I am considering buying a hyugakaya board of either 1.8 or 2.0 sun size. I am also considering getting either size 36 or size 38 stones. I am wondering if the thickness of the board matters. I have read somewhere that thicker stones go better with thicker boards. My size 36 glass stones don’t sound great on thinner shin kaya boards and sound better on a thicker (6 cm = 2.0 sun) agathis board, so maybe there is something to it.

Another question is about the number of composite pieces. Does it make a difference, besides aesthetics?

Third question is whether somewhat red grain might be distracting during play. The shin kaya board I own has grain, but much more subtle. It looks beautiful but I wonder if it might be too much.

This is the board in question:

Hi AC, the grains look beautiful in the photo.

I prefer size 38, but this is a personal preference.
How much experience have you had using 36 and 38 ?
It takes time to find the perfect size for you.

I've been using 36 for a while. Can see myself going higher. I ordered sampler of Blue Label size 38 to try out.

I have size 37, and I definitely recommend thicker stones. The wobble when you first place the stone is very satisfying. And the stones feel heavy and significant in your hand.

The board grain looks wonderful. Slight irregularities in the grain give character, and are considered desireable.

OK, thanks. But is the somewhat thinner size of the board a problem for the bigger stones? This one's 1.8 sun.

Hi,
I'm not sure I really understand your questions. To me, your first question seems to not have to do with the thickness of the board, but on the kind of wood used (shin kaya vs agathis) in combination with certain stones. Glass stones sounds better on harder wood like agathis.
Your shin kaya looks beautiful to me.
I don't think the number of pieces (multi or single kaya) does matter that much. Maybe others can contradict me here. I've seen discussions about this here, about warping.
1.8 sun kaya vs 2 sun kaya is hardly relevant, IMHO.

It is a well balanced set though which makes it beautiful, in terms of handling & feel, aesthetics and sound. (Hyuga) kaya more or less requires slate and shell, not glass. A thick (kaya) board more or less requires thick stones. A beautiful grain, color tone and cut of a kaya board should preferably be matched with beautiful (yuki) stones. Consider matching bowls too.

Thanks, everyone, for the advice. Very helpful! I'll post pictures when the new board arrives.

Well, it turns out the board I purchased was cracked, so they never sent it and refunded me the money.

I am wondering if Kuroki Goishi is expecting more boards, or if it’s rare for them to get new boards, and I should just buy one of what they have. (I emailed them to ask, but they didn’t reply. In general, communication with them has been somewhat sparse.) Are hyugakaya or honkaya boards (up to 2 sun) hard to come by and appear in the inventories rarely?

Yes, it can be a while before more arrive. I waited a long time before one I wanted showed up there. There are a couple other sites that will ship too like miwagobanten, but have less experience dealing with people outside Japan.

Thanks. I couldn’t find English translation for that site. But then, another board just appeared on KG (albeit one I don’t like). So, maybe I’ll keep monitoring…