Classic Wooden Backgammon Set in Dark Wood, Medium

Classic Wooden Backgammon Set in Dark Wood, Medium, by Hrachya Ohanyan

Discover a classic handmade backgammon set with nothing to prove. The cover is plain beech stained a warm dark brown, and the only decoration on it is the wood's own figure — a wave of grain running across the lid that no two boards share. A clean square outline, two bronze clasps, a clear varnish, and that is the whole outside. Master Hrachya Ohanyan makes this one for the person who wants a wooden backgammon set that looks like it came from a grandfather's cupboard, at 19.6″ / 50 cm — the size that fits the coffee table as easily as the dining table.

Undo the clasps and the 19.6″ / 50 cm wooden backgammon board shows where the care went: a wheel ornament in a scrolled ring worked into each half, points in pale and dark wood tipped with fleur-de-lys flourishes, a carved scalloped edge framing the field, and ornate bronze hinges on the centre bar. Thirty-two checkers in light and dark wood, a dice set and the branded carrying case come with it. This is the handmade backgammon board for the kitchen, the balcony, and the friend who wants to learn — the everyday nardi board, made properly.

Specifications

• Size open: 50 × 50 cm / 19.6″ × 19.6″
• Size folded: 50 × 25 cm / 19.6″ × 9.8″
• Material: beech wood, made from one piece, stained dark brown and varnished
• Design: plain cover with the figured beech grain; wheel ornaments in scrolled rings, pale-and-dark fleur-de-lys points and a carved scalloped frame inside
• Outline: classic, square
• Hardware: cast-bronze hinges and clasps
• Entirely handmade by Hrachya Ohanyan

What's Included

• Backgammon board with bronze hinges and clasps
• 32 checkers made from beech and walnut wood, with velvet bases
• Dice set
• Branded carrying case

Why You'll Love It

• The grain is the ornament: a plain, dark-stained cover with the wood's own figure running across it — flat, straight, varnished smooth, made by hand in the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop.
• Detail where you play: wheel ornaments, pale-and-dark points and a carved scalloped frame inside give the game its setting without a single distraction on the cover.
• Ready for the table: 19.6″ / 50 cm board, checkers in light and dark wood, dice and a carrying case — open it and play.

Good to Know Before You Buy

How big is it? Open, the board is 19.6″ / 50 cm square — one step below the full 60 cm size, and the right choice for a smaller table. Closed, it is 19.6″ × 9.8″ / 50 × 25 cm and stands on its own edge.

Is the cover really plain? Yes — on purpose. The outside is dark-stained beech under a clear varnish with no carving or decoration; the pattern you see is the grain of the wood itself. Inside, the wheel ornaments and the points are worked into the wood and the scalloped frame is carved.

What about shipping and returns? Shipping is free to the US, Canada and Europe, always tracked; other countries pay a flat $100 (Brazil, Chile and New Zealand $200). Every set is covered by our 30-day returns.

Can I add a name or a date? Yes — choose the engraving option on this page and tell us the text. A name or a date turns it into a personalized backgammon set, and it is the detail people remember years later.

How do I look after it? Keep it out of direct sun and away from radiators, wipe with a dry soft cloth, and store it closed in the case.

The Everyday Board

Most nardi in Armenia is not played on a carved masterpiece; it is played on a board like this one, pulled from a shelf after dinner and slapped shut at midnight. A plain classic backgammon set in dark wood is the honest version of the game — the one that gets carried to the neighbours, left on the balcony, taught to the children. The workshop makes it with the same joinery, the same hardware and the same care as its carved boards; it just leaves the cover to the wood.

About the Artist - Hrachya Ohanyan

In 1985, National Master Hrachya Ohanyan began his fine wood craft, introducing a new approach to the age-old traditions of woodworking. After many years of dedication, the Hrachya Ohanyan workshop was established in 2010. Every board passes through 14 stages of production, with 14 separate craftsmen leaving their mark before it reaches its finished form — a piece of wood artistry admired both in Armenia and around the world. Read the story of master Hrachya Ohanyan or explore the full Hrachya Ohanyan backgammon collection.

A Gift That Lasts Generations

For a first flat, a student going abroad, a housewarming, or the friend who keeps borrowing yours, a classic handmade backgammon set in dark wood is the backgammon gift set that gets used every week and never looks out of place. We send it at Christmas and on Father's Day. It gets opened, played and passed on.