If you are looking for a starter wood chess set, this is your safest bet. This is probably the safest buy in any chess shop. The pieces are cheap, so you won't sweat if you take them to the chess club. The pieces are made of hornbeam and are very sturdy. I've even dropped these pieces on the tile floor in my basement and they haven't broken or chipped so far. Hornbeam seems to be at least as tough as Rosewood. I've bought this particular set probably a dozen times over the years from various sellers, and have never encountered a piece with a major defect. I've never received one of these pieces with a bulging weight that prevented the piece from sitting flat on the chessboard. I've never received one of these pieces with a loose or rattling weight. They are lightly weighted. You can check with a strong magnet. I've never received one of these pieces with a big, ugly crack in the base. That doesn't mean they're perfect.
You may encounter minor cosmetic issues. The most common is the "bald black bishop." The black pieces are sprayed with a brown stain while hanging upside down on a line. About every sixth or seventh black bishop has all the stain drip off the very top of the piece thus creating the "bald black bishop." The brown stain on all of these sets is rather uneven. You may occasionally encounter a small spot where the stain all drained off. I've seen this on an occasional knight. Overall, these cosmetic issues are very minor especially given the price range. I'd just let the minor cosmetic issues go because of the price range, but you can always ask for a replacement piece.
Be careful who you buy this set from: there does exist a Chinese knockoff of this set. Buy this set from a retailer you trust.
