Best Chess Sets ever...

What's the difference here? What am I missing? Are these the same company with 2 different websites for the "Best Chess Sets Ever"? Same pictures same designs....

http://www.angelina.si/chessmen/eastern/

and

https://www.noj.si/?mod=catalog&action=view&group=47&lang=en

I hate when they give the knights circle eyes like that.

i like the lack of a head cut bishop and the opposite colored nobble on top - i like a dubrovnik set but with a wide base... also not wanting the different colored nobbles on K & Q.

Know any?

FIDE used the set in the recent youth championships.

I like the design. I think it's practical and playable, and attractive in its simplicity while retaining a strong character without being simplified into nothingness.

I'd redo the knight though, to better harmonize with the other pieces. I think that homage to the Dubrovnik set is misplaced here.

Zombie knights. I don't care for that either (in a nice set), but some great antique Jaques knights are just that way though. Probably a concession to reduce carving time.

This one is great, however. One can believe there are little balls embedded beneath those lids!

Yes, if I'm going to spend $100+ on a set, there wont be zombie eyes :p

Your picture is an example of a good one of course.  I once had a player hand me a knight off his set at a tournament that looked like that one (maybe the same set) and as a way of gloating asked me to count the number of teeth on it lol.  When I said they were small so I don't- "8 TEETH!" he exclaimed "THERE ARE 8 TEETH ON THAT KNIGHT!"

lol, he was a character.

I like the BCE set a lot . But I do think the knights should be slimmed down just a tad bit to match the rest of the set, they seem to "over power" the rest of the set in size.

i never noticed zombie eyes before or round vs. not round. thanks for the ocular comment.

Is it my imagination or does the felt at the bottom of the pieces appear so thick as to - noticeably - raise the pices from the board. Or, is it just shopped shadow, photo shadows or my imagination.

Thanks.

What do you mean by "misplaced here"? Do you mean that there are better Dubrovnik sets available (sites please) or, that the comments on this thread are misplaced? Thx.

Any suggestions for better looking Dubrovnik sets pls.? Thx.

I'm saying the BCE knight design isn't so good.

Zombie eyes? I don't see it in the examples above. I like the knight pictured. The modern chess set belongs in a Manhattan apartment overlooking central park. That's were I imagine it would be most happy.

it's amazing the grip that the classic design has on regular players - i think? For example, does anyone have or would anyone consider any "fantasy" designs? you know - the ones where character themes are followed - like a hobbit theme or war army or something.

This is our thinking: Knights are mighty beasts and they need to be somewhat heavier looking than the sneaky bishops that only operate in pairs.

We appreciate all the comments in this thread and will incorporate the best ideas into the next batch of Best Chessmen Ever. We sure do listen.

Thanks!

-Izmet

(Best Chessmen Ever, Slovenia)

@ifekali don't get me wrong because I LOVE the look of the sets. And your idea of Knights as beast I like. Looking at the pictures again , the outline of the knights seem to fit into the negative spaces of the bishops, rooks etc. which I find very interesting and like.

The sets are probably my favorite because they are different and simplistic with nice smooth lines to them. Very Nice

Personally i prefer the zagreb sets.

I recently bought this one and i love it: http://www.regencychess.co.uk/antipodean-series-rosewood-staunton-chessmen-4-inches-p-148.html

Nice!

Best chessmen ever?  I don't like them at all.  They look way too plain and don't have the style the regular Staunton pieces have.  And the rooks look like trash cans.

Agreed, I hate the set.

Tough room.