The 1855 Official Staunton Chessmen Pictorial Review
I think I like the knight in this set even better than I do the 1865, Mike. I don't think that anyone on the planet is making better sets at better price points than Official Staunton. While there is nothing "official" about them, the quality of the carving and finish on their sets rivals that of HOS, and that is something the market has needed for a long time. Modern Jaques sets, with the possible exception of the upper end (which I can't afford and therefore have no knowledge of) may have the name, but the quality is no better or worse than House of Staunton, or now, Official Staunton.
I think picking between the 1855 and 1865 Knights would require a coin toss. Both are very nice. Agreed, Official Staunton has made a significant impact on collectors with their fine quality sets. My collection has been enhanced with their 1849, 1851,1855, 1870, Rosewood Collector and Lenigrad sets. Kudos to Carl for these great sets and I'm looking forward to his future offerings.
Thats a really nice set Mike.! It seems HOS has real compitition on their hands. Also, Thanks for the great pics.
As a result of rcmacmillian's fine review on the Official Staunton 1865 Chessmen, I decided to purchase the 1855 Official Staunton Chessmen in boxwood and ebonised (black finish). The sets are identical except that each offers a different hand carved Knight. Kings measure a tad under 4" with a 1.75" diameter base. Pawns are 2 1/8" in height. The 34 piece set (extra queens) is nicely weighted at 1.45kg or just over 3 lbs. Both Kings have"Official Staunton" stamped at their base. The set features finely turned wide-based pieces with very nice hand carved Knights. The pieces look very similar to those in the vintage 1920s sets. A wonderful set for tournament, blitz or home play and a nice addition to any collection. I really like this set and recommend it to those looking for a quality set at a budget price. A picture is worth a thousand words, so I offer for your perusal many pictures of this beautiful set.
http://www.officialstaunton.com/collections/chess-pieces/products/1855-official-staunton-chessmen