Chess Woods Guide Archives - chessbazaar Blog

Before 1989, the majority of the chess sets were made of Ivory.

A little bit about Ivory…

Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally elephants’) which is prized for its beauty, durability, and suitability for carving.

The population of African elephants declined from 1.35 million to 750,000. Looking at the humongous decline, the CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) took a land sliding decision to ban international trade in African elephant ivory.

With heavy restrictions imposed on the use of Ivory, Craftsmen bear the toll, as the business was too big to be closed, the businesses decided to move from Ivory to Wood. Hence use of wood in hand-crafted products became the new norm. Like every other hand-crafted item chessmen were starting to be manufactured in wood. Use of wood increased three folds.

Now Unlike Ivory, Woods for chess boards are much more diverse than those for pieces. There are so many types of wood used for chess boards and sets that we won’t be able to list every single one here.

Now you must be wondering does the variety of wood used to make Chess pieces really matter.

Yes, it does. It depends on the finish, durability and flexibility feature of the particular wood.

Types of Wood:

1. Sheesham Wood

Common Names: Sissoo, Sheesham
Scientific Name: Dalbergia sissoo
Distribution: Primarily northern India, Nepal, and Pakistan, as well as Western Asia; also grown on plantations
Heartwood ranges from golden brown to a darker reddish brown.
Sheesham has good decay resistance and is rated as durable to very durable.

Sheesham wood, aka Indian Rosewood, is produced from a deciduous tree which is native to the Middle East. This type of wood neither warps nor splits. Sheesham’s texture has natural grain and marking with chestnut color.

Due to high water percentage, it has a higher flexibility; it’s also very cost-effective which makes it a favourite of chess set makers. Sheesham and Rosewood are very popular among the craftsmen because there are fewer chances of cracking and breakage than ebony and sandalwood. Sheesham wood is strong and beautiful for woodworking.

Mostly it’s distinguished for its wood grains and its double colour tone of light and dark yellow/brown. Another reason why it is popular among craftsmen is that it’s cheap and easily available. Did you know: It is capable of withstanding average annual rainfall of up to 2,100 millimetres and droughts of 2-4 months.

Some of the Sheehsam products available at chessbazaar:

a) Combo of Vintage 1950’s Circa Bohemia Chess Set in Sheesham & Box Wood & Walnut Maple Wooden Chess Board with Notation – 3.89″ King

2. Ebony Wood

Common names: Ceylon Ebony, East Indian Ebony
Scientific Name: Diospyros ebenum
Distribution: Southeast Asia

Ebony is a jet black, sometimes with grey or dark brown streaks, the very best quality ebony looks like black plastic. Common uses involve Inlay, carving, musical instrument parts (piano keys, bridges, nuts, etc.), and turned objects.

Ebony is a luxurious wood, often called as the black wood. The natural state is dark brown but a chemical process can make it jet black.

Did you know: Ebony is used by Gibson Guitars for the fingerboards of some fine and classy guitars. Chess makers revere this wood for making luxurious chess sets.

More to Read: Why I collect chess sets, by John Lawson

Some products in Ebony at chessbazaar:

3. Boxwood

Common names: Boxwood, Common Box, European Box
Scientific Name: Buxus sempervirens
Distribution: Europe, northwest Africa, and southwest Asia

In color Boxwood tends to be a light cream to yellow, which tends to darken slightly with prolonged exposure to light. It is a light coloured wood that is used to make chess pieces and squares on chess boards. It is seldom used to make whole chessboards however Boxwood tends to be somewhat difficult to work in flat dimensions, though it is superbly suited for turning.

Commonly used for carving and turning, and the tree’s minute size halts it to smaller projects. Most common uses are chess pieces, musical instruments (flutes, woodwinds, etc.), rulers, , turned objects, and other specially made small items. It is a dense wood that is robust and ages nicely.

Honest chess set traders refer to this as ebonized boxwood, less honest ones will sell them as ebony pieces.

Some products in Boxwood at chessbazaar:

a) Special Edition Reproduced Vintage 1950’s Circa Bohemia Staunton Series German Chess Set in Stained Crimson Boxwood – 3.89″ King

4. Ebonized(Dyed) Boxwood

In simple words, Ebonised Boxwood is a stained version of Boxwood. It is commonly used to make chess pieces, the black side obviously; a very convincing attempt at producing an Ebony effect.

It’s cheaper than Ebony and is perfect for black chess pieces.

Regular boxwood is light in color and usually used for the white pieces. It’s ebonized for use as black pieces.

Some products in Boxwood at chessbazaar:

a) The Bridle Series Chess Pieces in Ebonized Boxwood & Natural Boxwood – 4.0″ King

b) Combo of 1972 Reproduced Fischer-Spassky Staunton Pattern Chess Set V2.0 in Ebonized Boxwood & Natural Boxwood – 3.75″ King

5. Indian Rosewood

Common names: East Indian Rosewood, Indian Rosewood, sonokeling
Scientific Name: Dalbergia latifolia
Distribution: India, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia

East Indian Rosewood has been used for acoustic guitars since the mid-1960s as a substitute for the now-endangered Brazilian Rosewood.

Rosewood like ebony is also considered as a luxury wood. Different variants of this wood comes from different parts it harvested from. It has a reddish tinge, this wood is dense yet not too hard, which makes it perfect for beautiful fingerboards on the guitars.

It is also used in the production of medium to high-end chess pieces, boards & folding sets.

Did you know: Rosewood was used by Fender guitars for their fingerboards from about 1959 onwards and rosewood was always considered a cheaper alternative to Ebony.

More to Read: Types of Chess Games

Some products in Boxwood at chessbazaar:

a) Wooden Chess Board Dark Brown Rose Wood 21″ – 55 mm

b) The New Columbian Staunton Series Chess Pieces in Rose Wood & Boxwood – 3.8″ King

c) Collectable Smoking pipe Rose Wood briar pipe Hookah 5-in-1.

6) Bud Rosewood aka Padauk Wood

Simply put, Bud Rosewood is wood that has been sourced from the base of the Rosewood tree. Quality-wise it leaves behind the normal Rosewood. Bud-Rosewood is used to make high-quality, high-end chess pieces and sets.

Some products in Boxwood at chessbazaar:

a) The Admiral Series II Staunton Chess Pieces in Bud Rosewood & Box Wood – 4.5″ King

b) Combo of Apache Series Luxury Chess Pieces in Bud Rose / Box Wood with Bud Rosewood Chessboard – 4.5″ King

7) Rubber wood

Common Name(s): Rubberwood, Plantation Hardwood, Para Rubbertree
Scientific Name: Hevea brasiliensis
Distribution: Basically from Brazil, but broadly cultivated in tropical regions, especially in Asia.
Rubber wood is naturally a light blonde to medium tan colour, sometimes with medium brown streaks, a wood used extensively in China for the production of wooden toys and games. Rubberwood is perishable, and has very little resistance to decay.

Ease of use with both hand and machine tools. Rubberwood tends to warp and twist in drying.

8) Maple Wood

Scientific Name: Acer
Distribution: There are approximately 128 species, most are native to Asia, with a presence also in Europe, northern Africa, and North America.

Maple is a fairly dense and heavy wood. Used to produced musical instruments & chess pieces & sets.
Types: Hard Maple & Soft Maple

Hard Maple: refers to one specific type of maple species i.e. Acer saccharum. It is also known as rock maple or sugar maple, (this is the same tree which is tapped to get maple syrup).

Soft Maple: refer to any specific species of maple, but rather, it’s a broad term which includes various species of maple. The term “soft maple” is just used to disassociate these species from hard maple.

Some products in Maple wood at chessbazaar:

a) Walnut Maple Wooden Chessboard Matte Finish 15″ – 45 mm

b) Combo of Vintage 1950’s Circa Bohemia Chess Set in Sheesham & Box Wood & Walnut Maple Wooden Chess Board with Notation – 3.89″ King

9) Pine Wood

Scientific name: Pinus
Distribution: Much of North America, China, South-East Asia, Russia and Europe

Pine wood is widely used in high-value carpentry items such as furniture, window frames, panelling, floors, and roofing, and the resin of some species is an important source of turpentine.
Pines are naturally found almost exclusively in the Northern Hemisphere. They are and have one of the largest distributions of any conifer family.

In regard to chess sets Try to avoid this wood unless you are looking for a very light weight and budget chess set.

Conclusion: According to Botanical Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) there are 60,065 species of trees around the world. BGCI compiled the tree list by using data gathered from its network of 500 member organisations.

Link to research: https://bbc.in/2p1GOZ6

As there are many more types of wood available in different parts of the world with various features, for chess making above described woods are most commonly used.

A manufacturer takes into consideration various factors before choosing the wood like availability, type of wood, Hardness and softness of wood , cost factors etc.

Read More: Skills to Master Through Chess

Sheesham wood

Sheesham wood is the most popular Indian wood across the globe known for its durability, natural rich grains, and longevity. The heartwood of sheesham ranges from golden brown to a darker reddish brown .Being hard wood, it copes with the stresses and strains of everyday use. Sheesham has a straight grain though it can be interlocked and wood has a good natural luster.The solid wood has natural grains which varies from piece to piece, thus making each and every chess piece unique. Wood comes directly from the source, treated for termite-resistance, seasoned and put to use to make awesome chess sets which lasts and just lasts with all its grace and lusture.

Boxwood

Boxwood has a fine, even texture with a natural luster. Color of the boxwood tends to be a light cream to yellow, which tends to darken slightly with prolonged exposure to light. The grain tends to be straight or slightly irregular. It is superbly suited for turning. Boxwood is also easily available and hence the chess pieces made from boxwood are cheaper than other woods. But the beautifully carved chess pieces look as attractive as the expensive woods.

Ebonized boxwood

Boxwood is sometimes substituted for Ebony because it is much easier to find and is available at reasonable prices. Regular boxwood is light in color and usually used for the white pieces and it is ebonized for use as black pieces because it’s cheaper than real ebony. At www.chessbazaar.com you can find number of reasonable chess sets made from ebonized boxwood, that are very much like the real ebony chess pieces.

Ebony wood

Ebony is a dense black wood. Black Ebony is one of the most valuable and expensive types of wood in the world. Black Ebony is prized for the black color of its wood that grows denser and blacker the older the tree. Heartwood is usually jet-black, with little to no variation or visible grain. It has fine even texture with very high natural luster. It is finely-textured and has a very smooth finish when polished, making ebony a valuable beautiful chess wood.

Rosewood

Rosewood is a classic wood, also known as Indian Rosewood. The wood of these trees is prized and in high demand throughout the world due to its excellent qualities of having a long straight bore, its strength, remarkable coloration and its high density, which makes it another luxury chess wood with ebony. Very hard and has a dark reddish brown color. Rosewoods also exhibit very dark streaks along their growth rings, creating striking patterns. The wood is also extremely resistant to rot and water damage. It is hard to work with rosewood and takes high polish, but after all the difficulties, chess sets and chess boards made from rosewood are grand feast for the eyes.

Bud rosewood

Bud rosewood is again a type of rosewood. Its source is rosewood but the quality of the bud rosewood is much higher than the ordinary rosewood. Rosewood is reddish brown in color but bud rosewood is more on reddish tone. The very superior quality wood makes it an expensive and luxury chess wood.

Palisander wood

Palisander wood is a part of rosewood family. Palisander wood has a great beauty and high value. The wood has dense close grains and the tone is slightly lighter than the Indian Rosewood. The wood comes in various tones and the rate of the chess sets and board depend upon the quality of these tones.

Walnut

Walnut is strong, hard and durable, without being excessively heavy. It has excellent woodworking qualities, and takes finishes well. The wood is light to dark chocolate brown in color and is straight-grained. Wavy grain is present toward the roots, and walnut stumps are often dug out and widely used as a source of highly figured veneer chess boards.

Ash Burl

Burl ash wood is generally darker than regular ash and is noted for its rich pattern of swirls, twists and turns. The abnormality of burl, combined with the availability of ash, make this wood especially popular among chess board manufacturers. The wayward grains of burl ash wood give it a unique beauty that is fitting for the world’s most exquisite decor. Ash burl is widely used for structural frames and highly durable and even veneer chess boards are made out of it.

Maple

Maple is a pale cream color when first cut, but will darken to light yellow or pale reddish brown with exposure to sunlight. Maple is easy to cut and shape, and sands to a smooth, even surface. Maple may be common, but it can look uncommonly beautiful when treated correctly. Maple is hard and resistant. Its diffused evenly sized pores give the wood a fine texture and even grain. With these qualities Maple is extensively used for making very durable and quality veneer chess boards.

Chessbazaar.com offers a largest variety of chess sets and chess boards at the most reasonable prices made from these high quality and exclusive woods available in the world.