Not sure which stones to get

Jujube · #1

Hi,

I know it's totally up to personal preference, and impossible to advise, but in the absence of being able to see / feel them in the flesh, what kind of stones & what specification do you like and why?

Myself, I'm trying to decide between JangStone I or II, or Yunzi single / bi-convex stones. Both seem nice.

Is there any 'standard' thickness for stones? Do you find thinner or thicker stones nicer / easier to play with / more authentic?

imabuddha · #2

I love shell & slate stones. Mine are size 31 (8.4mm) which I consider ideal. In the past I had a set of 10mm glass stones, but these thicker stones tend to wobble around too much. The downsides of shell stones are cost & care.

For the last year or so I've been mainly using a set of single convex yunzi. These aren't as beautiful as shell & slate, but they do feel good to play with & don't suffer from the downsides. Single convex stones are also handy for playing out variations, but they are slightly harder to pick up when played on their flat side.

The best price incl. shipping on yunzi in the USA I've seen is from here: http://www.zengoban.com/Yunzi-Go-Stones ... nzi-stones

EdLee · #3

Look into Kuroki Size 38 (10.7 mm) Standard grade. It's my current favorite.
I heard size 38 is also Cho Chi-kun's favorite.

oren · #4

I got 9.2 mm slate and shell from Kiseido a while ago and love them.

Jujube · #5

imabuddha wrote:

I love shell & slate stones. Mine are size 31 (8.4mm) which I consider ideal. In the past I had a set of 10mm glass stones, but these thicker stones tend to wobble around too much. The downsides of shell stones are cost & care.

For the last year or so I've been mainly using a set of single convex yunzi. These aren't as beautiful as shell & slate, but they do feel good to play with & don't suffer from the downsides. Single convex stones are also handy for playing out variations, but they are slightly harder to pick up when played on their flat side.

The best price incl. shipping on yunzi in the USA I've seen is from here: http://www.zengoban.com/Yunzi-Go-Stones ... nzi-stones

To me, cost is a factor. So, although the consensus is clearly shell & slate, I don't think I'd go that far. Maybe in 10 years when I'm earning some money, assuming I keep up the go (and the degree!).

EdLee, the minimum price for your size 38s is about 260 GBP - that's like, a twelfth of my annual salary! Although I agree, they seem very nice.

So, wobble, that's interesting - we wouldn't want that. My other concern is that wouldn't it be a bit tricky to handle a thick stone? Anything over 10mm seems a little excessive? Difficult to SLAM down a crucial move - it could be SLAM, skid, crash, stones everywhere!

I'm living in the UK so shipping is a factor, everything related to Go seems expensive here, once you factor in the shipping. Sucks to be us!

Has anyone tried JangStone? They seem really reasonable, even if they are a bit bottom-of-the-barrel. The box seems nice too

and free bowls! Kinda cheap but very cheerful.

Mike · #6

Single convex yunzi is the best one I've ever played with.

mohsart · #7

If you're coming to LOGC, I could sell the stones in this set separate, for say, SEK 150 (~£16) http://mohsart.se/lang-en/go/79-go-set- ... kalar.html
That's Single Convex Clay stones, much like yunzi.
Yunzi stones have AFIK a more even back-side and they have this deep green colour that can be seen when holding them towards a lamp.
Apart from that, my impression is that the stones are equal in quality, they are both close to glass or clay, chip easilly if dropped on a hard surface etc.

/Mats

EdLee · #8

Jujube wrote:

To me, cost is a factor.

Me, too. Cost is a factor for most of us.
With the amazing advancements in material science and manufacturing, today we have
very nice products like those from Intel and Apple.

Wishful thinking: some day experts of very high caliber can produce Go stones and other equipment that:
- are resistant to bending, warping, dents, chips, scratches and breakage;
- of perfect feel, weights, shapes, and sizes;
- are eco-friendly (no need to chop down 1,000-year-old trees or kill hundreds of thousands of clams);
- don't require oiling, waxing, or polishing; very low maintenance;
- cost $1.

Until then, quality often comes with a price.
And like many other things, Go equipment has a learning curve. Good luck.

km1000 · #9

imabuddha wrote:

I love shell & slate stones. Mine are size 31 (8.4mm) which I consider ideal.

+1 for size 31 shell and slate. Total perfection.

I haven't found care to be an issue as long as you ensure that your hands are clean before handling them.

GregA · **#10**

Jujube wrote:

Hi,
Myself, I'm trying to decide between JangStone I or II, or Yunzi single / bi-convex stones. Both seem nice.

Is there any 'standard' thickness for stones? Do you find thinner or thicker stones nicer / easier to play with / more authentic?

I got these from YMI, though they seem to be sold out at the moment:
Glass Go Stones JangStone No.2 - 8.5mm (Size 31)-Glass Go Stones JangStone No.2 - 8.5mm (Size 31)
SKU: SK-SG002-A
1 $19.99

I wanted the cheapest glass stones I could find that were a reasonable size, and I like them. I imagine the JangStone I would be nice, too, just a bit thicker (9.5mm) and $25 now from YMI.

I also got the $10 single-convex plastic ones, which look and feel cheap and weird to play with, but I wanted some dirt cheap 9x9 sets, so they did the trick

kirkmc · **#11**

I'm with imabuddha; I have 8.4 mm stones, and I like the thickness very much. As he said, thick stones wobble, and I find that annoying. A friend has a very old set of very think stones (I don't know exactly, but I'd say close to 7 mm), and I like them too, but they're harder to pick up off the board if you're doing more than just playing a game (ie, playing out variations on the board).

Not sure which stones to get

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