nice set of shell & slate stones.

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.

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?