I found this hugely impressive!

[mjr]

Hand lathed and hand-carved chess set...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtWwny8-yX4

[Kogarashi]

Very cool.

I'm not the hugest fan of Staunton chess sets, but that's mostly because I think it's an overused style (which makes sense because it's the tournament standard). Doesn't make watching the video any less interesting.

(Avid lover and collector of chess sets here.)

[mjr]

I'm not particularly a fan of the Staunton sets, either. I do, however, have a "frosted glass" chess set that is Staunton and looks pretty nice.

I really want to get a more expensive one, but I can't quite bring myself to spend that kind of money yet.

I've seen Pewter ones before that I really liked, though.

I also saw a "vertical" chess set. You basically could hang it on your wall, and move pieces that way.

[Kogarashi]

I've seen Pewter ones before that I really liked, though.

I also saw a "vertical" chess set. You basically could hang it on your wall, and move pieces that way.

I've got a pewter set that cost a pretty penny. Bought it with the money from my first job, since I didn't have any other expenses at the time. It's currently set up on a table in my living room.

And I've seen the vertical sets too. Definitely want one of those, and I may be asking my dad to construct it for me since he likes to do amateur woodworking.

[Ironclad Alibi]

I bought a fancy chess set back when I was in college, in the late 60s. This is a picture of a similar set. Mine was black and white plastic pieces. I still have it.

[mjr]

I bought a fancy chess set back when I was in college, in the late 60s. This is a picture of a similar set. Mine was black and white plastic pieces. I still have it.

I LOVE the set in that picture! Do those particular pieces have a "style" name (like Staunton is a style)?

I wanna get myself a nice chessboard, though I suck at the game.

[Ironclad Alibi]

I LOVE the set in that picture! Do those particular pieces have a "style" name (like Staunton is a style)?

I wanna get myself a nice chessboard, though I suck at the game.

The description on the box says:

Classic Games
Collectors Series
Chess Set
with matching board
Edition I
Ancient Rome
264 B.C - 14 A.D.

[Kogarashi]

I wanna get myself a nice chessboard, though I suck at the game.

I'm mediocre at best. Doesn't change the fact that I enjoy collecting "unusual" sets (and watching videos of people making sets, even if they do happen to be Staunton ), and at least my husband and I are evenly matched skill-wise, so we can still play. Which we do, to "break in" each new set I get.

Two of my current favorites are the pewter one I bought in high school (here, though my board is a dark reddish wood rather than black) and a seashell one I made as a personal souvenir of a family trip to Florida (here).

[mjr]

Two of my current favorites are the pewter one I bought in high school (here, though my board is a dark reddish wood rather than black)

Love it! That's the sort of set I'm looking for. But I don't wanna drop boatloads of money on one.

and a seashell one I made as a personal souvenir of a family trip to Florida (here).

Impressive piece of work! I've wanted to make my own, but I don't have ANY of the tools to do that...

[Kogarashi]

Love it! That's the sort of set I'm looking for. But I don't wanna drop boatloads of money on one.

Completely understandable. As I mentioned, I got that one with money from my first job, when I was still living at home with zero expenses.

Impressive piece of work! I've wanted to make my own, but I don't have ANY of the tools to do that...

Believe it or not, that one is pretty must just having the right glue. E6000 for the shells-on-stones (the pieces), regular white glue to adhere the sand to the paper in a grid pattern. Everything else was supplies, most of which were from the local craft store. The shells on the pieces came from a shop in Florida, the glass stones came from the Dollar Tree (because they had big ones and the craft store didn't), and the rest was from Michaels (shadow box frame, sand, mosaic shells). Lots of gluing, not much else in the way of tools.

I've got a running list of other sets I want to put together in similar fashions, and my husband picks up a set for me occasionally when he travels for work, so I've got some from places like Kenya, India, etc.

[mjr]

I've got a running list of other sets I want to put together in similar fashions, and my husband picks up a set for me occasionally when he travels for work, so I've got some from places like Kenya, India, etc.

I found this today:

http://www.hayneedle.com/games-and-h...842_4294686241

I kinda wanna make my own "leather" chess board now...

Well, leather and wood, anyway.

[Ironclad Alibi]

I made a chess board once. It was a 16" square piece of cardboard. I drew a grid of 1-3/4" squares on it and colored in the alternate squares with a magic marked, then covered it with a piece of contact paper. I used it with a cheap set of chess at work for lunch time games.

I also have Boris, the Talking Chess Computer, that I built from a kit back in 1978 or 1979.

[Kogarashi]

I have a nice basic, inexpensive set for my kids to play with, and so I can teach them how to play.

I found this today:

http://www.hayneedle.com/games-and-h...842_4294686241

I kinda wanna make my own "leather" chess board now...

Well, leather and wood, anyway.

If you do, make sure to post photos so we can see.

[mjr]

If you do, make sure to post photos so we can see.

I may have to change my idea from my original plan. I was going to use tooling leather with the squares different colors, and sew them together. My wife pointed out that might be fairly difficult with tooling leather, and it might be better to do a "weave" pattern.

I want to stamp designs into each square, too.

I've got some thinking to do on this one...

[PrplPplEater]

Hand lathed and hand-carved chess set...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtWwny8-yX4

Wow! That's very cool, indeed.


::note to self, need lathe/mill::