I purchased this same set without the box back in December, just after they released it.
I have had the opportunity to compare this set with a genuine Lardy set. This set is better than the original Lardy, in heft and feel.
The discrepency in the bishop weighting has not been a problem at all during play. None of my opponents or I have even noticed this during a game. And yes, I was aware of this since I first received the set.
None of my pieces had any cracks or breaks.
I agree that the HOS Lardy set is superior to the original Lardy sets in many ways including no leaning/warped queens (a common issue with the originals)! I also agree that the set plays very well.
The weight difference with the bishops is noticable, however. I actually did blind tests with my wife and children and they identified the difference with the bishops every time.
Regardless, the quality of the set could - and should - be better. Especially since HOS is including the set in their "Camaratta Collection" and charging a premium compared to similar sets offered by other retailers.
According to HOS, rather than address the bishop weighting problem, they plan to sell through their existing 12-month inventory and then resolve the issue on the next production run. Presumably, they expect customers who purchase the current set to either not notice or to simply accept the weight differences. Not exactly a customer-focused approach in my view.
Since HOS promotes itself as "manufacturer of the world's finest chess products," is it too much to ask that their sets be weighted properly?
When I bought my Lardy set from HoS I paid between $90 - $95 (I don't remember the exact number. This was because of a sale and my Collector Club discount and I did not buy the box.
I understand your frustration with the faults of that set. I would suggest you seek a return and complete refund. I am sure that HoS doesn't want this but if they insist on waiting for the next year batch to come out, then they should let you have the refund with the hopes you will buy again when the new, corrected version comes available.
I considered returning the set, but I plan to keep it.
The design of the HOS French Lardy set is a nice improvement over other Lardy sets I've seen so far.
But why HOS accepted shipment of these sets with the bishop weighting issue, is beyond me. It appears that while they have an excellent design process, they just don't have a very capable quality control process. I mean, I'm not an expert when it comes to inspecting chess sets, but I noticed the weighting issue with the bishops immediately. It seems like someone from HOS could have done the same, rejected the shipment, and then pressed the manufacturer to fix the issue. Note that this is a new product offering for HOS. It seems they would want to have sets that were as close to perfect as possible before they released them to the world.
It was interesting to me that HOS was quick to point out the inconsistent manufacturing practices of the carvers. I don't really blame the carvers for the issue. I blame HOS for not holding the carvers accountable for creating quality sets that meet HOS specifications. Instead, HOS accepted the flawed sets and passed them on to their customers; shameful, really.
If the wood used and the size of the bishops are the same how can there be a difference in their weight? If boxwood weighs more shouldn't all the white pieces weigh more than their black brethren?
tyia
Hi Neverherebefore, I wondered the same thing.
HOS said the issue stems from the amount of weighting material (usually lead) that the carvers pour into the pieces. HOS also explained that pieces are manufactured by different people at different times, so there definitely is a possibility for mistakes.
What I don't understand is why HOS didn't check the pieces themselves and then take up the issue of the flawed sets with the carvers.
HOS seems to be relying on customers to do the quality control checks for them.
No Chess Set reseller is going to inspect each set that arrives that I know of unless its a high dollar set. Frank Camaratta used to check a set or two to make sure they were up to snuff I read somewhere. The cracked bases is a cause of improperly dried wood I beleive. I have a couple sets around 50 bucks & no cracking after 20 years or so.
Thanks for the thoughtful review, Brian. Would you please post some pictures of the bishops? Of the cracked pieces? Of the K, Q, B, N, and P in line so we can get a sense of the relative proportions of the pieces? Do you own an original Lardy of this size? Again, many thanks!
Thanks very much cgrau.
Since joining Chess.com, my knowledge of chess equipment has greatly benefited from the folks who post in this forum. Since I haven't seen a detailed review of the HOS French Lardy set, I felt this was an opporunity to make a contribution to this vibrant community.
Per your request, I have posted additional pictures below. Note that my replacement bishops are en route from HOS (I expect to receive them late this week), so I was not able to include a bishop in the group shot below. I can update this post with the complete group shot when I recieve the new pieces.
I've also included pictures of the cracked pieces (which are the same pictures I provided to HOS).
Unfortunately, I do not own an original Lardy set. My knowledge of Lardy sets has come primarily from Chess.com posts. It would be fascinating for someone to do a side-by-side comparison of the HOS Lardy (and perhaps Lardy sets from other retailers) - with an original Lardy set. It seems to me that the HOS Lardy set is a composite of some of the best features of various Lardy sets over the years.
No Chess Set reseller is going to inspect each set that arrives that I know of unless its a high dollar set. Frank Camaratta used to check a set or two to make sure they were up to snuff I read somewhere. The cracked bases is a cause of improperly dried wood I beleive. I have a couple sets around 50 bucks & no cracking after 20 years or so.
I agree with you 9kick, it's not reasonable to expect retailers to check every set they sell - once the quality of their sets has stablized and there are no known issues.
My issue with quality control regarding this particular product line is that the weight issue with the bishops affects *all* HOS French Lardy sets they currently have in stock (according to HOS, it is at least a 12-month supply) - so it's definitely *not* an isolated issue. To make things worse, according to Eyechess, they have probably known about the problem since at least December, 2015 when the set was released. In my opinion, HOS should be doing a detailed quality check on all new product lines they offer to ensure that the carvers are meeting the HOS specificiations. My sense is that this just isn't happening, or if it is, the quality checks are not particularly rigorous.
However, all of this begs another question: what is the HOS doing to address the bishop weighting issue with their current 12-month supply of Lardy sets? According to my conversations with HOS last week, the answer is "nothing."
Many thanks for the additional photos, Brian. They made you send in the cracked pieces after you sent them photos? So you can't even use the set with the defective pieces until they get you the replacements? I don't think that's right if that's what happened. It seems the bishop weight disparity is a known problem that isn't mentioned in their advertising and that they won't cure once it's discovered and complained about. I have a problem with that.
Brian, I agree with you. I plan on calling them this week to see their response.
I'm surprised they made you send in the defective piece(s). The pictures should be enough, especially the quality shots you took.
Thanks guys.
The HOS did ask me to send the defective pieces to them, but this is their standard policy, so I did not see it as a big deal (they provided a shipping label so the process was relatively painless). I should point out that HOS customer service staff are pleasant to work with and they usually don't hesitate to send out replacement pieces.
It's a bummer not having a complete set during the time it takes to resolve issues with new HOS sets, but I have come to expect this when purchasing from HOS. The first set they send usually includes one or more pieces that are in need of replacement. I have noticed that this appears to be a fairly common situation for many HOS customers.
I recommend that those who order from HOS weigh and inspect all pieces closely with a strong light and magnifying glass. HOS policies regarding the timing of returns are clear but strict, so it's best to contact them as soon as possible if you encounter any problems.
I am looking forward to the arrival of replacement pieces this week, so my set can again be complete.
Thanks again for your input/feedback.
I'm a fan of the Lardy sets. I've owned several over the years and have played countless games with original Lardy sets. They were quite attractive, more attractive than any of the repros I've seen, including this one. It's not an elaborate design so I have to wonder why a more accurate repro is not produced.
Lardy quality was hit and miss, though. They would ship sets where the king or queen was leaning to the side, as if warped. Last year I sold an old Lardy where the kings were not the same height.
I like this HOS version and it looks like a decent buy with the 10% discount. I'd prefer a wider base for the king, maybe 1.625 inches. (The originals also had relatively narrow bases for the king.)
There is no denying the simple elegance of the original Lardy sets.
The quirky imperfections of the original Lardys imbue them with a human touch that is mostly absent from the reproductions.
With all the close reproductions of Jaques sets currently available, it seems a little surprising that an enterprising retailer hasn't offered a close reproduction of the Lardy sets. On the other hand, the originals are still readily available from eBay and other sources at relatively affordable prices.
I recieved replacement pieces from HOS (they look good!). Unfortunately, as expected, the bishop weighting issue remains. Please note that I have added new photos to the top post of this thread (i.e., a closeup of the bishops and group shots of the black/white pieces). Thank you to all who provided feedback.
I posted new pictures to the top post in this thread of the pieces set up a on 2.375-inch square board. Thanks again.
I recently purchased a 3.75-inch French Lardy set for $149 from the House of Staunton (HOS). The price includes standard pieces (boxwood/ebonized boxwood), 2 extra queens, and a quality black slide-top storage box. Note that the set can be purchased without the box for $110. Additionally, HOS regularly offers 10% discounts and/or free shipping, so your final cost might be lower.
The Lardy design is quite common and similar less costly sets are available from other retailers. In fact, the design of the House of Staunton's own Club Series set is very similiar and costs $69 ($40 less). So you might wonder why someone would pay more for a set that is essentially the same in design, size, and material. The answer is that the design of the HOS Lardy set is heftier and more refined than many other Lardy reproductions. Of course, whether or not this difference warrants the extra $30-$40 is an open question.
It is important to point out that the HOS French Lardy set is not a close reproduction (nor do I think it was intended to be). It is more accurate to say the design is reminiscent of the original Lardy sets rather than a facsimilie.
The HOS set *is* a great articulation of the Lardy design. It's obvious that whomever designed the set spent considerable time thinking through how to create pieces that draw inspiration from the original Lardy sets, but improve upon the design at the same time. The rooks are gracefully tapered with additional detail just below the crenelations; the knights resemble Lardy knights but look stouter; the bishops are (correctly) conically shaped with large collars; the tops of the queens are easily the most beautiful I've seen in this style; the king is sufficiently wide and well proportioned compared to the rest of the set; and even the pawns are correctly sized (Lardy pawns from other reproductions often look a bit "squashed").
Additionally, the quality and consistency in the cutting of the pieces is very good - especially for this price range.
The set came nicely packed and after carefully weighing and inspecting each piece with a strong light and magnifying glass, I found the following issues:
When I contacted HOS about these issues, they said they would replace all the pieces in question. However, they also said the new pieces would not remedy the bishop weighting issue. This is because all French Lardy sets currently in stock at HOS have the exact same problem. While it is unfortunate the bishops have inconsistent weights, they said, there is nothing they can do about it – especially for a low-cost set like the Lardy. Obviously, this was not the level of customer service I was hoping for.
The HOS French Lardy set is a very attractive implementation of the Lardy design with a quality flaw that sadly detracts from it's overall value. For me, the inconsistent weighting of the bishops is a real disappointment, but ultimately not a deal-breaker. If you are intersted in the design of this set but are wary of HOS quality/customer service issues, I would suggest checking out similiar Lardy sets from retailers such as Chess USA, Chess Bazaar, The Chess Piece, and Wholesale Chess.