Houseofstaunton.com issues.

Just purchased a chess set for my son from HOS after to reading mostly good reviews around the 250$ price point. Is this the quality to be expected? The pictures on there website looked amazing and sold me on the set then upon opening it looks very different. Trying to figure out how to attach photos…

You'll need to use a browser for images but won't be able to attach them until your account his older and has more activity.

Maybe post a link to the set on the HoS site?

There are some great HoS sets in that price range. I’ve got a few. The Camaratta Collection Moscow 1935, the Ukrainian Grandmaster, the Zagreb 59, and the Baku sets are favorites of mine.

I had an issue with a few of the pieces in the Baku set. HoS was very attentive and immediately sent replacements. The quality of design and finish, the feel and weight are consistently among the best I’ve purchased anywhere. Which set did you buy and what are the issues?

I have noticed that older sets bearing the same name as newer sets are not always the same. For example, compare the ‘Petersburg 1914’ knights on Frank Camaratta’s Chess Antiques site with the set by the same name on HoS. Not the same! The dimensions are also slightly different.

I’m curious what the issue with the Baku pieces was. I might want to get the repro at some point.

And which St. Petersburg 1914 is the older one? I’ve noticed several sets where the Chess Antiques variant is superior than the HoS one, even though the description says the former is made by HoS as well. The knights of the St. Petersburg 1914 set on HoS looks quite cartoony, which is a style I’ve come to associate with ChessBazaar. Part of that style are the circular eyes. You can see the same in the three Mechanics Institute sets by HoS. I’m not a fan of that style at all.

The Moscow 1935 set does look quite similar on HoS and Chess Antiques. Maybe the CA knights are more refined, but I’m not quite sure. What a strange set, by the way. I think it’s really beautiful, but it’s puzzling as a Moscow 1915 (Botvinnik–Flohr II) reproduction, as the knights used in that tournament (Capablanca and Menchick knights) look nothing like it, and the kings didn’t have spike finials.

Here is a real BFII with Capablanca knights (from Sergey Kovalenko’s collection I believe):

And here are Menchick knights, from Chuck Grau’s collection:

Despite the Moscow 1935 set making no sense as a repro, I might get it at some point; it’s a beautiful set. I would rather get it from Chess Antiques though, as their variants tend to look more refined; and often are less expensive than the HoS variants as well.

The defects in the Baku included a crooked knight and a couple of cracks. Nothing major and quickly replaced. From time to time there’ll be a lemon with any product -

I share to a degree your taste for Soviet design, however, my personal interest in acquiring a set based on the accuracy of reproduction is close to nil. My pleasure derives from the form and craft of the set itself, regardless of pedigree.

What attracts me generally to Soviet designs is the tall elegant shapes (though like all generalizations, they’re not all that way, e.g. the Shkolnik are stubby - but still attractive). The soaring pieces in the Moscow 1935 are a delight - it is Frank’s design improvisation that I’m enjoying.

The Persinger sets are wild - heavy paperweights. I actually love these for their unique bold design. Playing them tempts one ‘to bowl’! 😁 They require a large board, but wouldn’t work nearly as well aesthetically at a smaller scale.

My concern with the Petersburg set on CA is that you would actually receive the set on HoS. Frank claims that they ‘should be’ the same set…….. I’d purchase Frank’s version, but not the HoS one, so have decided not to move forward. Beyond the knight carving, even the dimensions differ slightly -

I have to say that some of the HoS sets in the original poster’s price range are the ones I enjoy most. A few very expensive sets I’ve acquired provide much less joy and are used only infrequently (not sure why I keep them except maybe because I know I’d have to sell them at a huge loss?). Some exceptions are two HoS Empire sets - I really enjoy these in every way: design, woods, size, weight, craftsmanship…. And a couple of non-Dubrovnik NOJ sets.

But how far we’ve gone astray from the original question!

Start the return or replacement process immediately and don't let them push you around. They are not nearly as reputable as they used to be. All of the sets on their website have good reviews because they delete any reviews that are 3 stars or less, a very shady and dishonest business practice.

The OP hasn't come back with a link to the set or any description of his concerns about the set he received. Not much to go on there. There's been no indication of any "pushing around", either.

As far as not being "nearly as reputable as they used to be", as a long-time, many-repeat-purchases customer that hasn't been my experience at all. And I don't pay much attention to web site reviews anyway as they're all subject to the "bathtub effect" anyway.

@GrandPatzerDave

Share your experience and perspective. But maybe my expectations are just too low. 🤓