Best Quality 2.5" Staunton Set

I spent a lot of time finding a small folding chess set (not an easy task) and I ended up going with a 13"  set from House of Chess as it had a board with AN and the nicest looking knights I could find in this size in a set with a board.

I probably should have just bought the board as I would like a better looking set with higher quality pieces.  Does anyone have a recommendation of a place where I can get nicely detailed pieces in a size that would fit my board (something around 2.5" king)?

It is kind of amazing to me that all of the high end manufacturers are in India.  Where are the manufacturers from the USA, Germany, and England?  It is nothing against India but I don't like that it makes it more difficult to understand what I am getting and paying for as there is usually at least one intermediary.

There is a manufacturer in in Poland called Wegiel and while I definitely respect their transparency they don't make nicely detailed pieces.

Anyways, enough about that, my budget is around $200.  Please let me know if you have any suggestions.

I get very good rates and response time from Chess House (www.chesshouse.com) (not to be confused with House of Chess). I have bought a couple of sets and parts from them over the internet over the last few months. In my Google searches, I've noticed that a lot of various internet chess sellers have inventory overlaps, and there's often not much difference to help distinguish among their offerings except when you hit a particular sale-price at one or another location. If you're willing to spend as much as $200 for a folding set, I don't think you should get stuck with something you don't want. Return the one that you don't like!

For me, a "small folding chess set" can NOT possibly also be a "13" set". That's just contradictory! Thirteen inches is about as large as I go, ever! I have a 17-inch board (it accommodates pieces with 3-5/8 inch tall Kings) and that's my super-premium monster-sized set. My desired travel sets are 9 inches and under. Cheap-o, not very great looking.

Weible in Germany: http://www.weiblespiele.de/weiblespiele/schach/schachfiguren.html

2 shops I know that sell their products: 

http://www.denkspiele24.de (Bohemia sets) and 

https://www.schachversand.de/startneue2.htm

Thank you for the suggestion.  I suppose it's not small for a folding set but I would consider it a small board.  The reason I also liked the House of Chess one is that it isn't magnetic.  I wear watches and the magnets make me nervous.  

The set was $70.  I couldn't find a nice enough one in my budget.  They make a $200 one but I didn't like the pieces enough to go for it.

At moment I am looking for pieces to use with my current board.  A set with a board limits my options too much. 

Thank you for the links.  There do seem to be a few sets made in Germany but interestingly their highly detailed Staunton styled don't seem to be made in-house.  

Perhaps I am being too picky.

Hi Namiki,

It's quite interesting I am also looking for a nice portable set.

It's funny that I also bought that 13" HOC set and got it last week. I think this is the one we are both talking about:)

http://www.houseofchess.com/wooden-travel-chess-set-folding-13-inch-board-broad-base-weighted-pieces-with-2-extra-queens-and-2-extra-pawns-rosewood-maple-notations.html

As you pointed out, I also love those features:

1. nice size

2. board with inlaid AN

3. nice looking knight. I dislike German knight. I like the normal Staunton style knight.

4. not magnetic

After I got this set last week, I found two big issues:

1. the set smell horribly. It seems that HOC just glue the foam before shipping. So the glue still smell a lot! So I remove the foam and use sand paper to remove all the glue residuls. And I also bought natural oil and wax style hardwood oil for this job. Now the board inside does not smell at all and look very nicely reddish after sanded and then applied with the oil two times. I still keep the two parts of EP foams and may choose to put them back, but without any glue.

2. the pieces are broad base style as designated by HOC. And they really are. So they look a little bit crowded on the board. So it's funny I also try to get some other pieces for this nice board. I found something from HOC. They have a narrow base Galaxy series. You will found them available only in 3" from "Chess Pieces". I just got two sets of them. They are very nicely made and are in huge discount. The chess peices are in very good quality. But even the base is narrow now, the height at 3" is still too much for this 13" board.

I found HOC also has a 2.75" Galaxy style, but only available in Chess Sets parts selling together with that drawer board and named as Emperor series. And they are magnetic. I also bought one but did not get it yet, maybe today or tormorrow. I think this 2.75" set will match the 13" board much better, but it's a pity that they are magnetic. But maybe I can use some staff to demagnetize them, like those used for screwers.

 http://www.houseofchess.com/travel-chess-set-magnetic-drawer-12-inch-bloodwood-maple-with-2-extra-queens-4-extra-knights-and-2-extra-pawns.html

Now come back to your question of best 2.5" set (good looking non German knight, non maganetic). I think it may go to CB 14" board 2.6" king sheesham/boxwood set. I just got one set today and I compare it with that 13" HOC set tonight. This one is listed at 125USD and now CB has 25% off discount.

http://www.chessbazaar.com/travel-series-folding-chess-board-with-pieces-combo-in-sheesham-box-wood-4-queens.html

And I too found it is very difficult to find a suitable set of pieces for this 13" board. It seems that Indian makers are not doing any set smaller than 2.6". The pieces from that 13" set are already the smallest, nicest (non German knight) and weighted set I can found in those famous Indian makers. Pity the base is broad. But I guess that is necessary for putting into the weighting iron bud inside.

BTW, HOC dose has a 2.75" camel bone set in the same Galaxy/Emperor narrow base style sold standalone. But it's camel bones and I don't know if they are fragile or not. And they are much more expensive that wood sets. Just cannot figure out why HOC is not selling those beautiful 2.75" bud rosewood Galaxy/Emperor style sets standalone and with non-magnetic weight.

http://www.houseofchess.com/camel-bone-hand-carved-emperor-staunton-chess-pieces-king-size-2-3-4-inch-faux-ivory-black.html

I just compared the 2.6" CB set pieces and 2.5" HOC set pieces. CB is taller, narrower base (many pieces, not all, others similarly same width), and lighter. I tried CB pieces on HOC board. It seems a better match to me.

http://www.chessbazaar.com/the-collector-series-wooden-staunton-chess-pieces-in-sheesham-box-wood-2-6-king.html

http://www.chessbazaar.com/varnished-stained-dyed-series-handcarved-staunton-chess-pieces-in-dyed-stained-box-wood-2-6-king.html

CB also sell 2.6 pieces standalone in Sheesham and dyed versions. I think they may be the best choices.

Here is another German manufacturer:

http://www.ulbrich-spieledesign.de/de/seiten/index.html

And this link goes to the chess part of their shop:

http://www.spieleshop.de/schach.html

Thank you rickyro for your help!

I think those CB pieces are probably going to be the best option.

Thank you for the links.  This manufacturer definitely makes some of the nicer German-made travel chess sets I have seen so far.  Their higher end pieces though do seem to be outsourced. 

Teichmann, so if I am after a good quality set what woods should I look for?  I want something that will last.  I thought boxwood and rosewood were pretty decent.  I also thought ebony was a top-of-the-line wood.  

Can you get a nice set (chessmen only) for $200?  If so what would you recommend if the size was irrelevant? 

Thank you for the link. 

Their Geman made boards are interesting. And some unique style entry level to middle level German made chessman are also interesting. The higher end models are without "German Made" designation and I think they should be outsourced from India.

Those end-grain, borderless style, German made boards are most interesting. Of these, the entry level models seem to be made with only maple and with dark squares dyed. But the higher models clearly mentioned different woods for dark/light squares, which is very nice. Pity that they have only 50mm above models for this type. 

Their travel sets only feature up to 1 inch square, which is too small in my opinion. I have one European made Albatros Venizia bought on Amazon.de, which features 10.5~11 inch board but around 1.2 inch square. This board has narrow border to obtain wider squares with that small dimensions and even features printed AN. This is the best designed travel board I have ever seen. Indian makers make very nice and high quality veneered 10 inch boards. But all of them have very wide border and feature only 1 inch square, the same does that Geman maker.

Indian made 12 inch board does have 1.2 inch square but then the board at 12 inch is a little bit too big compared to that Venezia board.

Just curious why no Inidan makers are making that Albatros Venezia board. Venezia board is nice in size, design and manufacturing quality. But the materials used is just soso, and the dark/light squares are just dyed, not veneered.

At this budegt ($200), and if the size is irrelevant, you have a lot of options. Just check House of Staunton, Chessbazaar websites and pick the one you like most.

The Albatros Venizia you refer to appears to be a Wegiel set from Poland.  How does the quality compare to HoC? 

Namiki wrote:

rickyro wrote:

MakkeMus wrote:

Here is another German manufacturer:

http://www.ulbrich-spieledesign.de/de/seiten/index.html

And this link goes to the chess part of their shop:

http://www.spieleshop.de/schach.html

Thank you for the link. 

Their Geman made boards are interesting. And some unique style entry level to middle level German made chessman are also interesting. The higher end models are without "German Made" designation and I think they should be outsourced from India.

Those end-grain, borderless style, German made boards are most interesting. Of these, the entry level models seem to be made with only maple and with dark squares dyed. But the higher models clearly mentioned different woods for dark/light squares, which is very nice. Pity that they have only 50mm above models for this type. 

Their travel sets only feature up to 1 inch square, which is too small in my opinion. I have one European made Albatros Venizia bought on Amazon.de, which features 10.5~11 inch board but around 1.2 inch square. This board has narrow border to obtain wider squares with that small dimensions and even features printed AN. This is the best designed travel board I have ever seen. Indian makers make very nice and high quality veneered 10 inch boards. But all of them have very wide border and feature only 1 inch square, the same does that Geman maker.

Indian made 12 inch board does have 1.2 inch square but then the board at 12 inch is a little bit too big compared to that Venezia board.

Just curious why no Inidan makers are making that Albatros Venezia board. Venezia board is nice in size, design and manufacturing quality. But the materials used is just soso, and the dark/light squares are just dyed, not veneered.

The Albatros Venizia you refer to appears to be a Wegiel set from Poland.  How does the quality compare to HoC? 

As I said in other post , Venezia has the best board/ square size IMHO. Hoc 12 inch set is big enough in square (1.2"), but also large in general size. Venezia is smaller in board size (10.5~11, I didn't measure), but still quite big in square (close to 1.2"). But the board is thin and not veneered, the pieces is light and smell a little sour, and quite ugly and simple with a few pieces. Generally good in design and manufacturing quality, but not the same craftsmanship as Indian made.

Indian made folding boards feature narrow border design from 13" above, so that 13" borad has 1.37" square, 14" board has 1.5 inch square. But it's a pity that this feature does not go to 12" and especially 10" board.

And I played more with chessbazaar 2.6" on that HOC 13" board and have some mixed feelings.

The size is a better match compared to the original 2.5" broad base set. But the pieces are just too light, especially those pawns. They seem not weighted at all. And the Bishop mitres are also very small, feeling bad in hand since the others have much bigger head to hold.

I tried HOC 3" Galaxy set on the 13" board, finding it match quite well. Hoc galaxy set is in higher quality than even CB 3" ebony sets and feel very (around 630g). I recommend this set.

I did not get my 2.75 Galaxy set yet . I think this size should fit even better.

I found out HOC also has 2.875/2.75 set. But they are selling with that woodlet board. That Monarch design looks quite good. Maybe we can ask hoc to sell the pieces alone. But these sets are also very light at around 400g.

Some day I'll own a Bauhaus set (Hartwig, 1924, http://www.moma.org/collection/works/4240) or replica. That's my longer-term go-to best design.

HOC Galaxy 3" Bud Rosewood on HOC 13" Rosewood board.

Best match I think. Maybe HOC 2.75" Galaxy could be better, less crowded. But HOC does not have 2.75" Galaxy pieces listed standalone. They have it only available in some 12" magnetic drawer sets, with woods only in Bud rosewood and Rosewood.