I agree HOS is a horrible company. And would never buy a wood set from them.
But the wood can be dyed and still be Blood Rosewood. So we will have to see with the pictures. If the Blood Rosewood was counterfeit, meaning the wood was not Blood Rosewood and the wood was a total fake. Or was the wood Blood Rosewood that was dyed to make it look like a higher quality Blood Rosewood.
One is a counterfeit, and one is not.
I have seen plenty of House of Staunton review online - some positive, some negative. But something I have not yet seen - and believe deserves serious attention - is them selling dyed counterfeit wood pieces.
I ordered an expensive set (Savano luxury ') in blood rosewood. It was an imperfect item, at 60% for peel lacquer on a pawn and scrapes on a Queen. This description was accurate, and there were no craftmanship issues.
However, I found the blood rosewood pieces to be dyed after a little desk research:
- A wet wipe easily soaked substantial amounts of stain of every piece, especially unsealed surfaces.
- The stain was magenta coloured, probably to combine with the wood's natural colour to produce a brownish red.
- The pieces had none of Pterocarpus soyauxii's natural pleasant odour.
- The knight's top can be screwed off. The wood was estimated to be too light for Padauk/blood rosewood's natural density.
- Colour bleeding is possible in small amounts as oil stains or in alcohol solvents. The stains were neither of these.
- My family and I found the chemical dye's smell sickening, and are leaving the chess set outside.
Requesting a return based on these explanations, I received the reply "In regard to the wood species, the dark army was indeed manufactured from padauk/blood rosewood." They denied a return "as per the listing", and did not care to elaborate or explain.
I did not expect this, given the store's high prices and apparent reputation. But please, other chess set buyers, pass this information along - I learnt this at a price, and do not wish others to have to experience the same.
This is a new account for me, so I cannot post pictures just yet. I will do so in a week.