How does one tell the difference between a kaya and a shin kaya board? This board has raised lines, Japanese style, but otherwise, I am not really sure how to tell.

Pictures:

While I am not an expert on goban wood, the color and grain is so similar to my Yellow Mountain shin kaya board I suspect that's what is in the photos. YM is known for their rather yellow boards; I don't think I've seen quite that color elsewhere.

Yes, but I doubt YMI have boards with raised ink lines. But, I agree. I own a YMI board, and the color is mostly the same (this one is slightly more orangey, although my YMI board darkened with age a bit).

In my opinion, the grain of the board shown looks a bit coarse. Shin-kaya grows much faster than kaya, so if the grain is coarse you would suspect the wood to be shin-kaya. When you look at pictures of a board, you should also try to look at pictures of the sides which shows the lines as that will tell you about the density of the grain as well as the cut of the wood.

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Thanks. Pictures of the sides attached.

I think it is very hard to tell, even by the pictures. From what I understand the smell of the wood might help give it away, but I don't know for sure. Also, the sound of striking a stone on it would help, but I am no expert. I am not sure I could tell the difference without hearing them side by side a few times.

Just FYI, a composite kaya board like that would not be very expensive. A 7 piece composite kaya board 2 sun would be about 25,000 yen, for a reputable dealer and board quality. Kurokigoishi sells hyuga-kaya at that price: http://shop.kurokigoishi.co.jp/en/item/714

If it were shin-kaya, I would expect a single piece board. A composite shin-kaya board would probably be pretty cheap. Single piece shin-kaya boards 1 sun are only about 6500 yen or so.

If you can not tell, you wasted your money (like I wasted mine thirty years ago when I bought a kaya board! )
If you don't know the difference, then there is no difference.

In my case, I can tell the difference. Why? Because it turns out that I am allergic to shin kaya. When I bought a shin kaya floor board twenty-five years ago, it caused a red rash on my hands (I have to be careful in certain high-class go clubs in the Tokyo area to this day). Other than that if someone put a board in front of me and said, "This is kaya!" I am pretty much at a loss. I might smell it and say, "Yes it smells like my kaya table top board." But really, any number of woods might smell more or less the same for all I know.

Mainly we rely on the sellers and their reputations. Where did you buy the board? Do you trust the sellers. If the answer is no, there you go!

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Dave Sigaty
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That's my impression, as well.



The slow growth of kaya makes the supply quite limited.

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To me this looks like kaya, a little bit coarse-grained indeed...

Actually, the posted side pictures seem to point exactly to the Aoyama Gobanten kaya board no.700. It seems to be the same board.

Kaya from China can have coarser grain.

Thanks!