The silicone chess tokens are brilliant.
They are more substantial than I expected. As one reviewer put it, they are "lighter weight but not light weight." The finish exceeded my expectations: yes, there are visible seams and some minor flash from the molding process but nothing of any consequence. The king and queen stand shoulder to shoulder (a nice egalitarian touch), he is taller than her by the cross on his crown, she is matronly while he is gaunt (king and queen Sprat), and they are easily distinguished on the board. Unlike a nice set of triple-weighted plastics i have, he doesn't tower over her like a church steeple over a gravedigger, and sleeve cuffs aren't always pulling his majesty off the board.
In use is where these tokens really shine.
I'm an old man with arthritis and neurological issues. These are easy to hold on to, and I don't have to freak when an involuntary tremor sends them tumbling. The absence of a felt bottom makes them easy to clean after the inevitable coffee spills, and the silicone is warm - almost flesh-like - in the hand. On the tile squares on the park tables, they'll stand up to more wind than i will. They are too proud and determined for the tentative slide.
Ordering was easy, shipping fast, and the staff's conduct exemplary.
With the cost of shipping, they were too expensive, but i say that about everything. They were worth every penny, and i don't say that very often.
