Plastic, not fantastic …

Hey all,
Here’s a fun thread (hopefully) but with a slightly serious side because selfishly, I am interested to find out more about this set.
I understand that such sets are low-brow and many in this forum will turn away in horror. Yet, there’s something ok about it. The plastic is heavy duty, quite detailed with very smooth seams - very good. The pieces are led weighted in the base and felted. The box has a hard Perspex cover over felted foam. My research finds names like Camelot and Homas Ivora. Some sites say the sets were made in West Germany or Denmark. There are many ANRI/Lowe sets of Renaissance design but they are not this … so feel free to post your own similar sets and add to the knowledge, if you can. Or ignore because why should anyone spend time on such a cheap folly. 😊

I don't mind plastic sets, as a teenager I played a lot on a far, far uglier plastic set than that.  Yours seems to be really quite well made.  There is another example of yours for sale in Denmark: https://www.dba.dk/skakbrikker-flot-detaljerede/id-1079645380/ 

Really Nice set 

It’s been too long since we chatted Greg, I trust all is ok. Mate - you’re a star - this is exactly what I have … I just put that advertisement into Google Translate and got this:

“Nice and rarely seen complete set of chess pieces in Vintage 1970 Homas Ivora Chess Pieces, Made in Holland. highly detailed and heavy (not ivory) in solid composite material - all with felt underneath. Comes in a red flamingo box with a plastic lid. Sold without chessboard. Heights between 5.5 cm and 10 cm. The price is fixed.”

Plastic. Fantastic! 🤦‍♂️😊

I am intrigued on why Holland would be the place of manufacture. Were they know for manufacturing goods in plastic around this time? Or was it just opportunistic … and a factory was commissioned to produce the sets …but what this design?  There must be a story somewhere there. I’ll keep digging.

Ok, I am done the rabbit hole now - I have found some research …
“The Plastics Revolution
How the Netherlands Became a Global Player in Plastics”
By Harry Lintsen, Marijn Hollestelle and Rick Hölsgens

… and I already see that by the ‘70’s they were a global leader and innovator … perhaps that speaks to the quality.

Another reference:

This set was made around 1970 by Homas Games (of the Netherlands) in a material called ‘Ivora’, a hard plastic that looks a bit like ivory. I think Homas Games stopped production in 1982.

And further, Homas Spelen seems to be the manufacturer and there seems to be a number of sets available on Dutch second-hand sites. Albeit most of those sets seems to be black and white not not dark brown and cream like the one above.

Hey :)

Hello, you seem to have been having fun.  Plastic goods manufacturing happened and happens in lots of countries, so I wouldn't be surprised by them being made in any andvanced economy (the plastic monsters in cornflakes in 1970s Australia were made in Australia for example), but I think that they are a quite European design, the English tend more to armour, trousers or a full length cloak, and swords than than stylised figures with a short robe and an orb.  For some reason the design and the quality makes me think of Playmobil.   

It is similar to the Anri plastic set. You can google it.

The set below is now the subject of a different thread titled: Bakelite Beauty. See that thread for more discussion on the pieces below…

… but I’ll leave the original post here too…. 

Funny - I was so excited by this next post that I must have sworn or used words not allowed on the forum because I got an automated message saying that I had broken site rules and if I repeated the offence, I’d be banned. Please don’t ban me … and if there are any mods reading this - I apologise for whatever I’ve done but please release the blocked post (or allow me to edit it) - I think it’s ok. Anyway… this is what I was exited about! Truly …. Plastic fantastic!! A Bakelite beauty. 😊

that set, no, but the Cecil Purdy booklet looks interesting.   

Ha! Different horses for different courses Greg - I can absolutely appreciate that people may not like the set. No drama there. I really like the pieces and even better - I picked up two Bakelite BHB analog chess clocks recently, and I am stoked because these pieces and the clocks are a treat together. This is one of my favourite local finds.😊

of course, and for me the clocks sound much more interesting.  Your "local" is much more fun than mine, nothing interesting turns up here.  

In this photo the clocks look monotone brown - in different light they are actually mottled - similar to the pieces. These clocks were local - a 20 minutes drive,  the Bakelite pieces - 8 minutes away! Small world!

you can assume a level of jealousy, even though I'd never use one

Imagine it is raining and you take out your jaquelite set..

Lawn bowls in the rain and and for those not so keen on the damp, chess under cover … with Bakelite being the common factor… and of course, the good spirit in which both games are played. 😉

Yes, I agree albeit it is not so easy to find the Anri set with that queen; with the pointed headdress. Many (not all) Anri sets seem to have a queen with a crown like the king wears. 

Imagine the hysteria here if someone sold a bakelite chess set weighted on one side only...

😆… Greg, you know I still blame you for my addiction (why should I take responsibility for my own actions!!🫤😉) It was you - good man - who encouraged me to purchase that chess table - with the barleycorn legs … I still love the refurbished top - one of my favourite things …
Even if I still haven’t got back to the legs!!

Now I find myself with my aspirations well ahead of my skills and I think I can refurbish anything - a few days back, I spent an hr with a great guy - a wholesaler in the hooby industry - as he walked me through the process of shaping epoxy putty!!

… and now I’m woodturning for Pete’s sake! Don’t expect my pieces to be equally weighted or equally shaped … picasso’esque!

Bowls anyone!