Did you know that Jaques Of London is the oldest games company and sports manufacturer in the world? This toymaker started in 1795 and has invented many well-known games, such as Croquet, Ping Pong, Snakes and Ladders, and has been making toys since.
Now, run by the eighth generation of the Jaques family, they believe in the power of play and quality family time spent together. They are also committed to making great quality timeless wooden toys for all ages.
We as a family all love wooden toys as they are safer and more environmentally friendly than plastic toys. I am not saying that all plastic toys are bad. Take, for example, Lego, they are good plastic toys that last for generations and are great for imaginative play. In general, wooden toys have better longevity than plastic toys and can be passed down from generation to generation.
Jaques of London has a wide range of toys and games that are both educational and fun to choose from. Their superb colourful designs are super appealing not only to younger audiences but also adults too. I am thrilled to be reviewing two classic wooden games from them: 15-inch folding chess set and the Chinese Checkers & Go Bang.
3 inch Staunton Chess Set with 15-inch Folding Board Storage Case
Mr C grew up in a chess-playing household and passed down his skills to Mr K. They now both enjoy playing chess together and own a few different chess sets. When they saw this chess set, they were extremely pleased with its quality.
This wooden-crafted walnut and sycamore chess board provide the feeling of a tournament board with a smooth texture surface. Once you open the folding book style chess set, it reveals the felt interior with straps to store 32 hand-carved wooden Staunton chessmen.
There are two sets of chessmen: White and Black. Each set has the usual pieces: King, Queen, two Rooks, two Bishops, two knights, and eight pawns. Each Staunton style piece is padded with a thin layer of felt on the bottom. I love that the bishops, pawns, and other pieces are easy to distinguish from each other and the quality of the craftsmanship.
This chess set is fairly lightweight, which makes it great for travelling. A nice feature especially in this day and age is that the packaging is biodegradable, including the cardboard box. It comes in a beautifully decorated brown box wrapped with their branded ribbon. It makes the perfect gift box as there is no need to wrap them in any wrapping paper. There was even a little note inside from your personal packer!
Chinese Checkers & Go Bang
Chinese Checkers is my childhood game that I used to play with my sisters and cousins. We usually played it with marbles on the playing board that is made from thin cardboard. On numerous occasions, someone would apply too much pressure while placing the marbles and the cardboard would indent, bend or tear. I am so pleased that this set is made from wood as it should last for a long time.
The surfaces are gloss varnished and on the reverse, it reveals another game called Go Bang. There are no rough surfaces nor any loose wood splinters. All the wooden playing pieces are beautifully handcrafted. It comes with 66 glossy coloured wooden pegs (10 per player and 1 spare included). Also, there are 70 white & black wooden stones. A small storage bag and instructions are included. Again, it comes with a well-presented brown box with branded ribbon that can be used as a gift box.
The wood used by Jaques of London is FSC approved, and the packaging is all biodegradable. I am very pleased and impressed that they stock a wide range of interesting and fun toys and games supporting all ages. It is so easy to pick a toy or game as a gift for your loved ones. Wouldn’t you like to elevate your playing experience with this gorgeous chess set? Such great quality craftsmanship should last for a lifetime.
Jaques of London also dedicates themselves to making good handcrafted quality toys that children and adults love and treasure. Why not check them out and see for yourself? Bookmark their website and sign up for their mailing list to hear about upcoming offers.
Disclosure: This is a featured post. We received the samples for the purposes of writing this review, however, all thoughts and opinions remain our own.