Shodan Imports Set

[gowan]

Buying a utility set to start is a good thing. I have a fine kaya table board, mulberry bowls and Japanese clam stones but it is for use at home only, too much risk to take it to the club, for example. I also have a slotted board, chestnut bowls and glass stones for taking to the club and other travel. I should also say that while I greatly enjoy the beauty of top quality equipment, I find no loss in enjoyment of playing using my utility set in a cafe or bar

[jdl]

Buying a utility set to start is a good thing. I have a fine kaya table board, mulberry bowls and Japanese clam stones but it is for use at home only, too much risk to take it to the club, for example. I also have a slotted board, chestnut bowls and glass stones for taking to the club and other travel. I should also say that while I greatly enjoy the beauty of top quality equipment, I find no loss in enjoyment of playing using my utility set in a cafe or bar

I keep debating on buying a real board. My vinyl + glass + Tupperware set works great at restaurants and can easily be crammed into a backpack.

Plus I'm so bad that I'd just be doing dishonor to any set that was finely crafted.

[judicata]

When you do start looking for a nice set, I can definitely recommend Shodan Imports. Good quality stuff and pleasant experience IMO.

Of course you should comparison shop.

[bengozen]

Ack. I'm bummed I couldn't get to this thread sooner. But I'm shocked that no one even suggested YMImports (especially if you live in the US).

http://www.ymimports.com/p-938-shin-kay ... bowls.aspx

I bought this set and absolutely think it combines price with quality. You're talking biconvex stones, jujube bowls, and a shin-kaya board that can convert to either floor or table board and only $120. Just add like a Go accessory for another like $10 and you have free shipping. Killer deal if you ask me. And you won't have to deal with cheap grass bowls. Bleh.

If you are talking about getting a high quality set, I'd definitely figure out whether you really want a real kaya board. I think the shin-kaya is a quite solid on it's own, and the key thing you'll really want in terms of quality would be your stones. Slate and shell my friend. Here's a link to a set I'm thinking of buying but agonizing over price because I'm a poor graduate student. =D

http://www.ymimports.com/p-985-shell-an ... ze-33.aspx

I've shopped around and although this may not be snow grade, it's 9.2 mm stones at Moon Grade quality which I think should be more than adequate.

[imabuddha]

AAnd you won't have to deal with cheap grass bowls. Bleh.

I have nice wooden bowls for my shell & slate stones, but I'm very fond of the grass bowls for my yunzi. The tight fitting lids are great.

[palapiku]

the key thing you'll really want in terms of quality would be your stones. Slate and shell my friend.

It's such a common perception that slate and shell is "the" material for go stones. All thanks to the fact that go was introduced to the West through Japan. Personally, not being Japanese, if I wanted a "top quality" set I would go for semi-precious stones of some kind. Shell chips and gets yellow with age and use, is very expensive compared to almost anything else, and isn't very pretty unless it's top grade (low grade shell - some stones have a few lines, others have almost no lines at all, the variation is a bit annoying).

*daydreams about http://www.algorithmicartisan.com/gostones/ *

[oren]

I love my low-grade slate and shell. They feel great and look good. Some have lines and some don't, but that doesn't bother me too much. The overall quality of the stones is great.

[ethanb]

All of my white stones (from kurokigoishiten) have lines on one side and a blank face on the other. I bought them a few years ago, so I don't remember 100% whether they're flower grade or moon grade, but I rather doubt I would have been able to save up enough to afford moon grade at the time.

If they are moon grade and that's why they all have lines, I'm glad I saved up - I definitely like them. But I really think they're jitsuyo, so maybe I'm just lucky.

[bengozen]

*daydreams about http://www.algorithmicartisan.com/gostones/ *[/quote]

the key thing you'll really want in terms of quality would be your stones. Slate and shell my friend.

It's such a common perception that slate and shell is "the" material for go stones. All thanks to the fact that go was introduced to the West through Japan. Personally, not being Japanese, if I wanted a "top quality" set I would go for semi-precious stones of some kind. Shell chips and gets yellow with age and use, is very expensive compared to almost anything else, and isn't very pretty unless it's top grade (low grade shell - some stones have a few lines, others have almost no lines at all, the variation is a bit annoying).

Okay I will definitely concede on the fact that there are other options in terms of stone selection such as onyx, agate, jade and cat's eye stones. I guess the "high-end" stones end up being a preference as to the feel and coloring of the stones. As mentioned though, if you want to go classic then yeah "slate and shell" is the way to go.

I also got some advice about the grade of the stones, and some actually prefer the lower end (Jitsuyo) due to the fact there are more pattern variations which to them make it seem a lot more interesting. I think it's an excellent case and point to demonstrate that you don't always need to the most expensive one for it to be suited to your needs.

AAnd you won't have to deal with cheap grass bowls. Bleh.

I have nice wooden bowls for my shell & slate stones, but I'm very fond of the grass bowls for my yunzi. The tight fitting lids are great.

Just wanted to clarify that I don't have anything against grass bowls, they are actually quite practical and the tightness of the lids is one thing wooden bowls don't have. I guess I'm super used to the classic look of the wooden board and bowls. Again, nothing against the grass bowls. =D

[km1000]

I would advise the original poster to avoid wasting money on a lesser quality set. A high quality set will greatly enhance your enjoyment of the game. If you love Go you'll never regret it, even for a single instant.

[LHM1948]

Hell All:

As for Shodan Imports. Does anyone know if they are still in business. They do not answer their telephones, nor do they answer their emails. They seem to have a nice web site but that is more a function of the web designer than the person or persons who "own" the shop. I am still looking for a nice Goban and it looks like I will go with Kiseido. As for Kiroki. Hist site is nice. Every time I ask for a board he tells me it is "sold out". I think he needs someone to update his web site. It is really sad that there are so few places for someone from the Easter US to buy a nice Goban. By the way, I looked at Yellow Mountain and there equipment is not what I am looking for.
If anyone has any ideas..I will listen. I even got a resone to my last post for a goban frome someone on 19x19 and he promised to send me pictures. They never came. I am really frustrated.

In Gote,

Lance

[judicata]

Hell All:

As for Shodan Imports. Does anyone know if they are still in business. They do not answer their telephones, nor do they answer their emails. They seem to have a nice web site but that is more a function of the web designer than the person or persons who "own" the shop. I am still looking for a nice Goban and it looks like I will go with Kiseido. As for Kiroki. Hist site is nice. Every time I ask for a board he tells me it is "sold out". I think he needs someone to update his web site. It is really sad that there are so few places for someone from the Easter US to buy a nice Goban. By the way, I looked at Yellow Mountain and there equipment is not what I am looking for.
If anyone has any ideas..I will listen. I even got a resone to my last post for a goban frome someone on 19x19 and he promised to send me pictures. They never came. I am really frustrated.

In Gote,

Lance

How long has it been since you tried contacting Shodan Imports? Note that it is a small operation, and Chuck (the owner) may be out on vacation, especially given the time of year. Still, it would have been wise to notify potential customers of that fact. Regarding the website, I believe Chuck was pretty involved in its creation--he is also a (the?) creator of igolocal.net, and he offered this discussion group a home when godiscussions.com.

In short, if it has only been a day or two, I would encourage you to try keep trying him. He has always been very responsive to my inquiries and is easy to deal with.

Of course, Kiseido runs a good shop too.

[gowan]

Hell All:

As for Shodan Imports. Does anyone know if they are still in business. They do not answer their telephones, nor do they answer their emails. They seem to have a nice web site but that is more a function of the web designer than the person or persons who "own" the shop. I am still looking for a nice Goban and it looks like I will go with Kiseido. As for Kiroki. Hist site is nice. Every time I ask for a board he tells me it is "sold out". I think he needs someone to update his web site. It is really sad that there are so few places for someone from the Easter US to buy a nice Goban. By the way, I looked at Yellow Mountain and there equipment is not what I am looking for.
If anyone has any ideas..I will listen. I even got a resone to my last post for a goban frome someone on 19x19 and he promised to send me pictures. They never came. I am really frustrated.

In Gote,

Lance

I doubt that Kuroki Goishiten is completely sold out of go boards, stones and bowls. You could try describing what you want and letting Mr. Kuroki tell you what he has. He can send you photos if you wish. In my opinion if you are getting a board with legs you should get 4-sun or thicker. The 2-sun or 3-sun boards just look kind of insubstantial to me. Also, I don't think the sound the thinner boards make when a stone is played is as satisfying as the sound of the 4-sun and up boards. Speaking of sound, again in my opinion you should avoid spruce (= shin kaya). It is too soft and stones make more of a "thunk" than a "click". Katsura, hiba, and real kaya are all better.

[LHM1948]

Hi All:

Thanks for all the advice. I was a chess fanatic. I had bought many chess set from a place called 'The House of Staunton'. This is also a small business. The operant word is business. When I called during business hours there was someeone always around to answer my questions. When I was looking for a good set they would send me a piece so I could examine the workmanship. Thjis would occur within 2 days. Now that I buy Go books i call Kiseido during business hours and Catherine is always there to answer my queszstions and get my order out the next day. The same with Laura from Slate and Shell. They are both highly recommended and they too are small operations. This is not the first time I have had a problem getting a response from 'Chuck'. If he is on vacation he should indicate that on his web site. It has been a week since I called him and sent him an email. Obviously, he is either on vacation or out of business. I should think the former is more likely. This is not the way to run a business. As for Mr. Kuroki, I am only interested in a Goban with legs and I am looking at a 6 sun or greater. He has a site with many items marked 'sold out'. But when I query him about a board that is supposedly still in stock because it is not marked 'sold out' than there is no reason he should tell me that he does not have the item any longer. Yet that is exactly what happened. I am just not used to these kind of businesses. It is sad that we in the West, have to put up with obstacles that I am sure are not problems if we lived in Asian countries. And in my mind these companies are bad for our hobby and should take their web sites down. You know, when I wanted to buy stones I saw the advertisement here from Peter Shotwell. From my first email until the stones arrived at my door was under a week, And Peter does not run a business. But maybe he should. He would do a better job that either Chuck or Kuroki.

Still in Gote,

Lance

[go west young man]

He would do a better job that either Chuck or Kuroki.

Mr. Kuroki runs one of the most, (likely THE most,) reputable go shop in all of Japan - indeed in the WORLD. His wide selection is excellent, and the quality of his products is second to none. While it is true that he is not fluent in English, he does respond within one or two days of web inquiries. I don't know Mr. Shotwell, but I would be surprised to find that he was more prominent than Kuroki as businessman and purveyor to the go playing community. And Mr. Shotwell probably cannot craft the finest stones and gobans available. Mr. Kuroki does, and in the finest fashion! Although his website may not be up-to-date by a few days or more, KGT has stock on hand that never even makes it onto the pictured inventory. Let there be no doubt, if you have the money, he has the equipment.

Incidentally, I also play chess, and bought a mammoth ivory club sized chess set from House of Staunton. The knights fell apart after a few weeks of casual play, and I went through weeks of returning various faulty and broken pieces, the wrong chests, etc. for which I paid dearly in cash, frustration, and disappointment. I finally settled on "just barely suitable" replacements after being sent cracked and unmatched bits over and over. None of that misery with KGT, I got what I paid for the first time, and it was perfect right out of the box.