I'm guessing the D stands for "dumb"
Not my mother language, therefore just my two cents: A. would maybe stand for A$$?
Aww that's too bad, I could have served a subpoena 
. Well since he's too scared to own up to it, we can just move on.
There are some ebony pieces on the market that have metal bases (some Noj sets have metal bases, too), and I wonder if these pieces would be less susceptible to hairline cracks (the base won't crack like this if it's made out of metal!). I might be willing to invest in one of these ebony sets if the metal bases provide some resistance to cracking.
Examples:
Mark of Westminster with steel bases:
https://www.chessusa.com/product/23-12VE.html
Henry Le chess pieces with brass base (I quite like the look of these):
https://www.henrychesssets.com/product/luxury-ebony-maple-chess-pieces-with-gold-plated-brass-base/
Have any of you purchased these or similar sets with metal bases and do you have any thoughts on them with regards to hairline cracks or anything else?
Thanks!
I believe that the cracking occurs as the wood tries to shrink , but with the lead weight fitted tightly inside, the wood cannot shrink around the immovable object and so it cracks.
Putting a steel base on each piece is presumably instead of having a weight inside - so I would think this would probably mean they're less likely to crack than if the weight was inside.
That being said - I think ebony cracking is mostly due to temperature and humidity fluctuations. Guitar fretboards are sometimes ebony and they're also prone to cracking. I understand that the owners of expensive guitars control the temp and humidity when storing them.
Not my mother language, therefore just my two cents:
It's not a word we use here either - but I watch too much television, and much of it comes from the USA.
There are some ebony pieces on the market that have metal bases (some Noj sets have metal bases, too), and I wonder if these pieces would be less susceptible to hairline cracks (the base won't crack like this if it's made out of metal!). I might be willing to invest in one of these ebony sets if the metal bases provide some resistance to cracking.
Examples:
Mark of Westminster with steel bases:
https://www.chessusa.com/product/23-12VE.html
Henry Le chess pieces with brass base (I quite like the look of these):
https://www.henrychesssets.com/product/luxury-ebony-maple-chess-pieces-with-gold-plated-brass-base/
Have any of you purchased these or similar sets with metal bases and do you have any thoughts on them with regards to hairline cracks or anything else?
Thanks!
I believe that the cracking occurs as the wood tries to shrink , but with the lead weight fitted tightly inside, the wood cannot shrink around the immovable object and so it cracks.
Putting a steel base on each piece is presumably instead of having a weight inside - so I would think this would probably mean they're less likely to crack than if the weight was inside.
That being said - I think ebony cracking is mostly due to temperature and humidity fluctuations. Guitar fretboards are sometimes ebony and they're also prone to cracking. I understand that the owners of expensive guitars control the temp and humidity when storing them.
100% spot on my friend! I own numerous, very nice guitars and maintaining the optimum humidity and temperature range is paramount. Ebony is a very hard wood, i believe around 3000-3200 on the Janka hardness scale. As such, it is less flexible (for lack of a better, easily understood word) and does not handle swings in environmental conditions (along with all other hard woods) as easily as the softer woods. It has to do with the modulus of elasticity and rigidity of the given species of lumber. In addition, lead has a fairly high expansion rate as opposed to other ferrous materials. (I believe @Yenster1 also mentioned this previously.) Great post by the way.
That is a good theory......
Just one problem. The Ebony used today is softer then Boxwood.
That theory would only be possible with this Ebony chess piece that is made of Gaboon Ebony with 3000+ hardness.
And no cracks after two and a half decades of hard use...
I hate to say this, but that's an incorrect statement! No boxwood is harder than any ebony wood, except for "black & white ebony," which is softer and quite distinctive. Gaboon ebony has the same hardness as other types of ebony (again, except for "black & white ebony," which is softer, and "Brazilian ebony," & "Brown Ebony" which is slightly harder). Whether it's modern or not, the type of ebony used for chess pieces would all react similarly under the same conditions. So, keep an eye on your atmospheric conditions and use whatever preventatives are necessary to maintain them.
- Just my two cents on the topic! -
WOOD HARDNESS CHART
Wood Species. Hardness
Aspen (Quaking) 350
Buckeye (Yellow) 350
Buckeye Burl 350
Basswood 367
Eastern White Pine 380
Basswood (American) 410
Aspen (Big Tooth) 420
White Pine 420
Aspen 432
Guanacaste (Parota) 470
Butternut 490
Black Limba / Korina 500
Hemlock 500
Banak 510
American Chestnut 540
Chestnut 540
Mappa Burl 540
Poplar 540
Red Pine 560
Alder (Red) 590
Larch 590
Spanish Cedar 600
Douglas Fir 660
Southern Yellow Pine (short leaf) 690
Shedua 710
Box Elder 720
Birch (Grey) 760
Sycamore 770
Parana 780
Genuine Mahogany 800
Leopardwood 840
Ash (Black) 850
Curly Western Maple 850
Quilted Western Maple 850
Western Maple Burl 850
Southern Yellow Pine (longleaf) 870
Lacewood 891
Cedar 900
Birch (Paper) 910
Anigre 930
Boire 940
Cherry 950
Cherry Burl 950
Curly Cherry 950
Curly Maple (Red Leaf) 950
Maple (Red Leaf) 950
Peruvian Walnut 960
Ash (Pumpkin) 990
Pink Ivory 995
Sakura 995
Teak 1000
Black Walnut 1010
Walnut 1010
Albarco 1020
Holly 1020
Boreal 1023
Curly Pyinma 1055
Avodire 1080
African Mahogany 1100
Figured Mango 1100
Brazilian Eucalyptus 1125
Andiroba 1130
Thuya Burl 1155
Ash (Oregon) 1160
Koa 1170
Ash (Green) 1200
Redheart 1200
Movingui 1230
Chakte Viga 1250
Birch 1260
Birch (Yellow) 1260
Birch Burl 1260
Flame Birch 1260
Angelique 1290
Curly Oak 1290
Quarter Sawn Red Oak 1290
Red Oak 1290
Red Oak (Northern) 1290
Spalted Oak 1290
Figured Makore 1294
American Beech 1300
Ash (White) 1320
Black Ash 1320
Curly White Ash 1320
Swamp Ash 1320
White Ash 1320
Quarter Sawn White Oak 1335
Ribbon Gum 1349
Agathis 1350
Ebiara 1350
Tasmanian Oak 1350
English Brown Oak 1360
White Oak 1360
Australian Cypress 1375
Natural Bamboo 1380
Coffee Bean 1390
Mayan Walnut 1400
Quilted Sapele 1439
Tulipwood 1441
Bark Pocket Maple 1450
Birdseye Maple 1450
Curly Maple (Hard Maple) 1450
Hard Maple 1450
Hard Maple Burl 1450
Quarter Sawn Maple 1450
Rift Sawn Hard Maple 1450
Spalted Maple 1450
Brazilian Oak 1460
Madrone Burl 1460
Birch (Sweet) 1470
Curupixa 1490
Brazilian Maple 1500
Sapele 1500
Kambala 1540
Nicaraguan Rosewood 1540
Honey Locust 1548
Peroba 1557
Afromosia 1560
Timborana 1570
Black Palm 1600
Red Palm 1600
Tualang 1624
Wenge 1630
Figured Zebrawood 1658
Zebrawood 1658
Highland Beech 1686
African Blackwood 1700
Locust 1700
Kempas 1710
Merbau 1712
Angelim 1720
Blackwood 1720
African Pedauk 1725
Apple 1730
Angelin 1750
Benge 1750
Black & White Ebony 1780E. Indian Rosewood 1780
Honduras Rosewood 1780
Honduras Rosewood Burl 1780
Rosewood 1780
Bangkirai 1798
Afzelia 1810
Afzelia Burl 1810
Doussie 1810
Hickory 1820
Pecan 1820
Satinwood 1820
Goncalo Alves 1850
Tigerwood 1850
Jarrah Burl 1860
Yellowheart 1878
Jarrah 1910
Amendoin 1912
Tallowwood 1933
Cameron 1940
Bubinga 1980
Canarywood 2000
Sydney Blue Gum 2023
Ash (Blue) 2030
Kari 2030
Moabi 2050
South American Pearwood 2100
Brushbox 2135
Sucupira 2140
Amboyna Burl 2170
Curly Narra 2170
Pradoo 2170
Bocote 2200
Cabreuva 2200
Chechen 2200
Santos Mahogany 2200
Ziricote 2200
Padauk 2219
Tatajuba 2220
Cocobolo 2250
Cochen Rosewood 2260
Tornillo 2299
Spalted Tamarind 2318
Mesquite 2345
Jatoba 2350
Bolivian Rosewood 2400
Osage Orange (Argentine) 2400
Granadillo 2450
Spotted Gum 2473
Brown Mallee Burl 2490
Red Mallee Burl 2490
Figured Purpleheart 2520
Purpleheart 2520
Marblewood 2532
Amazon Rosewood 2620
Figured Bubinga 2628
Quilted Bubinga 2628
Red Mahogany 2697
Turpentine 2697
Olivewood 2740
Osage Orange (USA) 2760
Bloodwood 2900
Yellow Box Burl 2920
Boxwood 2940
Mopani 2940
Tamboti 2940
Angelim Pedra 3040
Brazilian Redwood 3190
Paraju 3190
Tiete Rosewood 3200
Ebony 3220Gaboon Ebony 3220Indian Ebony 3220Macassar Ebony 3220Mun Ebony 3220Camatillo 3340
Kingwood 3340
Azobe 3350
Grey Box Burl 3370
Cumaru 3540
Figured Katalox 3620
Katalox 3620
Ipe 3680
Brazilian Ebony 3690Red Coolibah Burl 3730
Snakewood 3800
Brown Ebony 3860Lignum Vitae (Argentine) 4000
Lignum Vitae (Genuine) 4400
We can be exact here. Ceylon Ebony is what is most used today in chess sets. Since Gaboon is endangered.
Gaboon Ebony
Janka Hardness: 3,080 lbf (13,700 N)
Common Boxwood.
Janka Hardness: 2,940 lbf (13,080 N)
Ceylon Ebony.
Janka Hardness: 2,430 lbf (10,790 N)
Yes of coarse...yet "Ceylon Ebony" is even softer than Boxwood which wouldn't crack because of this. So, that means the harder Ebony's are cracking and not the softer ones and most other Ebony used in chess pieces are the same hardness (3220). I am only making the point that all ebony's will crack if the environment is not suitable for the wood. Doesn't matter if it is Gaboon or not, the environment is the factor of this cracking discussion. (my opinion..!)
The environment is the factor of this cracking discussion. Good point Ninecastles how is LeChevalier79 looking after his sets + where in the US of A is he ? . Mind you in his case would be looking at how to repair them ? 
Well it does seem there's lots to debate as to whether genuine ebony is worth the premium. I took this question to mean ... Is it worth it over ebonized boxwood (painted, stained, chemically blackened) or over other woods. Also noted was the direct reference of cracking and the required maintenance, which has led to most of this debate.
One thing is for sure...there has been a lot of theoretical discussion, and even more theories not yet mentioned. Some recent arguments appear to make a case against buying ebony, that being, the current supply of ebony is (in some aspects) inferior to older ebony, and even boxwood. Another debate is whether or not you will actually receive 'genuine' ebony, or a mystery 'ebony', or ebony at all (i.e. African Blackwood). Also questionable is whether it has been stained black by the maker (though not questionable that it's fairly common practice). And then, all woods can crack, and yet not all do.
No matter what the theoretical assertion, there will always be exceptions, and variations. For example (unrelated), It can be said that "Men are physically stronger than women" (please take no offense) and most agree. Yet it's also true that not all men are stronger than all women, and also, a lot of women are stronger than a lot of men. And less emphasized... a weaker woman today can become a stronger woman in the future with physical training, and put men to shame. So along this same vein... a lot of folks believe that ebony is more prone to cracking than boxwood and other woods. But this doesn't mean always, nor without exceptions.
I'm sure the belief that ebony is prone to cracking stems (more so) from empirical evidence, rather than theoretical discussions. With ebony pieces cracking in multiple sets stored in the same location, this is a good example of empirical evidence without theory. No cracks in multiple sets in another location...this doesn't dispute that evidence.
I guess further discussion could venture into: wood curing, coatings for moisture stabilization, elastic modulus, rupture modulus, thermal expansion coefficient, perpendicular grain expansion vs. parallel grain expansion, extreme limits of heat or humidity, water content, % shrinkage, corrosive impact, or maybe even climate change on trees.
Yeah it might be interesting to discuss more of these theories, but the empirical observations are good enough for me.
Ceylon Ebony is what is used today and in the last two decades. So if you bought and are showing pictures of cracked ebony of recent chess sets manufactured in India. And it is black ebony....It will most likely be Ceylon Ebony.
I do not know of anyone that sells newer chess set in Gaboon Ebony. If you know of one please post. I will buy it.....
What type of ebony do the modern Jaques of London sets use? They're quite pricey and they claim they are made in the UK, not India.
And as an ebony connoisseur, what's your opinion of that Henry Le set that I linked up above? It's made in Vietnam, I believe, and the wood grain in the pictures is more noticeable than the Indian-made sets I own.
It is my understanding the JOL sets are made in India. So my guess would be Ceylon Ebony is used in the chess sets.
But you could contact them and ask.
And the other set is most likely Ceylon ebony. They are using a lower grade ebony. Meaning not mostly black.
On the Jaques website, for their luxury chess pieces, they say:
"This Chess set is made in the UK to order so currently has a lead time of up to 2 weeks for delivery."
See, for example, here (there's a yellow textbox with that made in the UK text):
https://www.jaqueslondon.co.uk/products/chess-set-1854-edition-4-in-mahogany-box
Of course, these are mostly reproductions of their original sets, so if I'm going to fork over four figures for one of their sets, maybe it's better to track down the vintage/originals.
But the fact that they claim these are made in the UK and the price point is so high does make me wonder.
See, for example, here (there's a yellow textbox with that made in the UK text):
https://www.jaqueslondon.co.uk/products/chess-set-1854-edition-4-in-mahogany-box
Of course, these are mostly reproductions of their original sets, so if I'm going to fork over four figures for one of their sets, maybe it's better to track down the vintage/originals.
That set looks OK apart from the knights - they don't look much like the 1854 knights to me. In fact they don't look much like the knights from any vintage Jaques set that I've seen. I'm prepared to believe they are made in the UK - perhaps they've relocated a couple of blokes from Amritsar to the UK to knock these out.
This is pure speculation on my part of course - I may be talking out of my A.
Ebony is well worth the price. And is the only black chess sets I own in wood. And I have owned Ebony Chess sets for decades. And I have never personally had one crack.
I find it a waste of money to buy ebonized wood. And the price difference is not that great for having a wood chess set I will keep forever.
All the black wood chess sets in the photos are Ebony. And all the chess sets are natural wood colors. No stains, No paint, and Definitely no ebonizing....
wow that room is kind of ridiculous
We can be exact here. Ceylon Ebony is what is most used today in chess sets. Since Gaboon is endangered.
Gaboon Ebony
Janka Hardness: 3,080 lbf (13,700 N)
Common Boxwood.
Janka Hardness: 2,940 lbf (13,080 N)
Ceylon Ebony.
Janka Hardness: 2,430 lbf (10,790 N)
I've learned something today. I was not aware that Ceylon Ebony is what is used for modern sets. I'm amazed that Ceylon ebony (or indeed any type of ebony) is softer than boxwood, but the figures don't lie.
(Interesting trivia - balsa wood, the really light stuff we made model airplanes from as children) is classed as a "hardwood" - https://www.kew.org/plants/balsa-tree)
My experience is with older sets, usually before 1920 or so. But I do have one set from about 2000, so I guess that is likely to be Ceylon Ebony. It does seem slightly different to the older sets, but I thought that was just due to the finish.
wow that room is kind of ridiculous
That's your opinion. I think any room that isn't completely plastered in chess stuff is ridiculous.
wow that room is kind of ridiculous
That's your opinion. I think any room that isn't completely plastered in chess stuff is ridiculous.
I mean that I would absolutly love to have that room but could never ever afford it lol
On new chess sets using ebony - I appreciated the honesty of a reply that I received from RCM on a lovely set I purchased not so long ago. See the comment from RCM here: https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/edinburgh-northern-upright-royal-chess-mall#comment-99445537
It’s only one manufacturer and one set as an example but interesting that they are staining for homogeneity. They do supply with its natural variation too. 👍
You can buy Gaboon ebony on eBay, for example:
What do you think - is this the real thing?
If you can not detect any grain, and it is heavier then your Boxwood pieces. It could be Gaboon....
Good quality Gaboon looks like a hard black plastic....
Funnily enough, when I first got this set I thought the black pieces were plastic. It took me some time to convince myself I hadn't been ripped off. That was the first time I'd seen ebony chessmen close up. I suspect they've been darkened though. They look much like the pics you posted earlier.
Old sets look and feel different, possibly because they're usually finished in French Polish. I don't know what they use on modern sets.
To add to the discussion: here is the king of what I consider a Chessbazaar Steinitz (1865-1870) "reproduction", that just arrived.
Compared to the ebony of my Fischer-Spassky Reproduction (last picture), I could hardly see any grain on most of the black pieces. First, I also thought that maybe they are ebonized, but a then I finally noticed some grain under different lighting (LED etc.). The black king isn´t that much heavier than the white king (82g vs. 71g) and since I don´t know, how they are differently weighted and also considering the weight of the rest of the pieces, which is basically just a little bit (if at all) heavier than the boxwood pieces, I strongly assume that some of the pieces are also dyed.
That being said, I don´t really mind, because it is still natural ebony and personally, unless an original set that I wanted to buy a reproduction from wasn´t ebonized as well, I would ALWAYS buy ebony sets. They simply feel better in my opinion and I prefer how they come out after polishing. But I also prefer to have some degree of grain visible.
I'm guessing the D stands for "dumb"
Not my mother language, therefore just my two cents: A. would maybe stand for A$$?