Travel Sets

Travel Sets are often invariably pegged sets - or magnetic sets, which usually are not very old. But some small "normal" sets also fall into this category, as well as wallet sets for correspondence analysis...

Nepali trinkets

Rough little pieces (kings stands 23 mm high!), obviously made via lost wax foundry unpolished and painted. This seems to be a prime example of handicraft from Nepal or adjoining areas - but the folding box is a little marvel, containing the pieces inside with a pushbar lock keeping them safe. Cute travel set, and nice souvenir - not very old, but certainly not contemporary....?

Aachen pegs

For contrast to the set listed below, let's look at this this very small (8 x 8 cms) set - the pieces are complete pegs, the pegholes are bored into the solid block board. Made by a german company named "Aachen Design" - and offered in some versions by Mercedes Benz as a promotion present.

Metal pegs

Travel peg sets with metal pieces are not the rule - in general metal and wood do not mix well. The pegholes might wear out after extensive use, On the other hand, the pegs will last! these pieces are vaguely reminiscent of modern designs like the Herman Ohme set, are made in light aluminum, and are quite serviceable.

Yellow dwarf

Travel set in a molded carton tray, squat and tactile lacquered pieces in wood, similar as the bakelite pocket set in the travel section. But what makes the set most interesting , is the almost iillegible name "Au Nain Jaune" - a prestigious Paris games house during most of the 20th century and possibly before! Nain Jaune - yellow dwarf - is also a card game still practiced today which dates from the 19th century! Certain types of galactic stars emitting rays are also claled "yellow dwarf" in astronomy!

Austrian Runts

Puny chessmen in boxwood - kings stand a mere 46 mm! - still in a quit novel stile. Difficult to date, but probably mid 19th C. All pieces are slight different from their opposites - certainly made by hand, as a travel set.

Folding Travel Set

Folding Travel Set, with the board supported on metal wires - shd allow the game to be interrupted, folding the board without loss of position. Kings , queens and hishops are the same pieces, only distinguished by dabs of paint on top - white and black for bishops, red and golden for queens and kings . "Made in Romania", most likely pre-WW2.

Bakelite Travel Set

Travel set with fat and squat bakelite pieces in excellent condition - and a second tray holds draughts stones. An earlier owner - we never own things totally, just hold 'em for a while... - has applied a new skin of flowery wallpaper to the probably dilapidated brown cardboard original - much improving it! Probably 20ies of the 20th C and France ?

Whittington folding box

English traveling set, totally foldable to enclose the red and white bone pieces. Ingenious!

Leather CC board

Very small vestpocket board, to analise positions with - never to play! Quite old, ca. 19th C.

GDR peg set

Well made Staunton pieces, pegs slide smoothly into the holes in the marquetry board - from the former German Democratic Republic, vulgo East Germany.

Drueke pocket set

Simple and efficient: a wooden block, board printed on one side, holes bored, a cavity in the bottom with a mini-cardboard box for the pieces, the whole thing held together by a solid wrapper. Drueke made these for other brands as well - I have one with Lowe stamped on it - plastic pieces, very tight fit in the rough holes.

Magnetic pills

Made in Japan in superb quality - an airline present by the looks. The very best set to analyse on a plane...

Hongkong Magnetic

Magnetic set with tall pieces - a type often seen and used - a similar set was very popular in the UdSSR.

Rumanian pockets

Perfectly made peg set in Austrian style - but the king's top proclaims - from Romania or Chechoslovakia - 60ies.

Flat disks

Flat disks, still in the original state - carton covered, faded with age, certainly pre-WW2 - from the US, with an accompanying paper brochure.

Massive board with bone pieces

Travel board with a homemade look: massive wooden blocks, with marquetry board of wooden squares inlaid into the block, hollows and rest places for the minute b/w bone pieces. Devilish to open, fine to play with.

Long pegged pieces

Delicately made hollow box, with patent apertures on both sides to house the superbly made chessmen and draughts stones. The pegs are the longest I have ever seen on chess pieces, finely polished and pointed, the holes are centered and also polished - pegs fit fine. The pegs are separate pieces stuck into and glued to the chessmen! Kings with pegs measure 43 mm!. Made in Japan, superbly finished, certainly over 60 years old.

Large Travel box

Well finished and varnished box, with folding lid, board and pieces inside. The measure of this kind of set - the most practical for me - is that pieces can be left standing when closing. well finished pieces, polished and varnished - great! Size of a large college book!

Homemade travel box

Similar concept in a much rougher homemade version - a plywood box, lots of glue, sliding top on the box which will open on its own...

Old bone

Typical english bone travel set, form vaguely between St. George and Regence, a real torture sticking and removing the pieces into the holes.

Old horn

The same thing, a bit diferent. Horn pieces, better finish, lovely folding marquetry box - but still a drag sticking and unsticking the chessmen.

Wooden British

Finely turned wooden version of the above - who made these sets? Boxwood and ebony, warped marquetry on the board. This set is inscribed on the inside felt with the name of a british navy salt who owned it still in 1940....

19th C pegs

Very small cassette set, british style, with small fast boxwood pieces - well used. Strangely enough, the bishops of each side are different! This tiny set is the best pocket set I have ever seen! Pegs fit well into holes, box is massive wood, with a metal hatch.

US Homemade

Small block, carved and finished by an US enthusiast who must have ruined his eyesight in the act! The solid wood block is inlaid with irregular little squares to form the board - a cavity is hollowed out to keep the pieces in , closed with a patent closure! The miinute pieces are HANDWHITTLED, every one of them, not turned. Each piece measures about 10 mm!