English Chess Forum

My club has 8 identical wooden sets of pieces. Each set came in a simple cardboard box, robust enough for posting once; however, not robust enough for emptying and refilling many times. We need new boxes that are fairly tough, easy to close and have some internal padding. Any ideas?

We have lots of plastic sets that we store in plastic "lunch box" containers, but they wouldn't be protective enough for our wooden sets, I think. Moreover, many players don't take care to close the lunch boxes properly.

So, how do other clubs store their wooden pieces?

Old style wooden sets came in old style wooden boxes, a shame if that is no longer the case.

It might be worth enquiring at places like Home Bargains, B & M Bargains, Poundstretcher or The Works.
Or even the Middle Aisles of Aldi and Lidl.
At Cleveleys Juniors we have wooden boxes with a sliding lid for plastic pieces. Sometimes we have an issue where the lid decapitates the King's head.

My wooden set came in a wooden box. Box was too small; the pieces had to be packed in a certain order, which I became expert at.

To save the hassle, I now have the board permanently set up. Not even sure where the box is.

Simon Rogers wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 18, 2022 7:16 pm

It might be worth enquiring at places like Home Bargains, B & M Bargains, Poundstretcher or The Works.
Or even the Middle Aisles of Aldi and Lidl.
At Cleveleys Juniors we have wooden boxes with a sliding lid for plastic pieces. Sometimes we have an issue where the lid decapitates the King's head.

Hobbycraft is another possibility

Like these from Chess & Bridge?

https://chess.co.uk/collections/chess-boxes

As anyone who has played at DHSS knows, we have fifteen wooden boards, pieces and boxes, which we bought as combination sets at a very decent price. One point, the rooks have to be stood up in the box because if they're crushed their turrets can get knocked-off. So much so that I've become obsessive about putting the pieces back correctly!

At Poulton-le-Fylde, we have plastic boards and pieces. There seems to be an issue of the board fraying and becoming brittle in the middle.
The pieces get mixed up and we have sets with different size pawns. The felt also drops off the base of pieces.

I once spent almost an entire evening sorting out the contents of the equipment cupboard at our north London club (this was in the mid-70s, when membership - and set - numbers were about the highest they'd ever been, or ever would be again). IIRC there were enough containers, but the "sets" became increasingly mixed and incomplete as I worked on. It was hard to believe the number of odd pawns I came across that were in a different style to any of the others, also separate knight bases that clearly didn't go with any of the loose heads. At least everything was of the Staunton pattern.

I had no idea that empty wooden chess box were so expensive.
Ebay have a selection of wooden boxes that could easily double as chess piece boxes.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271029091596 ... 0105264229

That link was just one of many. That one mentions; 'Buy more and save with our bulk packs!'

"The felt also drops off the base of pieces."

I still have and occasionally use the wooden set I was given for Christmas in 1961.
If you removed the thin wooden separator that goes inside in the middle of the box then the pieces fit better.

I've had to re-felt my pieces on numerous occasions. You can buy thin self adhesive felt from most haberdasheries.
Simply press the piece on the sticky side and trim it with a pair of scissors (this is where Blue Peter would tell you
to make sure an adult helps you with this.).

Not long ago I picked up a lovely looking standard size plastic set but the pieces were hollow.
So I stuffed each piece with plasticine, then a 2p piece and covered it with thin light blue felt.
(make sure you get thinnest felt, too thick and the pieces will wobble.)

----

The loose 2p pieces I got from the family revenge against the machines box.
(this is true, it's wee things like this that keep me happy)

I used one of those wretched machines to pay for something at Sainburys. It gave me 21p change in copper.
So Next day I went back with £2.50 in pennies and fed it straight back in the very same machine.
(I actually waited till it was free! )

It took a while and but every coin was gleefully accompanied with a 'take that and take that.'
Now we all put our dross in the 'revenge' box and when it's close to full I use it on an unsuspecting machine.
(and the poor soul who uses that machine next...they will get a pile of shrapnel in their change, this also cheers me up.)