This chess set is lovely to display and the soapstone pieces feel smooth and are a pleasure to handle. But be sure to check your shipment carefully because the pieces are fragile and the board, which is heavy, is also very fragile and will not tolerate much bumping or knocking. My order arrived well-packed and without any noticeable dents in the box, the board protected by several layers of packing and it was still cracked. They replaced it immediately, and it was worth the effort to have a set I not only like to look at, but like to play with.