I know I know...Finally right. I have had an exceedingly busy/productive summer with work and traveling... with uploading videos....eh... not so much. Well, hopefully it is worth the wait!
Before I go further, let me say that the tools and techniques I will be using in this video ARE NOT being used as a representation of the fastest, most efficient, or the best way to carve a chess knight...
My intention with this video is to present the task of carving a knight using simple, primitive techniques with tools that are cheap and fairly readily accessible to most of my viewers. Could you use a band saw?...of course. could you power-carve the whole thing with the dremmel or rotary tool?... absolutely. Can it be done faster and easier than I show here? YEP...... I simply want anyone watching to be able to do it with what they have on hand for super cheep.
(ffwheeewwww... now that thats said). So here you go you amazing, do it yourself loving, wood working, chess playing, KZfaq watching, hand crafting nerds!!! ENJOY
VIDEO DESCRIPTION
Make the pawns...check. Make the rooks...check. Make the bishops...check! Make the knights.......... :)
What is one of the biggest determining factors in the pricing a chess set? HOW THE KNIGHTS ARE CARVED! Carving the knights in a chess set is one of the most daunting tasks to consider when taking on the chess set project. The knight is definitely the most tricky of the minor pieces... And there are so many Knight designs to take into account... French, German, English, Dubrovnik, and the plethora of stylized luxury knights found in high end sets. The style you choose will in many ways be determined by the intended use for the chess set. do you want a chess set for the chess club? Do you need one For rough tournament play or for hustling chess in the park? If so, You probably are not going to want a pretty rough and tough set with no frills or fine details that could be easily damaged by one of those games that end with the board being turned over.
the chess set I am making here was for a New York client that wanted a custom designed heirloom quality piece as a gift to her husband... So in this video I will be starting the process of making a more stylized and refined set of knights. It is a JUMBO chess set after all, and as such it is intended to be admired as a quality piece of hand made craftsmanship. lets see if I am up to the challenge.