Jaques of London Backgammon set – 15-inch Card and Linen.

Last updated on April 20, 2024

Here at Deluxe Backgammon, we wanted to include a genuine budget backgammon set in our recommendations. This is because we understand that not everyone is able to afford to spend hundreds or perhaps thousands of pounds on a luxury backgammon set. Backgammon is a brilliant game and it should be accessible to everyone. In this post, we will be looking at the Jaques of London 15-inch Card and Linen Backgammon set. This was one of the first backgammon sets we acquired when we started out in the game. It has since been replaced by a ‘small’ collection of Deluxe Backgammon sets. In keeping with our sustainability preferences, we recycled this set by donating it to a local charity shop.

Construction

The set is made from card and linen. The materials are definitely sustainable, but we cannot confirm if they have been sustainably sourced. It’s very light and folds neatly down the centre. The bar is a very narrow light-coloured strip down the middle. The points are painted, as expected, on a backgammon set at this price point. Perhaps, the only issue we had with this board is that the brown points are barely distinguishable from the playing field. Considering it is made from card and linen, the backgammon board feels solid and there is no reason it shouldn’t last for years.

There is no storage in this set because it closes flat. There are also no slots to store the checkers that have been removed from play, however, this is not a problem. This is backgammon at its most basic. You just get what you need to play the game and little else. Because of this, it’s worth retaining the original box for storing this backgammon set.

The set was made in China, which is fine. However, the Jaques marketing team play on the company’s 200-year-old heritage and state that the product has traditional English quality and is handmade by Jaques of London.

Dimensions

When opened the board is 38cm x 38cm. It is so light, the weight is of no matter.

Accessories

The set includes four 2cm wooden dice (nice) and a doubling cube. The checkers are wooden and coloured natural and stained brown. The set includes a nice branded linen bag for storing the pieces when not in play. Presentation is something that Jaques does very well and their products are always impeccably packaged, even the budget versions. There are no dice cups, but this is not a problem for social play.

Conclusion

This is a basic backgammon set at a budget price, but it is well made and comes with 200 hundred years of Jaques heritage. If you are looking to buy your very first backgammon set, but you don’t want to spend a lot of money, this is the perfect place to start. Consider this a stepping stone to a true Deluxe Backgammon set. RRP at the time of purchase was £29.99. However, they are currently selling online for considerably less.