Montana Man Sparks Interest in Unique Chess Pieces

He's made 23 sets so far in the past year, and he's applying for a patent. Each set takes about 20 hours to make, and he plans on making 52 a year.

O

ne way to make chess cooler is to replace the traditional pieces with something else, and one Montana man has done just that. Kenneth Marx decided that spark plugs look cooler than knights and kings, and set to work.

Marx began making chess sets out of old spark plugs 40 years ago, but he stopped because he got busy with other aspects of life.

A custom chess set with spark plugs as the pieces? Yes, please.

He started when he was a gas-station attendant--he'd collect used spark plugs after performing a tune-up. Now, after seeing a set he once made for a friend, he's starting again.

He's made 23 sets so far in the past year, and he's applying for a patent. Each set takes about 20 hours to make, and he plans on making 52 a year.

Nowadays, Marx collects used spark plugs from local repair shops and sorts them by size and manufacturer before cleaning them. He affixes a nut to the bottom for stability and a cap to the top to differentiate the type of piece, usually using other auto parts.

Because each set is custom made, buyers can choose which type of spark plug they want by brand and color. Sets sell for $275 and the wooden box they come in is also custom-made by Marx. Marx sells them out of his house and online.

Maybe this will get us to finally take up chess.

[Source: Helena Independent Record]