Set & Pieces

Any advices before buying a board and pieces? I was thinking about a board for more or less the rest of my life =) That is, a fine one.

I was thinking about the size of the squares.. What is too small? Also, what is the optimal size of pieces in relation to the square size?

I prefer the sets and boards from the House of Staunton here in the USA, although I'm not familiar with equipment offered outside the USA. (Note - HOS gets their cheaper boards from Spain, and as far as I know, the sets are made in India. But the sets are really nice.)

Concerning sizing, here's the two guidelines that I'm familiar with. Sorry, some of the dimensions are in inches. Also, remember that some of the guidance is geared towards the USCF; There might be minor differences between sizing guidelines for the USCF versus other chess organizations, but I think the general ratio between pieces and squares should be the same.

http://www.houseofstaunton.com/faq.html (See FAQ question #1)

http://www.chessusa.com/about/guidelineb.html

The standard size for the chess men seems to be a four inch or so high King. I would prefer a King of about three inches. Choose a board size that the chess men will fit well on the square. Maybe a king's base diameter that is a half inch less then the squares on the board. You may select a fine wooden board for thing of beauty and special use and a vinyl rollup board for practice and heavy use.