i would have thought they should have baize. Can you post some pictures please?
Felt Vs Baize?
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Sorry - I should have taken a photo but too late now! The felt that was on the pieces looked the same age/damage to the baize that was in the lid of the box. I checked with Alan Ferscht and he didn't know but said that they could be original. The set was budget when it was produced so maybe they used felt instead of baize... Anyway, I have replaced them with felt for now. If they wear out I will think about putting baize on instead...
Regarding the material from Alan Dewey, he told me that he didn't have any black baize in stock, but when I got the pieces back I noticed it was actually very dark green felt..... Alan suggested red baize, which I think would look very good.
I found a old photo of the pieces in their box.. Hopefully this link should work... https://photos.app.goo.gl/7F4Ler5cRcQvL7Gg7
Sep 24, 2019
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#5
Yes that does look like felt, as far as I can tell. If you wanted to replace with baize you could always dye it black so that it still matches the box.
The problem I've always had with replacing baize is that on all of my old chess sets the baize is really thin (less than 1 mm) whereas all of the pieces of baize that I have (including some from an antique card table) is that it's much thicker (1.5 mm or thicker). Anyone know why this is? Does it compress over time or something?
this guy, Jack Plane, is a great source of information about the details of antique restoration, in this case, baize:
https://pegsandtails.wordpress.com/2012/02/11/baize-and-bayes/
Sep 24, 2019
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#7
Thanks Greg, looks like the explanation is that most of my baize will contain nylon, whereas what was actually used on 19th chess pieces was usually "Pure worsted wool ‘flat’ baize".
I have a dim recollection that you've told me all of this before and that I've forgotten it, I must be getting old
IpswichMatt wrote:
...I must be getting old
You and me both, but look on the bright side: we'll never run out of things to talk about.
Haverumwilltravel wrote:
Greg, I saw that site when I was researching baize. I was shocked to see that pure wool runs $60 + a yard if you can find it. I did find a source that sells 80 wool 20 nylon baize for $20 a yard. I use dyes to match aged baize on pieces. Here is a repurposed box I did with the baize.
The box looks really nice. Did you use a flour and water paste to stick it down?
Sep 25, 2019
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#10
greghunt wrote:
The box looks really nice. Did you use a flour and water paste to stick it down?
Why would you use that Greg? Is it what they would have used originally?
I have an old BCC chess set (Staunton Popular) and am wanting to refelt them (having been beautifully restored by Alan Dewey, but he not having any suitable material in stock). The current fabric appears to be felt rather than baize. Could this be original? I know they were a cheaper set in their day...