I found the difference in feel to be significant between 3.75 and 4.00,
and I didn't care for it. Not the weight _per se_ but the balance. I found
the triple-weighted 4.00 HOS is both so tall and spindly, and so
unbalanced and bottom-heavy that, even on a properly-sized 2 3/8" board,
I'd drop pieces, knock over others ...in short, though this is purely
subjective, I just didn't like it. I think the set would have been better
double-weighted. The 3.75" HOS plastic also feels mildly unbalanced and
bottom-heavy to me, in distinction to my HOS wood Players series 3.75",
which balances perfectly. But, nevertheless, to my taste, the HOS plastic
3.75" in distinctly better in feel to the 4.00"

Probably the reason I like to play on the triple-weighted Ultimate
Staunton so much is that, in imitation of the older wood Staunton sets,
it's a slight bit squatter at 3 5/8" with broader pieces. It seems to
balance better than the HOS sets. Though even here, the original
double-weighted Ultimate Stauntons, which are no longer available, from a
decade or so ago were better still.

As to the Drueke & "King's Indian" sets; I've never had any real objection
to their feel or playability in the small handful of games I've had on the
sets when I've encountered them in tournaments. I just thought they were
damned ugly. But that, too, is completely subjective.

Regards,

--Kevin


In article , Timothy R. Bonine, M.D. wrote:
Is there really much difference in "feel" between the 3.75" and 4" HOS
Plastic Collector sets? I know the 4" set weighs 12 oz. more (according to
HOS web site) and the King is 1/4" taller. Do those differences translate
to significantly better handling qualities or "playability"? Also, how do
they compare to alternatives like Legend Products' "Kings Indian" set or
Drueke's 3 3/4" plastic set?

"Kevin Croxen" wrote in message
du...
In article , An Metet
wrote:
The HOS 3.75" Plastic Collector sets are OK for tournament play, but to my
taste the HOS plastic sets, in general, seem to balance very oddly and
always feel awkward to me. When playing with these pieces, they just
frequently slip out of my hands or I knock them over a lot. For those
reasons my favorite tournament set remains the rather squat, so-called
"Ultimate Staunton" double- or triple-weighted plastic sets.