Eyechess wrote:
As of this time, The Chess House makes the best quality of these thinner mousepad boards. Their Flex Pad board is actually perfect.
Agreed.
Vinyl vs. Mousepad Board
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Oct 14, 2019
0
#44
GMPatzer wrote:
Silicon
No...
And it is silicone, not silicon.
The thin mousepad boards are a lot better than the silicone boards.
Eyechess wrote:
The thin mousepad boards are a lot better than the silicone boards.
Do you prefer mousepad over silicone coz of dust issues? Is Flex pad better than silicone, mousepad, vinyl, PVC?
Oct 14, 2019
0
#46
The FlexPad is better than silicone mostly because of the stickiness of the silicone, but the dust and lint problem is real.
The regular mousepad has cotton in the board material not letting the pieces slide. The FlexPad only has polyester making the surface more slidable.
Vinyl creases more and does not age well. It is also stiffer and sometimes will not lay flat.
PVC is too shiny and too plastic looking in the colors.
If you get a vinyl roll-up board, be sure it has a cloth backing - this inhibits wrinkling. Also be sure to roll it up with the playing squares OUTWARD as shown in the following photo, and store it in a cardboard mailing tube - this will prevent wrinkling and ensure that it lays flat for playing.
https://www.chesshouse.com/collections/club-style-chess-boards/products/20-vinyl-roll-up-chess-board?variant=32275371329
If you can find one, a 2 x 22 inch mailing tube would be the perfect dimensions for storing a standard 20 inch vinyl roll-up board, but that size tube is apparently non-standard. The next best would be 2 x 24 inches as...
https://envelopes.jampaper.com/search?p=Q&lbc=jampaper&uid=20620283&ts=custom&w=tube&isort=score&method=and&view=grid&af=size:2x24
I contacted Chess House today and they informed me that although a cardboard tube is not a product that they normally feature on their website, they will sell one to anyone who contacts them and wishes to purchase one (dimensions = 2" x 24"; price = typically less than $USD10, including shipping) . Also any purchase of a roll-up board is typically shipped in a cardboard mailing tube.
Dennis Peterson's Legend Products sells a cardboard tube for roll-up boards (they do not give the dimension, but it has to be at least 2" x 22", or so, in order to accommodate the standard size roll-up board)...located under products - equipment - storage tubes....price is $USD7.95 plus $USD7.00 shipping...
https://www.legendproduct.com/index.html
A cheap way that I've preserved my vinyl roll-up board was to:
1. Use a wide PVC pipe to roll the board around to prevent the vinyl from getting crushed and permanently creased; also makes it easier to flatten the board after prolonged storage
2. Slip the rolled board in plastic to keep the surface clean
3. Keep the board in a chess bag when not needed
Despite all this, I've already switched to using Flex boards by ChessHouse. I fold the boards and let them get crushed during storage or transport without worrying about permanent creases and flattening the board prior to use.
My late father´s chess set. It´s at least as old as I - and I´m 64 - and has seen a fair amount of use in it´s day but the vinyl mat had probably been rolled up for many years when I used it a couple of weeks ago. It laid perfectly flat on the table.
Jan 20, 2023
0
#50
Does anyone make smaller flex pad boards? Seems like it'd be a great travel board! Looking for something I can keep in my laptop bag for on-the-go playing. Ideally something with 1.5" - 1.75" squares?
Contact ChessHouse....they do have smaller size vinyl rollup boards....
https://www.chesshouse.com/collections/club-style-chess-boards
https://www.chesshouse.com/collections/club-style-chess-boards/products/14-vinyl-roll-up-chess-board
Jan 20, 2023
0
#52
Thanks -- had one of those in my cart already actually. My assumption was that it was vinyl; was curious if anyone made a 'mousepad' style one. I really like the full-size flex pad board that I purchased from ChessHouse last year.
natteh wrote:
Thanks -- had one of those in my cart already actually. My assumption was that it was vinyl; was curious if anyone made a 'mousepad' style one. I really like the full-size flex pad board that I purchased from ChessHouse last year.
I believe that if anyone would carry a FlexPad analysis board it would be ChessHouse. They do carry vinyl analysis boards. However not sure if they carry "Flexpad" analysis boards, which are essentially an "improved" vinyl board, with rubber backing and synthetic cloth integrated into the playing surface. As long as you don't plan to fold it, I believe a cloth-backed vinyl board should work well, especially if stored rolled up inside a storage tube. If you call them, speak to them, I believe they will be happy to answer all your questions. In my experience, their service is excellent.
Also noted these vinyl analysis boards...from HoS and Shelby Lohrman's American Chess Equipment.....(who also generally provide good service IMO)...
https://www.houseofstaunton.com/analysis-chess-set-board-combination.html
https://amchesseq.com/collections/tournament-chess-boards/products/14-vinyl-roll-up-travel-chess-boards-choice-of-3-colors?variant=23507898630202
Jan 20, 2023
0
#54
@herman sorry to hear about your late father. I really like the set he left you. Looks like it was kept very well. I've never seen that roll up board before. Looks really cool and complements the pieces nicely.
stumOnner skrev:
@herman sorry to hear about your late father. I really like the set he left you. Looks like it was kept very well. I've never seen that roll up board before. Looks really cool and complements the pieces nicely.
Thank you! It´s more than a quarter of a century since he passed but the chess set - on which he taught me the basic moves and that I used as a boy - is a nice memento. I believe it´s made in (East) Germany. Similar pieces were common here in Sweden. They are simple but high quality and very well made.
How do the mouse pad boards hold up over time? One thing I noticed sitting at a high traffic computer at work, the image on the mouse pad was faded and worn and the fabric was starting to separate from the rubber backing.
The paper chess board works for me the best because its fits my respiratory MCS ( multiple chemical sensitivity) and pieces are easy to move, though it may have all other cons even if care properly. Knowing the cons I order more per order.
Oct 24, 2023
0
#58
I think vinyl boards feel the best of the rollup ones. When you play on a mousepad board, there is no satisfying click when you move pieces as the board is spongy. However, the way they're always flat is great. Stylistically, I like the way the come in wood tones...
@jz3ro Nice set!
jz3ro wrote:
I think vinyl boards feel the best of the rollup ones. When you play on a mousepad board, there is no satisfying click when you move pieces as the board is spongy. However, the way they're always flat is great. Stylistically, I like the way the come in wood tones...
If it´s noise that floats your boat you´d love the masonite boards that were used in swedish clubs. When blitz was played, with unfelted wooden pieces, it sounded like machine gun fire...
I like the thin variety - 2 mm - of mousepad chess mats. Firm but muted.
Unfortunately Glen Butterman is dead
I knew Glen getting to know him through his boards as he was just coming out with them. For instance I talked him into having them made in the standard green and buff colors.
With that, his boards were not as nice as those made later. They improved on the process resulting in a better product.
As of this time, The Chess House makes the best quality of these thinner mousepad boards. Their Flex Pad board is actually perfect.