Repairing wooden chess pieces

[tonyr300]

I have a complete set of Staunton Chessmen, 100 years or so old and perhaps quite valuable (the kings are 3 1/2 inches tall). They are in generally excellent condition but three pieces need repairs: (1) the white king is missing the crown on the top; (2) (3) both black bishops are missing the spheres (about 3/16 inches in diameter) at their tops.

I would like to find someone who, as a business or otherwise, could repair these pieces for me. Would anyone interested in doing this please be in touch with me through this Forum or directly at tonyr300@yahoo.com


tonyr300

[carver33]

I'd be very careful about having the pieces repaired - quite often, repairs will actually lessen the value of antiques. If I were you, I'd talk to an antique dealer or other expert before doing anything.

[Jim Arnold]

Like Bill said...if you 'repair' them, you'll damage their value. I wouldn't do it. Do you have the box that the pieces came with? If so, you have the set #, and most likely the year they were made as well (should be listed on the certificate glued to the inside of the box top), that's all you need to keep the present value intact. In the very oldest Staunton versions, the 'knops' (those little spheres on top of the bishops) were sliced in half when cutting the mitres, it was a very cool look, but made the knops even more fragile, do you other bishops have full round knops? Get some good pics together of your set and talk to Alan Ferscht. He is THE leading authority on your set, I'd talk with him first before I did anything. You can find him in the ebay group Chess Collector's. He also has a picassa account where you can reach him. Some of the Staunton sets made around 1900 are more valuable then the ones made in the 1860s and 70s.

Can you post some pics of the damaged pieces and one of your knights?
Thanks!
Jim

[Gulf Coast Handyman]

welcome to the forum.

Dave