Backgammon Checkers/Cube Upgrade Unboxing

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My unboxing and review video of my new custom-designed checkers and doubling cube for my previously reviewed FTH tournament-sized backgammon board.
I purchased custom-designed checkers from Backgammon Moldova, accessible via Facebook ( / moldova.backgammon ) and eBay (www.ebay.com/usr/vadimtobuy?_....
Vadim, who is very responsive and communicates easily in English, works with his father, Nickolay, designing custom checkers made in any size, and with pretty much any color, texture, and finish conceivable. I went with metal-edged checkers in a grey/black pattern that complements the monochromatic colors of my FTH board, and I am highly impressed with the new checkers for this board.
Vadim also forwarded samples of other checkers, highlighting the different styles and textures that are available to fit your exact board size, and color schemes. I LOVE the metal cubes from Nickolay's workshop, including a hefty and authoritative 40mm metal cube, and a 30mm metal cube that I have put inside my 869/Erhan board, where it sits with quiet dignity, waiting to be offered!
Next, I am very excited to unbox a custom-designed doubling cube from Save The Gammon. Nick Peterson, a new friend on Facebook, has a boutique business as a doubling cube wizard, making some of the most interesting and colorful doubling cubes available in the world, in my humble opinion. I was lucky enough to be able to purchase a 'Blue Algae' cube from Nick, the owner and creator of Save The Gammon (www.savethegammon.com), lending a beautiful splash of algae green/blue to my grey FTH board. I love the contrast of this beautiful cube on the grey on grey of my FTH playing surface.
I encourage anyone with an interest in Nick's work to check his website periodically for new products, or to check in with him via FB regarding the possibility of custom orders.
Thanks to Vadim, papa Nickolay, and Nick Peterson for the amazing products they are producing for backgammon aficionados; we are lucky to live in a time where one can order custom-designed products for our backgammon boards that can be shipped anywhere in the world, at reasonable prices. I feel grateful and appreciative to have these amazing custom-designed upgrades on the beautiful boards that I have acquired from halfway around the world, including Turkey and Germany.
Keep Calm and Cube On

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Опубликовано:

13 мар 2021

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Комментарии : 39

@frailingbanjo Год назад

Justin, you have the most amazing collection! Awesome videos! I so want to meet you in person someday

@jjmckenna Год назад

That’s a very nice compliment, thank you! I don’t know if you play in live tournaments, but I do occasionally travel to play backgammon. Most likely Denver in October and San Antonio in February. Cheers! 👋🏼💭🎲🎲✨‼️

@craigguthrie3400 3 года назад

Eye candy for sure! And another great review. You have great taste. I agree, the monochromatic scheme with a pop of color with the doubler really works! I’m so envious! We have all these beautiful boards ... Well, you do 😂 ... and we can’t really use them. Hopefully, soon!

@jjmckenna 3 года назад

Craig - I hope with all my heart that any backgammon player will be able to play with friends 'over the board' without fear in the very near future. It will certainly make the world a better place. And, if you can bring the backgammon board of your dreams, along with the most beautiful cubes and checkers, to the mix, all the better. Prayers for a happy and healthy 2021. Keep Calm and Cube On! Cheers!

@TheKingOfSwampCastle 3 года назад

Really nice checkers which compliment the board perfectly. And that doubling cube - damn... A work of art.

@jjmckenna 3 года назад

I knew you’d like that green cube, Greg! Cheers! 🎈

@EricPetersen2922 3 года назад

That’s a very nice set. I really enjoy your videos. Thank you for making them. I’m just trying to get better at using my BG sets. It’s lots of fun!

@jjmckenna 3 года назад

Eric, I know what you mean about improving at backgammon! I’m always trying, but sometimes it feels like I’m treading water. Thanks for the compliment about these checkers and cube. It always makes it fun to play when I have a beautiful board, checkers and cube. Hope you roll lots of useful doubles. Cheers! 🎲🎲✨🤘🏼💨

@johnk.1103 3 года назад

This is very cool stuff, and being used on a very cool board. I love the green cube with the grey board background and points. It really pops!

@jjmckenna 3 года назад

John, I was very excited about getting that cube for the exact reason that I thought it would go perfectly with this board!

@lifeinmoldova 3 года назад

Justin, another great review and probably the best one (after Gammoner board of course) - great that our stuff cam to US so quick abd has been reviewed by you! THANK YOU!

@jjmckenna 3 года назад

Vadim, Thank you to you and your papa, Nickolay, for designing some of the most beautiful backgammon checkers and cubes available in the world! I feel grateful and privileged to have these miniature works of art in my various backgammon boards, and I look forward to sharing them with my friends in the future as I begin to get back into 'over the board' play soon. Cheers to you and your family, and I hope you have a healthy and successful 2021!

@petermittak7960 3 года назад

Great checkers, they seem to be high quality stuff! The green cube is also amazing, an inspiring contrast to the monochromatic board! Have a good play!

@jjmckenna 3 года назад

Thank you, Peter! I'm very happy with the checkers and the new cube, which really 'pops!'

@MrQmason 2 года назад

Justin, I appreciate the time you took to make this video and make me aware of these companies I didnt know existed. Now I'm going to upgrade my backgammon boards :)

@jjmckenna 2 года назад

Mr. Q, Thank you for the comment, I appreciate it. I hope you enjoy your ‘upgraded backgammon board, cheers! 🙌🏼🌟

@DrFly-ek4sx 3 года назад

This is a really cool idea, but if I were going to spend money on extra checkers, I would probably go with something more colorful. You go from black and horn checkers originally to black and grey, although the metal edges are cool. You should go for something like red and yellow, or some other 'pop' of colorful checkers. Very nice board, though! I love that green cube!

@jjmckenna 3 года назад

Dr. - Yes, in hindsight, a more splashy pop of color would go very well with this board, so I may do just that, and get some colorful checkers that fit this board's particular dimensions. I do love that 'blue algae' cube from Save The Gammon; it really adds a nice element of color. Thanks!

@alirezaranjbar 3 года назад

عاشق این تخته شدم

@jjmckenna 3 года назад

شما در زندگی خود به این تخته نیاز دارید

@Jonathanbha 2 года назад

Enjoying your videos of high-end boards and accessories. Like your Mete board with striking blue/white MARBLE checkers and changeable surfaces. Clever idea to change up the board. The sounds of checkers clacking against each other and the wooden walls is hypnotic. Also like your dressier Gammoner board with merino wool surface and gray/white points and leather case. Classy. Quieter all 'round. My game buds play chouette and multiple 2 player matches simultaneously, so we want a tournament-size board we can all see. Do you know what the quality differences are between FM's MARBLE checkers at $135/set of 2 colors vs. PREMIUM for 1 color set at $110? Both appear to be finger dish style. Hard to see quality or workmanship differences in videos. Do you have an opinion about new 44.5mm x 12mm acrylic / melamine checkers vs. bakelite? Do larger checkers even come in bakelite? Look forward to your reply before I buy! Thank YOU.

@jjmckenna 2 года назад

Hi, Jonathan! I’ve received a few different sets of FM checkers over time, and I’ve never noticed any quality differences, so I’m not an expert. They all seem equally good quality to me and they’re reasonably priced. I would focus on the colors you want in the size you need and trust that they will satisfy. FM will make you a satisfied customer, I trust.

@jjmckenna 2 года назад

Also, I’m not part of the whole Bakelite craze. I just like the colors and style of the checkers that are widely available. I’d rather make sure the wood used for my board makes a really nice tone. Cheers!

@Jonathanbha 2 года назад

@@jjmckenna Hi Justin ~ Many thanks for your insights, attention to details, and replies. Much appreciated. I will place my order with Ali at FM for a Talat board (love the mahogany), 2 kewl surfaces, and select checkers. Bakelite checkers are appealing for an antique smaller board, which I may consider adding to my collection in the future. Double on!

@jjmckenna 2 года назад

@@Jonathanbha - Wow, that is awesome you’re going to get a Talat! You will absolutely love it! The whole package just radiates quality and heft. Kudos! ⭐️

@ronberlier6695 3 года назад

You appear to be a collector of boards? How many do you have? TNX

@jjmckenna 3 года назад

Ron - Good question! I currently have seven boards after selling one and giving one to a friend for his 50th birthday. I currently have one Crisloid, three FMGammon boards, one FTH, one Gammoner, and one 869/Erhan board. Most of my boards are from Turkey, except for the Crisloid (Rhode Island, USA), and the Gammoner and FTH are from Germany. Cheers! ✌🏼

@jodyvalentino7281 Год назад

Im about to buy my first backgammon set. Id like to buy a nice set with great colors. Any suggestions? Im torn between wood and leather, 1 3/4" vs 2" checkers. Any advice you can give me, Im getting confused. So many choices. Thanks a lot!

@jjmckenna Год назад

Jody, Thanks for the comment and the request for help. The first factor to consider with your board purchase is your budget. The more you’re willing to spend, the nicer the board you can get. But, there are decent boards for less than $200, and lower. I prefer cloth playing surfaces (wool or synthetic felt) to wood surfaces, but that’s a personal preference. Some people love wooden surface boards. 2-inch checkers are quite large and require a larger board, which usually means a higher price. I think 1.5 or 1.75 inch checkers are a good size, usually with a board around 20-21 inches long when closed. There are many good, affordable boards on websites like GammonVillage (dot com), and even on Amazon (Silverman being a well-known lower priced brand). For boards in the higher priced $500-$1000 range, I’d look at brands like Aries, Hector Saxe, FMGammon or a custom-designed board from Crisloid of Rhode Island (which would allow you to choose your own checkers and board colors). My first board is from Crisloid, and I still love it. There are many different options, so figure out what you can afford and check out some of the available options mentioned above which will likely feature your favorite colors. And feel free to ask any other questions that come up during your search. Good luck! 🙌🏼🎲🎲✨

@jodyvalentino7281 Год назад

@@jjmckenna Thanks for your in depth reply!!! Im looking at an FTH Tournament board now. I wasn't sure I wanted a Crisloid board with the cork. They are planning on releasing a board made of fabric but not until closer to the end of the year.Think Ill stay away from 2" because they are much more pricey. Do you give Zoom lessons?

@jodyvalentino7281 Год назад

Also, how do the cases made of wood hold up?

@jjmckenna Год назад

@@jodyvalentino7281 Jody, FTH boards are super nice, but you may want to consider their ‘medium-sized’ board, and I recommend the round cups, not the oval cups. I imagine the medium board may be a bit cheaper than the full-size board I have. It’s very, very long, while I think the medium board would be more ideal board dimensions. Good luck! Oh, and I don’t do lessons online, but I can recommend some people.

@jjmckenna Год назад

@@jodyvalentino7281 Jody - Wood cases are generally fine if you treat them right. You may get an occasional scuff, or even a small dent if it knocks into something, but I’ve had no issues with any of my boards made of a wood exterior.

@SybotCB 3 года назад

Hey Justin. Love your videos. But going to give a bit of constructive criticism if that's okay; if not, just ignore me. I don't know what you use to edit your videos, but you may look up some way to normalize the audio on it. The music is quite loud on the video, but your voice tends to be very quiet. Normalizing the audio would just kind of bring those two a little closer to the middle. I think most video editing packages have ways to do this that are already built in.

@jjmckenna 3 года назад

Sybot- Thank you for the constructive criticism. Unfortunately, I don’t know how to normalize audio or video. I’m barely able to constrict an IKEA bookshelf, let alone a video with audio overlay. I do customize the captions, in case people want to simply turn off the audio. Anyway, I’m probably nearing the limit of how many backgammon boards I can reasonably review. Do you suggest getting a wireless microphone or something? Thanks for watching, regardless. 🤘🏼✨

@SybotCB 3 года назад

@@jjmckenna It's really not a big deal, which is why I hesitated to even bring it up. Like I said, I look forward to looking at your videos and seeing the stuff I can't get and can't afford. I just got word my Crisloid board I ordered in January finally shipped. So I can stop using my old Leather board soon. As far as the future. It doesn't always have to be premium luxury boards. I'd watch you review $20 travel or roll up boards, etc. And you can also always branch out to chess boards and pieces. :D

@jjmckenna 3 года назад

Sybot, Much appreciated, and I'm glad to hear your Crisloid board 'finally' shipped. That's a long wait! You'll love the Crisloid, I'm sure; great dice action and a large, though compact feel to the whole package. Interesting idea about chess pieces. I've also been asked to do a comparison video between some of my boards, which I might consider doing. Thanks for your support!

@SybotCB 3 года назад

@@jjmckenna I'd also honestly love to get updates on how the boards are holding up. Whether you still love them as much as when you opened them, etc. Now, you've got enough to rotate through that I don't honestly expect any of them to get heavy use during the year but there are certain things that maybe you didn't notice at first, but are little niggles that crop up through repeated use that most fresh reviews never give.

@jjmckenna 3 года назад

@@SybotCB - That's a good idea, and something that I mentioned in an early video. I think I'll figure out a way of comparing my Crisloid, for example, to perhaps my FM Hamdi board, since they are around the same price point. They each certainly have their own style, but you are correct, I don't have tons of play into them, yet. Thanks for the good idea and ongoing interest!