Last updated on April 19, 2024
The Aspinal of London 22-inch wooden backgammon set is a stunning piece. They produce also produce a range of leather backgammon sets, but this one is truly eye-catching with its hand-carved Union Jack design motif on the lid. This is a true luxury backgammon set.
Construction
The set has been hand-carved from a solid piece of oak. The natural grains of the timber have been preserved on the playing field. The playing surface is constructed using the same oak as the cabinet, but is finely polished. The points are varnished, not inlaid, but this does not detract from the quality of the build. At the base of each point is a rounded notch that has been carved, which allows the first checker to nestle into the base of the point.
Dimensions
When the set is closed it is secured by a simple metal clasp in the centre of the case. We were unable to find a reference to the weight of the board, but it is substantial. Because of its weight and size, this is definitely not a backgammon travel set. The dimensions when closed are: 58cm x 32cm x 7cm (H x W x D).
Accessories
The accessories perfectly complement this luxury backgammon board. The dice, as expected, are plastic. There is no reference as to whether they are precision dice, which you might expect for a set at this price. At Deluxe Backgammon we prefer the aesthetics of wood, so we would replace the dice with a wooden set. The checkers are all hand-spun oak and are varnished to provide the necessary two tones. The set also comes with two delightful hand-made oak dice cups, again varnished to match the accompanying checkers.
Conclusion
It is impossible to find a flaw in this luxury backgammon set. Because it is made from quality material and robustly constructed it is likely to last several lifetimes. Although there is no specific reference to sustainable materials, we would like to think that a piece of this stature has been responsibly resourced. There is no doubt that this is a true Deluxe Backgammon set. RRP at the time of writing is £495.
Note: This backgammon set is no longer available on the Aspinal of London website. A shame, 10/08/2023.
This is a great looking backgammon set by Aspinal of London. I would really like to buy one of these, but it doesn’t seem to be available on their website. Is it still available? Otherwise, do you have any other recommendations for good quality backgammon sets? Thanks.
Hi Michelle, unfortunately, it doesn’t look like they are selling the Backgammon set with Union Jack design anymore according to their website. There may be some of these Union Jack themed backgammon sets available in store, maybe check your nearest Aspinal of London store. For other similar backgammon sets, take a look at our recommendations for quality backgammon sets, we have reviewed a lot of examples over the years. We only recommend backgammon sets that we have seen first hand. Thanks for taking the time to comment, Jason.