Board help?

[zippythecellist]

So while I was in Japan this summer, I managed to pick up a really nice set of shell & slate stones. Problem is, I didn't actually get a board due to not wanting it to break on the way home. I don't really know what kind of board would be right for these kind of stones, or if it really even matters. What would be a good table board to get that isn't too expensive?

[fwiffo]

Just look for a Japanese sized board. They're a little smaller than Chinese boards. Shin-kaya (spruce) or bamboo are popular materials for less-expensive boards.

[oren]

You can get a Katsura or Shin-kaya table board from Shodan Imports, Kiseido, and probably a few others. It just depends on your budget.

[EdLee]

nice set of shell & slate stones.

What are the size (31, 32, 33, ..., 37, 38, etc.? Or in mm?)
and grade (standard, moon, or snow grade) of the shell stones, and the manufacturer, if you happen to know?

[tj86430]

This might help (copied from Kiseido website):

Choosing a Set of Board, Stones, and Bowls

In choosing a go set, the most important consideration is the balance in the quality of the board, stones, and bowls. If you own a fine tenmasa kaya board, it is aesthetically required that you have the finest set of yuki stones to go with it, preferably ones made from clams harvested in Hyuga. You would also want to store them in a pair of high-quality mulberry bowls. You would never want to use a set of yuki stones on a wooden folding board, nor would you use a set of glass stones on an expensive kaya board.

If you are using a traditional katsura board, there is no need to purchase an expensive set of yuki stones; a set of tsuki stones would best match the board. If you want to use the stones and board every day, but you want to play on fine equipment, a 2-inch katsura or hiba table board with jitsuyo stones (jitsuyo means `practical use') would be adequate.

Chestnut bowls should be used with glass stones. If you decide to purchase a set of shell and slate stones to be used with a katsura table board or a katsura board with legs, then you should certainly move up to cherrywood bowls or keyaki bowls along with a set of jitsuyo or tsuki stones.

If you were to purchase an expensive kaya board, aesthetic balance demands that you match it with a set of yuki stones and bowls made from the mulberry that grows on Miyake or Mikura island in Japan.

When you decide to purchase a go set, Kiseido would be happy to advise you as to what kind of set would best fill your needs. From the manufacturer's warehouse, we can select a wide range of equipment, from folding boards to traditional boards up 7.5 inches thick, glass stones, shell and slate stones up to 14 mm thick, and a variety of bowls to suit any taste.

[gowan]

So while I was in Japan this summer, I managed to pick up a really nice set of shell & slate stones. Problem is, I didn't actually get a board due to not wanting it to break on the way home. I don't really know what kind of board would be right for these kind of stones, or if it really even matters. What would be a good table board to get that isn't too expensive?

By "table board" do you mean a board to be put on top of a table or do you mean a board with legs? If the former I'd recommend a genuine kaya board if you budget allows. The genuine kaya wood color is perfect balance with the stones, and is most pleasing aesthetically in my opinion. Shin kaya (spruce) can also look nice and costs less than real kaya. Katsura has a darker appearance, again cheaper than real kaya. For an alternative to kaya you might consider hiba, a kind of cedar. All these kinds of boards are available at reasonable prices from Kroki Goishiten (http://www.kurokigoishi.co.jp/english/o ... index.html). Kuroki also has fine boards with legs on their site. There is a shipping charge but even including that the prices are reasonable, at least until the latest US Fed maneuvers devalue the dollar.

[fwiffo]

Yellow Mountain Imports is another retailer who I've had positive experiences with.