Kurokigoishiten's small (not mini) size Go set

[CDavis7M]

I have been replaying games and have a hard time finding a place in my home for a full size board. The best place is the kitchen table but only after cleaning up after the kids. I found a plastic miniature sized go set on Amazon JP which can be placed anywhere. I like it a lot, especially for the price, but I really wanted one of the miniature sets from Kurokigoishiten. I assumed that they no longer produced them as they only had the ultra expensive miniature anniversary standing go board (with legs) set for sale. But recently they added a few small sized tabletop go sets.

http://shop.kurokigoishi.co.jp/item/3189

Typical go stones are 21.9mm. Small sized ones from Kurokigoishiten are 15mm. And the miniature ones are 12mm. There are pictures comparing go stones and boards in the link above. My plastic set is closer in size to the 12mm ones and so I thought 15mm might be perfect for me. I was right. The stones are easy enough to place on the board and I do not have an issue placing stones next to each other. Or, not more than I do on the full sized board. The wood smells nice.

The packaging is always nice:


A comparison of 21.9mm and 15mm stones.


A close up of the board and stones:


The composition of wood to make the board:

[bogiesan]

And where'd you get it?
Hahaha is joke.

Thanks for reposting from over on reddit to L19. At last, a post (with photos) that isn't about AIs.

Curious if a complete collection of Kuroki's collectors' items would need to include their Sumeri and Sakura lavender and green stones. Designed as a 9x game, yOu'd need to buy four to get a full-size set of stones.

http://shop.kurokigoishi.co.jp/en/category/27

[CDavis7M]

And where'd you get it?
Hahaha is joke.

I think I get the joke if it's based on a Reddit comment.

Anyway, this is not actually a collector's edition. They sell a 100th anniversary edition which has even smaller 12mm stones and a board with legs. http://shop.kurokigoishi.co.jp/category/1002

By the way, what is the terminology for a board with legs? Table board vs table-top board?

[Vesa]

At last, a post (with photos) that isn't about AIs.

Well, well...

Cheers,
Vesa

[bogiesan]

Anyway, this is not actually a collector's edition.

By the way, what is the terminology for a board with legs? Table board vs table-top board?

Perhaps not a specific collectors' item but you must be a collector of oddball go stuff to feel the need to have this set.

Interesting question, that. They are both "goban". My first thought is o-goban for the larger floor version but it's not likely.

Somewhere on the web there is an extensive article that purports to compile most known information about the pun supposedly attached to the name of the flower represented by the carved foot, the heso carved into the underside, the origin of the 19x19 grid, and some other esoteric stuff, mostly speculative and without attribution. Fine shogi boards have the same feet, heso, tachi-mori, and similar stories that have come down through the centuries.

Here's Sensei's limited list of Japanese terminology:
https://senseis.xmp.net/?GoTermsUsedForGoEquipment

[Ferran]

Somewhere on the web there is an extensive article that purports to compile most known information about the pun supposedly attached to the name of the flower represented by the carved foot, the heso carved into the underside, the origin of the 19x19 grid, and some other esoteric stuff, mostly speculative and without attribution.

I think I read a bunch of that on Arthur Smith's book... yep. Checked the online version. However, it's already full of "probablies" and "are saids"... I think 100+ years on we can say it's no longer unattributed. It's now... Mythic.

Take care.

[CDavis7M]

Perhaps not a specific collectors' item but you must be a collector of oddball go stuff to feel the need to have this set.

I'm just a guy with space for a 15mm go set but not enough space for a full sized set.

Interesting question, that. They are both "goban". My first thought is o-goban for the larger floor version but it's not likely.

Thanks for the sensei's library link. The main list of terms is a good one to have handy.

After a nights rest I realized that the answer was before me all this time. Kurokigoishiten simply categorizes as "desktop" (tabletop?) boards (卓上碁盤 Takujō goban) vs board "with legs" (脚付碁盤 Kyakutsuki goban). I must have already read this before. But for some reason I remember seeing board with legs called "table" boards, which is too similar to tabletop.

Anyway, I used this board to play though one of Nakamura Sumire's games following commentary by Ichiriki and it was a pleasure to use. Plus, the kaya smells like a buttery sweet pastry. It's really unique in that way.