We’re a pretty satisfied bunch, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t covetous. Sometimes we see things out there that we just must have. Cool Things We Want is an archive of those earthly desires.

(via) Most chess sets are pretty cheap, costing anywhere between $20 and $100. The themed and heinously ornamental ones can get ridiculously expensive, but an official world championship chess set sounds about right at $500 USD. This video makes me want one.

Much of the set’s value lies in just one piece: the knight. Each knight must be carved by hand to look exactly the same. Making this one piece takes two hours, and there are fewer than 10 people trained to carve knights for the championship chess sets. So, how are these chessmen made? And why are they so expensive?