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New Shell/Slate stones!
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Author:  Kris2476 [ Fri Feb 19, 2016 2:29 pm ]
Post subject:  New Shell/Slate stones!
My new stones came in the mail today - I've never been so excited before about a package!

I bought my stones from Erythen's ebay listing (Am I allowed to link to it? I don't want to violate a forum rule). He was a big help, and a fair businessman. If you're reading this, thank you again for helping me out :)

The stones are brand new, size 37 Yuki grade clamshell.

I also got a matching set of keyaki bowls from Kurokigoishiten. Mr. Kuroki was very helpful. As it turned out, the bowls arrived a day before the stones. Who would've guessed? They had to fly in from Japan!

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The bowls came with a note. Can anyone read this for me?
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Now for the stones.... They came wrapped in about 6 inches of bubble wrap! To quote Erythen, they came wrapped well enough to survive a small nuke xD


Can someone tell me what the writings mean? I can't read one bit of Japanese.
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Once again, not sure about the kanji
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Now for the juicy stuff....
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I have the bowls lined with cloth. Does anyone do something different? Or do some people not bother?

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Here's a view of them from the side.

I like my thick stones :3
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I love the contrast between the grain of the bowl and the grain of the stone:

Eye candy
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More eye candy!
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The stones are satisfyingly heavy, with minimal wobble.

Detail of the grain
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I chose a fitting game to run through to break in the stones :)
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All in all, I'm really pleased with this set of stones. I notice the slate stones are pretty dirty. I may clean/oil them. Is there any issue with using mineral oil for slate? I don't imagine there would be, but I should make sure!

I'm very excited to spend the rest of the day studying go with my clamshells.. I plan to keep these stones my entire life. They are truly a work of art.

Hope you all enjoyed!

-Christopher
Author:  Jujube [ Fri Feb 19, 2016 2:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: New Shell/Slate stones!
Mr Kuroki's bowls are extremely unlikely to discolour the sones. However I keep some tissue paper in the bottom of the bowls to protect against chips. The bowls look similar to mine. Are they cherry?

Congrats on the stones, they look very nice. Don't worry too much about the slate stones. Mineral oil is fine. Use a tiny amount.

Your board looks quite big. Maybe Chinese bamboo? It's quite large for Japanese stones. When you decide to, consider a Japanese board. Mr. Kuroki sells lots of spruce and kaya boards; they're quite reasonable in comparison to the stones.
Author:  xed_over [ Fri Feb 19, 2016 2:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: New Shell/Slate stones!
本蛤碁石 -- google translate says "this clam stones"
蛤 - I recognize this one, but don't remember it. Its probably a word with 本蛤. Probably has to do with clams.
碁 - go
石 - stone
Author:  tj86430 [ Fri Feb 19, 2016 3:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: New Shell/Slate stones!
Quote:
Or do some people not bother?

To answer a direct question: I don't

Your stones look absolutely beautiful.
Author:  gowan [ Fri Feb 19, 2016 4:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: New Shell/Slate stones!
本蛤碁石 means real clam go stones or maybe genuine clam go stones.

I put some thick flannel cloth in my bowls with clam go stones. I was told that the cloth in the bowl acts as a shock absorber when stones are put or dropped into the bowl. The clam go stones are then less likely to chip. The black stones are very unlikely to chip or break so no cushion is needed for them.
Author:  sybob [ Fri Feb 19, 2016 4:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: New Shell/Slate stones!
Totally beautiful, total envy.
Mineral oil (fine machine oil) is okay, I can say from personal experience. A few drops will suffice. But please wipe of excess oil with a dry cotton cloth. Otherwise, the shell stones get oily too.
Author:  Kris2476 [ Fri Feb 19, 2016 7:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: New Shell/Slate stones!
Jujube wrote:
Mr Kuroki's bowls are extremely unlikely to discolour the sones. However I keep some tissue paper in the bottom of the bowls to protect against chips. The bowls look similar to mine. Are they cherry?

Congrats on the stones, they look very nice. Don't worry too much about the slate stones. Mineral oil is fine. Use a tiny amount.

Your board looks quite big. Maybe Chinese bamboo? It's quite large for Japanese stones. When you decide to, consider a Japanese board. Mr. Kuroki sells lots of spruce and kaya boards; they're quite reasonable in comparison to the stones.


The bowls are keyaki! I wasn't worried about discoloration so much as chipping on the clamshell. And another cloth for the slate just for symmetry.

The board is Japanese size, shin-kaya /spruce. Do you really think it's too large? :shock:

My plan is to save for a kaya floor board. It will go quite nicely with my yuki-grade stones :)
Author:  EdLee [ Fri Feb 19, 2016 8:17 pm ]
Post subject: 
Congrats, Christopher.

I cushion all my bowls, even my very cheap bowls and plastic ING stones.
It's just good habit to protect the stones, the bowls, and dampen the clacking noises. :)

And not just the interiors -- I also cushion the bottom of the exterior of the bowls, and the lids! (When I flip the lids as prisoners' containers.) This protects not only the bowls & lids, but whatever surface they rest on; e.g. the goban! :mrgreen:
I cringe when people slide the bare bottoms of their bowls along the surface of the goban; a reaction not unlike the screeching sounds on a chalk board!
Author:  Kris2476 [ Fri Feb 19, 2016 8:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re:
EdLee wrote:
Congrats, Christopher.

I cushion all my bowls, even my very cheap bowls and plastic ING stones.
It's just good habit to protect the stones, the bowls, and dampen the clacking noises. :)

And not just the interiors -- I also cushion the bottom of the exterior of the bowls, and the lids! (When I flip the lids as prisoners' containers.) This protects not only the bowls & lids, but whatever surface they rest on; e.g. the goban! :mrgreen:
I cringe when people slide the bare bottoms of their bowls along the surface of the goban; a reaction not unlike the screeching sounds on a chalk board!


Thanks EdLee :)

How do you cushion the outside of the bowls/tops?

I've been using these stones for a few hours, and the white stones are very uniform in shape. There are no tilts or dents on the surface. For the slate, there are maybe 2 or 3 stones with scratches that offset the balance. The slate are also very rough in texture, while the clamshell are smooth. Is this typical for slate?

Another thing I noticed, is that the clamshell stones are very cold! I also have a neurotic habit of constantly checking to make sure that I place the white stones so the grain faces up. It just doesn't feel right to push that beautiful pattern towards the board!

Finally, I really enjoy the thickness of the stones. They feel heavy in my hand in a satisfying way, and they make a pleasant sound when I place them on the board (a noticeable difference from my glass stones - I was surprised to hear the difference). I'm really pleased.
Author:  EdLee [ Fri Feb 19, 2016 8:52 pm ]
Post subject: 
本蛤碁石 hon hamaguri go ishi

本 hon; true/genuine/proper; as in honte 本手. (See also Honda, below.)

蛤 hamaguri; clam(s).

碁 go; as in Go. :)

石 ishi; stone(s). As in 碁石 Go stones, go ishi.
And Mr. Ishida 石田 -- "stone field" -- of the famous Ishida Joseki dictionaries.
Honda 本田 -- automobile brand -- true/proper/genuine field.

( Mini Japanese lessons. :) )
Author:  EdLee [ Fri Feb 19, 2016 8:53 pm ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
How do you cushion the outside of the bowls/tops?
1-mm or less foam sheet ;
1-mm or less felt sheet ;
cut into a circle shape for your needs --
your local art supplies or crafts store is your friend. :)
( When I flip the lids over for prisoners containers,
I also cushion the interior of the lids (round felt sheet);
all these circular cushions fit inside the bowls for easy storage! :) )

As for oiling your slate stones, entirely personal preference.
Some folks like it; I cannot stand any oily, slimy feeling. Shudders. :-?
Author:  Jujube [ Sat Feb 20, 2016 3:32 am ]
Post subject:  Re: New Shell/Slate stones!
If it's a Japanese board that should be completely ok. the dimensions just looked a bit on the large size to me. But then again, looking at it with a fresh pair of eyes this morning, it seems fine.
Author:  EdLee [ Sat Feb 20, 2016 4:10 am ]
Post subject: 
Kris2476 wrote:
The board is Japanese size, shin-kaya /spruce. Do you really think it's too large? :shock:
Hi Christopher,

I go crazy with all these vague, relative terms -- "too large", "big", "large size", etc. "urgent before big" :) --
could you measure the exact dimensions (to the nearest mm) from A1 to T1, and from A1 to A19. :)
Author:  Kris2476 [ Sat Feb 20, 2016 8:36 am ]
Post subject:  Re:
EdLee wrote:
Kris2476 wrote:
The board is Japanese size, shin-kaya /spruce. Do you really think it's too large? :shock:
Hi Christopher,

I go crazy with all these vague, relative terms -- "too large", "big", "large size", etc. "urgent before big" :) --
could you measure the exact dimensions (to the nearest mm) from A1 to T1, and from A1 to A19. :)


Fair enough :p

For posterity's sake, I measured the dimensions
From A1 to T1: 16"
From A1 to A19: 16.75"
Author:  gowan [ Sat Feb 20, 2016 10:16 am ]
Post subject:  Re: New Shell/Slate stones!
Unfortunately there is no standard set of measurements for go boards. This page on SL http://senseis.xmp.net/?EquipmentDimensions gives measurements for a particular Japanese floor board. Chinese boards have larger spaces between the lines (and thus larger stone diameters). I don't know about Korean measurements. What really counts is whether you like how the stones fit on the board.
Author:  EdLee [ Sat Feb 20, 2016 1:35 pm ]
Post subject: 
Kris2476 wrote:
A1 to T1: 16"
A1 to A19: 16.75"
Hi Christopher,

My shinkaya Japanese board (in avatar photo):
A1..T1: ~396 mm ~= 15.6" (narrower than yours)
A1..A19: ~429 mm ~= 16.9" (more stretched than yours)

Board width: ~421 mm ~= 16.6"
Board length: ~455 mm ~= 17.9"

(Stones are more X-axis crampy on my board than on yours! :) )

Interesting!
Author:  Jujube [ Sat Feb 27, 2016 11:33 am ]
Post subject:  Re:
EdLee wrote:
本蛤碁石 hon hamaguri go ishi

本 hon; true/genuine/proper; as in honte 本手. (See also Honda, below.)

蛤 hamaguri; clam(s).

碁 go; as in Go. :)

石 ishi; stone(s). As in 碁石 Go stones, go ishi.
And Mr. Ishida 石田 -- "stone field" -- of the famous Ishida Joseki dictionaries.
Honda 本田 -- automobile brand -- true/proper/genuine field.

( Mini Japanese lessons. :) )



You should start a thread for Japanese lessons. I've learnt 7 kanji already today. Putting kanji into context with names of Go players and names of Japanese companies makes them come to life quite well. You have a knack for it.
Author:  EdLee [ Sat Feb 27, 2016 12:13 pm ]
Post subject: 
Hi Jujube,

Thanks. My Japanese is extremely limited,
having studied it formally at a city college for only 6 months
back in the early 1990's. ( Japanese 101 & 102. :) )
I'm lucky because I already knew most of the Kanji,
as they are Chinese characters.

Some characters are easier to learn than others,
because they're quite visual.

Example: 田 field, as in a rice field. :)

Ishida 石田 stone field
Honda 本田 genuine field (In Hikaru, there's an insei named Mr. Honda )
Toyota 豊田 abundant field ( as in a rich field, an abundant harvest )
Matsuda 松田 (Mazda motors) pine field

( Got lucky that the clam shell stones name is easily cross-referenced with other famous terms. :) )
Farm fields 田:
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Windows 10 and M$ logos :)
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Author:  Jujube [ Sat Feb 27, 2016 12:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re:
EdLee wrote:
Honda 本田 genuine field (In Hikaru, there's an insei named Mr. Honda )
Toyota 豊田 abundant field ( as in a rich field, an abundant harvest )
Matsuda 松田 (Mazda motors) pine field


& there is also Honda Kunihisa 9-dan who won the 1984 NHK cup. There is a video or two on YouTube of him playing.
Author:  Heretix [ Wed Aug 03, 2016 6:41 am ]
Post subject:  Re:
EdLee wrote:
I cushion all my bowls, even my very cheap bowls and plastic ING stones.
It's just good habit to protect the stones, the bowls, and dampen the clacking noises. :)

And not just the interiors -- I also cushion the bottom of the exterior of the bowls, and the lids! (When I flip the lids as prisoners' containers.) This protects not only the bowls & lids, but whatever surface they rest on; e.g. the goban! :mrgreen:
I cringe when people slide the bare bottoms of their bowls along the surface of the goban; a reaction not unlike the screeching sounds on a chalk board!


This is the first i've heard of such a strategy, I think I might do just that for my soon-to-arrive new set! Do you glue the felt pieces to the bottom of the bowls? Or do you just place them on the bottom before play?
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