It’s not your usual chess set, but if you like your tabletop games with a more industrial flair, then a standard $30 set from Walmart probably won’t leave you satisfied. Instead, you’ll want something with the rustic character of this Blacksmith Chess Set.
Made by the blacksmiths at Echo Hill Forge, the chess set comes with hefty metal pieces, each of which come in shapes that don’t exactly resemble traditional game pieces. Don’t worry, they’re easy enough to identify that you’ll probably get used to them after a couple of games, plus that same non-traditional look does give it the industrial vibe that really sets it apart.
Each piece in the Blacksmith Chess Set is hand-forged from a square slab of three-quarters-inch solid steel, so this is very substantial. While it looks different than traditional chess pieces, each one is around the same height, with the pawns standing at 1.75 inches, the king towering over the board at 3.75 inches, the queen just slightly below it at 3.25 inches, and the rest at 2.5 inches. Do note, it doesn’t come with a board, so you’ll have to rustle up your own to get playing.
Like regular chess pieces, 16 of the pieces come in black and the other 16 come in brass, with two extra queens thrown in for those times a pawn gets a well-deserved promotion. Of course, you can play it on any board, although it will look so much better if you can pick up a matching rustic metal chessboard to do these things proper justice.
Available now, the Blacksmith Chess Set is priced at $475.