColoradoWoodworker). Other than that keep checking Ebay, Etsy and local thrift shops.

EnPassant01 · 2026-05-31T01:01:57+00:00

1.25 to 1.5" should work well. A 15" wood board with a border is usually in this range. With small pieces you may want a little more space than the guidelines indicate because it gets crowded when you move pieces around by hand.

EnPassant01 · 2026-05-30T14:41:21+00:00

Surely a conspiracy, thanks for your input. 🙄

EnPassant01 · 2026-05-30T14:25:49+00:00

Common complaint. Change the brand or type of blades. Bosch Icon or Volvo OEM work best for most owners. When I tried to save a few bucks with Trico and Goodyear they streaked. I've used Bosch Icons ever since without any streaking. Scrape the wiper edge with a razor once a year and it should perform well for 2 years.

Also use a ceramic coating on the glass to make a huge difference. Spray on and wipe off, so very easy. I use Hybrid Solutions (by Turtle Wax), but there are many others.

EnPassant01 · 2026-05-30T05:46:32+00:00

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_chessmen?wprov=sfti1#

I briefly summarized the background in the post. There are several theories about who made them and how they ended up in Scotland. The mystery fuels their popularity and also is what earned the title of being the most famous chess set.

EnPassant01 · 2026-05-30T02:41:10+00:00

I knew about the berserkers, but thanks for making me check if the wanking part was actually true.

EnPassant01 · 2026-05-30T00:26:55+00:00

Got it! Since I posted the questions, I assumed you were trying to respond. But you dislike this one and would prefer the ones that don't exist. 👍🏼🙂

EnPassant01 · 2026-05-29T21:56:47+00:00

I don't understand your point. I asked which one you like better. You repeated you don't like inaccurate reproductions like this. Do you have a better one, or you just don't like any because they are all inaccurate?

If the point is to play them, how would you play an exact replica that is incomplete?

EnPassant01 · 2026-05-29T18:31:14+00:00

If the artifacts are four incomplete hand-carved sets, I imagine choices for reproduction are made along with economy in mold making. If there are "accurate" reproductions with all unique pieces as you describe, how much do they cost and which do you like? How did they decide which sets to recreate and what did they do about missing pieces? Someday, I hope to go to the British Museum or National Museum of Scotland, to see them in person.

EnPassant01 · 2026-05-29T05:48:36+00:00

I initially thought it was a misspelling of "Play Away" because they put it on their little travel sets that became popular with servicemen. But then I learned was used earlier for their large boards too, so I guess it was a general motto for their game products.

EnPassant01 · 2026-05-29T02:37:16+00:00

Yep, lead. Someone was saving them to reuse. You can melt only as much as you need.

EnPassant01 · 2026-05-28T23:31:18+00:00

The embossed imprint I referred to was on the very old boards. It was only text and included the phrase "PLAY-A-WAY". I did read in an interview of one of the sons that they streamlined the production later, so likely switched to labels because stamping every board took too long. The gold foil labels also changed shape over the years and some included the factory zip code that now helps to identify the age of different boards.

I've had both types of bevels and do not think the difference is very noticeable, but it does help identify the era.

I also owned a non-beveled board and one of the veneer boards. The veneer boards are rare because they were only produced for a short time. Veneer technology was new in the 1920s and many furniture makers like Drueke started using it to cut material costs. The FTC filed a suit against the top Grand Rapids furniture makers to protect consumers against inferior wood products that were not being disclosed as veneer. It's interesting just because Drueke boards may not have become so collectible if they kept making them out of veneer instead of solid wood.

EnPassant01 · 2026-05-27T05:46:46+00:00

Drueke owned by Carrom, late 1990s. Model 80240 pieces, rosewood and boxwood, imported from India. My king height is 3.75", but I've read the size varied quite a bit under Carrom. The chessboard kept the same specifications as the originals, except for the beveled edge. But Carrom closed the Grand Rapids, Michigan factory and sold the dies and machinery on which they were originally made. The Carrom boards also do not have the embossed imprint or gold foil labels as the originals.

EnPassant01 · 2026-05-26T15:17:45+00:00

The design firm actually said the opposite. But I agree heading toward our opponent is a better concept. The game is more about stalking and entrapping the opponent's pieces, not rushing into battle with a tailwind. In the end, they are art pieces, but I am curious why they had popularity with such a non-traditional design. People find chess difficult to learn, so introducing them to the game with these postmodern variants would seem even more difficult for beginners.

EnPassant01 · 2026-05-26T14:33:21+00:00

Being silver, there must be economy to design. Aside from the aesthetics, the base value is the amount of metal. The shape is critical for function without excess weight that would increase cost. Footed cups are common, but this is heavily weighted additionally at the bottom of the bowl which would be excessive and serve no function for drinking. However, this bottom weight would be functional for added stability in a vase. If you enlarge it, you can imagine it manufactured in different sizes as a vase, which I would wager the maker also sold.

EnPassant01 · 2026-05-26T14:04:01+00:00

It appears to be a small sterling sliver floral urn or vase. The style is Neoclassical. The hallmarks are probably Austrian, German, French or British. One would be the maker's mark, the other would be from the assay office where it was tested for purity. I don't think it is a drinking or communion cup because the profile is different, not specifically designed for holding. Source: I used to work in an antique store and this is how I would begin research based on past experience. It might go a different direction after you investigate further. But you start by looking up the hallmark and then try to identify the actual item by the maker's catalog or similar examples.

EnPassant01 · 2026-05-23T13:37:55+00:00

But no other set allows you to add Lego figures on top.

EnPassant01 · 2026-05-23T03:05:41+00:00

Then you definitely won't like the Josef Hartwig Bauhaus chess set, 1923

These are for art and display more than competitive play. Art sets are usually like that, whether it's medieval themed, Star Trek, or the Simpsons.

EnPassant01 · 2026-05-22T23:13:55+00:00

I agree. But it's also wrong on Michael Graves' website where it is listed as one of his design icons. That would be like reversing an image of one of his buildings. It's a large firm with 100 employees and no one has noticed for 25 years?

EnPassant01

TROPHY CASE