Leather pads and opinion on king height

I started playing chess about twenty-four years ago, but took some time off (due to family and job) and getting back into the game.  I've never played tournaments, but I still enjoy the game very much for many reasons, esp. the tactics and brain stimulation, and I take it seriously.  Anyway, I love wood, and I have a little of the collector's blood running in my veins, and I want to purchase a nice chess set (to go with the other budget sets I have costing about $20).  I was considering leather pads under the pieces (under all the pieces), but I've never played with leather.  I'm not a pusher as I tend to pick the piece up for my move.  However, I realize some opponents may be pushers.  Now this set I'll purchase will NOT be a travelling set or be out in the open for the casual visitor to play with, and all pieces will be properly stored.  The idea of the leather pads with the manufacturer's logo under each one seemed like a nice idea for a collectible set of this caliber.  However, I don't want to render the set unplayable as I DO plan to use it with trustworthy friends on a regular basis.  So comments from those who have used pieces with genuine leather pads would be great. 

Lastly, since I only plan to do this once and I want to do it right and not have regrets, I am really debating the king height.  I have always played on smaller sets on crowded boards, and I grew to think this way being able to see the board arrangement better.  I'm not used to using large pieces and esp. a large board, and I'm not sure I'll be able to think tactically and use my mind's eye like I can on a much smaller set.  But since I want this set to be nice, I don't want to have regrets about the king height.  I cannot decide between the 4" and 4.4" kings, so any comments about this would be greatly appreciated.  I believe I could probably adjust to the bigger pieces with joy, but not sure what to do about the board size because if I use the 4" king, I'll be using 2.375" squares, and if I use the 4.4" king it'll be the 2.5" squares.  Is it difficult adjusting to larger boards and pieces, or have those of you that made the switch found it a pleasure making the adjustment?  Should I really try to get that 4.4" king or stick with the 4" size?

I've waited many years for a set like this, so naturally I'm excited.  I'm paying for it from funds from a side job I'm blessed to have at the moment.  However, for all these years I've made due with much less (including a small magnetic sets and a Saietek handheld computer chess game for travel).  The best I've had so far is a $20 wooden 3" king setup.  Again, thanks for any comments and help.  I've read about a hundred posts on this forum before joining and posting.  You guys seem like a great group to learn from and hang out with.  Sorry for the long post.

I don't think you'll have any trouble adjusting to the larger set. I've had to adjust from larger to smaller and back and forth from playing on this ssite to OTB and it always seems weird at first, but in a while you always get used to it.

I actually like the larger set and since it's the set standard for tournament play, it's a good idea. As for leather, I prefer felt since it's easier to replace, although not as classy as the leather bottom with the makers mark stamped into it.

A lot of this is simply a matter of taste.  Personally I'd go for the bigger set.   I frequently look at nice chess sets online and drool.  I wish I had the dough to get one.  Enjoy it.  Post pictures!

I would say that if you are used to crowded small boards and want to keep that feel with a larger set, you could order the pieces a size up from the board you are getting, but it's probably best to go with the recommended sizes and get used to it.  That way if you go to a tournament or play any over the board games you'll be comfortable.

As for the leather pads, I've never used them.  Sounds nice, but they might take away from the practicality of the set.  It's up to you.

HI, great idea, I just bought myself my first and only collectors set about 6 months ago and I love it !

Mine pieces are from the "House of Staunton" 

http://houseofstaunton.com/Store/product_name=The+Reykjavik+II+Series+Chess+Set+-+3.75+inch+King/exact_match=exact/user-id=/password=

Here is the description of my pieces from the website :

"An exact reproduction of one of the most historically important Chess sets ever produced, the Chess set used in the legendary 1972 World Chess Championship, featuring Robert J. (Bobby) Fischer (USA) and Boris Spassky (RUS)."

they are made from genuine ebony and boxwood, King height is 3.75" with a 1.75" base diameter. The base is felt and the total weight of the pieces is 46 ounces.

I bought my board from Drueke, it is solid maple and black walnut with 2.25" squares. I love the combination, it is a real classic looking set, very strong and functional.

Anyway, good luck finding your dream set, I spent alot of time researching before deciding on mine and it was well worth it.

cheers

My 'best' set has a 4" King and felt pads. The feel and actually the comfort of moving the pieces is in my opinion great. I have read more cons on leather than pros? I paid $400.00 from The Chess Piece.com., and keep it in a nice leather case. Whatever you decide I hope you enjoy

What are some of the cons of the leather pads?  The only one I could think of would be having to always pick the piece up rather than slide it.  The set I'm getting is the HOS Collector Prestige set and deciding between the 4" and 4.4".  If I opt for the all-leather-pad "upgrade," then each pad is stamped with the same House of Staunton logo like the one under their king.  If you look at the 4"-4.4" comparison photograph on their website, it makes the larger set look really big.  I didn't realize the difference would appear that dramatic.  I don't want to toss a coin, so I apprecaite any and all comments on the leather and size.

Wow, I just checked out your set on their website and it looks really nice. Unfortunately I can't advise you on the leather pads as my set has felt pads. I do like the ability to slide the pieces though.......

Yeah, the sliding can be good, but should someone accidentally nudge the board, I'd prefer the pieces to stick down more (not slide).  However, never actually owning and playing like that routinely, it's hard to make a high-dollar one-time decision.  The more I think about it, as long as the leather pad is thick and not paper thin, I think I'll stick with the leather "upgrade." 

Any pros or cons for the 4.4" versus 4.0" king and correspondingly larger boards?

4" is closer to the tournament otb standard, 4.4" considerably bigger. I have boards of varying sizes up to one with a 2.5" square. As is, it is a slight issue to reach all the way to the back rank--at least when doing solo work. That board has a small border too; a 2.5" board with a large border will be problematic with a book open in front of you and you trying to reach to that back rank often. Such boards can look great but can be impractical.

I have both leather and felt on my pieces. Leather catches when you slide the

piece. If you are a slider then that will bug you. Good baize that is tight and

thick isn't a sign of cheapness btw.

Hey Seasterl, I'm looking at H of S for something similar. Where on their website do you see the option for all pieces to have leather bases not just the kings?

PS: I use a 3 7/8 inch king on a 2.25 inch board now for daily play. Looking for a 4 inch king on a 2.375 inch board for a show piece set. But I find the 4.4 inch king to just be too big.

a board with 2.5" squares puts alot of space between you and your friend across the table. (about 2 feet) and that's for the pieces with 4.4" kings

Those are some great comments, guys, on the 4" vs. 4.4" and the 2.5" board.  No doubt the 4.4" would cost more (and so would the boards!), but the part about not being quite as practical is the part I'm wanting to hear about.  I mean, if bigger was always better, we'd be playing with 5" or even 6" kings, right?  At some point, though, it becomes impractical.  Either the pieces get too heavy, or even too big and bulky to maneuver around the board.  Now 4.4" is not 5", but 2.5" squares becomes a 25" board rather than a 23.75" board with 4" king.

The nice thing about HOS is that they work for money!  Some of these online chess stores that I called claim that they give you choice, but when you tell them you want X, Y, & Z, you can only get that if you also buy A, B, & C!  HOS allows you to buy only what you want without charging a corresponding high price tag.  So basically, you tell them what you want and it becomes a custom order.  The pieces are then all made (hand carved) to order together as one set.  In my case, I'm ordering something that is not within their norm, yet it will still be classified as the "Collector Prestige" series.  The leather pads are optional for an addiational price.  They put them under the king, I said, so why stop there!  Why not have uniformity?  They thought that would be a wonderful upgrade so that every piece is marked with their logo.  They're one of only a few companies that actually knows who their custom is,... and it's not the carver!  So given these options I've never had before, I just want to do this right.  (No doubt if I did spring for the 4.4", they'd probably offer a 5" in the same series!,... where would it end!) 

 Good point!  I just measured out a 25" spot on a table, and at 6' 1" tall with decent reach, that would make for an awkward game having to be reaching so far.  As much as I'm in love with the idea of having larger pieces, I think the larger board sort of ruins it for me.  It the 4.4" set didn't have 2" bases, I'd use the 2 3/8" board.  Hmmm,... I guess the 4" setup is going to be the way to go if I'm going to use proper proportions and have respect for my opponents (to not have a crowded board).

Size isn't everything!

Look for a 'Broadbase' at least 'Double' or 'Triple' weighted, it's all about the feel...

Have a look at these sets, beautiful...

http://www.jaqueslondon.com/shop/chess/

I am an avid collector and otb player and have been fortunate enough to collect multiple sets from H of S. I would tell you that 4" seems to be a more comfortable size. In my collection, I  have sets larger than 4" but find that I have relegated them to show pieces. Larger sets really stand out and are great conversational pieces, but for practical play, you'll probably grab a smaller set to play on. As for leather bottoms, you might consider how frequent your play will be and how courteous your opponents are. Many non-chess enthusiasts will not understand the quality of the set or the investment you made, and will not treat them with the same care you might. As an example, if your a blitz player, many of your pieces might be forcefully slammed on a chess clock :-{

  The leather will of course hold up, but will become worn looking. If the overall appearance is really important, you might take this into consideration. Nonetheless, whatever your choice is, I'm sure you will enjoy the set! H of S sets are absolutely fabulous!

Thanks, WarHorse.  BTW, cool name!

Okay, I think I'm good on the 4" king, but you guys have me second-guessing the leather bases.  The plot thickens for me, because I'm not actually getting just one set.  I'm actually doing a special order for the Collector Prestige (so far it's down for 4" unless I change it in the next couple days before carving begins), and the woods will be real ebony, blood rosewood, rosewood, golden rosewood, boxwood, and possibly a sixth wood yet to be determined.  The artisan is going to send photos of some special woods this coming week for me to review and we'll decide.  I actually prefer a warm, low-contrast, relaxing color as long as the board color is wisely selected.  The golden rosewood that will be chosen will be light but not too light so as to have enough contrast with the boxwood.  (I sent the HOS artisan several pieces as references last week.)  The regular rosewood will be darker and should have enough contrast with the light-colored honey rosewood.  The blood rosewood will be mostly red with lots of grain, and the ebony, well, black.  If the carver sees my samples and feels he cannot achieve a uniform color and appropriate contrast, then I'll drop either the golden rosewood or regular rosewood in favor of a happy medium to match with the boxwood.  (A preliminary review of my other pieces I sent to HOS already told me that they are confident they could pull off the task with all rosewoods, though.)  The carver will do all pieces together as one complete set at the same time and ensure everything matches perfectly.  Cauffers for holding pieces in individual compartments (the HOS box) will help keep them in good shape when not in use with a child and puppy in the house.  So in light of this big order, the leather pads seemed appropriate.  I do admit that in the last few days I did receive a HOS Proline 4" golden rosewood-boxwood set on rosewood-maple board, and these do have felt bottoms.  Since I got this set at typical budget Ebay prices, it may get most of the action while the collection gets a little less action.  However, life's too short to let the "collection" just sit on the sidelines too much.  That's what replacement pieces are for.  With a sidejob, birthday, and Christmas all happening at the same time for me, this will be the only time I'll be able to get chess stuff like this,... and I haven't finalized the board decision yet, but that's another thread, I guess.

BTW, I've been on a lot of forums in the last decade, and this one has had the most responses in just a few hours than any other forum I've been on.  This must be the best chess forum, right?

Thanks seasterl,

It sounds like you've spent a lot of time on this! My preference has been the Blood Rosewood and Ebony as my favorite woods. Such as the image below: http://www.houseofstaunton.net/webpics/prestige7f.jpg  Just beautiful!Although, I have to admit that with each set I purchase or receive as a gift, I try to variate woods. I do try to use each of my sets as much as possible, but found that I use certain sets much more frequently. Unfortunately, I have an addiction to chess sets and have no intention to ever stop collecting!

I have the HoS rosewood "centurion" set and It's great! at 4" It's the tallest I'd get. I went with the rosewood set because ebony is very brittle and is susceptible to chipping and cracking, that's why it costs more, it tends to break during milling and for a set to use regularly get something else.