Some of these large folding sets can have a light, cheap feel to them, but that is not my experience here. The hinges and clasps (the parts that usually break first) feel solid enough for regular home use. The wood is smooth and solid-feeling. The board folds and unfolds nice and flush. I have experienced no lacquer odor.
The pieces themselves have a decent enough weight and are easily distinguishable from one another. The designs are also quite beautiful. You can tell the pieces are handmade because there are small visible differences among them. One of the black bishops is significantly thicker up top than the rest we call him "fat head.” It doesn’t detract from the game at all – it’s just a funny quirk that I actually like. There is also a slight difference in glossiness among the pieces as though some got slightly less lacquer than the rest. It’s a non-issue for me, but I could see someone pickier than me letting that bother them.
The green bit on the inside that holds the pieces fits them well (even fat head), but it is thin plastic covered in thin felt. It works fine for me, but I could see it being cracked if you push a little too hard getting the pieces back in Mine arrived with no condition issues. I took a sharpie and wrote letters in the spaces to remind me with which pieces go where to avoid any “forcing” issues.
Big and bold, it dominates a tabletop. Someone mentioned color missing from the enumeration of the spaces, and I think I see what they are describing. For example, the “E” is slightly lighter on the bottom than the top. It doesn’t detract at all from the readability of the letters/numbers but it is there on a couple of them. Again, I’m fine with it.
While imperfect, this board has character and quality enough for me. If you’re looking for perfect and polished, this one may not be for you; but it is a beautiful budget board I am happy to show off.
