Hi, I got my new set of slate and shell stones from Kuroki Goishiten in the mail last week and I think their defective. When I place them on the board, they fall over. I've filed down the edges to create a flatter surface but they won't stay up. I paid over $1,200.00 for these stones and I think I'm going to send them back for a different set. Does anyone know why this is happening? Thank you.

Fall over? Can you send a picture? I'm unsure how a stone can fall over?

I probably shouldn't say this, but my first impression was that somebody is trolling.

Other than that, i guess topazg said the essential: pics please to get the idea. Also knowing what size (thickness) of stones we are talking about might help.

I hope OP isn't trying to get them stay like this: ()

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I think it is an attempt to be facetious.

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I think the problem might be that slate and shell stones aren't compatible with vertically mounted magnetic go boards. After you place the stones on the board, do you tend to find them on the floor in front of your refrigerator? If so, you might try taking the board off the refrigerator and putting it flat on a table to play. You could also glue a little magnet to each stone and then they should work just fine with the board vertically mounted. As they are high-quality stones, you will want to make sure to get comparable quality magnets, such as these (http://www.unitednuclear.com/index.php? ... x&cPath=70).

Here's the picture that the guy at the game store said was the way professionals placed their stones. I trust him because he's been really nice to me. The picture is not that good because I had to use my cell phone.

Subtle vibrations from people walking in the distance will certainly tip over the stones. Try to choose an area free of foot traffic.



If you are looking for a real challenge, try to balance a CD on edge. In addition to the usual issues with unlevel surfaces, and ground vibration, you have to start to account for gentle breezes.

He had me going up until the bit where he was filing the edges of his $1200 stones!

I called my friend at the game store and he said that I needed to add a special heavy wax to my board. He suggested a brand called Gomuko wax. He said 10 to 12 coats at minimum. I looked on the internet and couldn't find this wax. Does anyone have a link or know where I could buy this wax?

The box for my stones says they are size 40, 11.3mm, snow grade. They seem too fat to me especially compared to the ones rubin427 has pictured. This probably why mine keep falling over and his stay up.

I only filed about a dozen to see if that would help but it didn't. That's why I came here to get some advice.

Just keep filing more, obviously.

that stone is fat because it is expansive high quality stone.
if you file them you will lose its value.

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"The more we think we know about
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That's what my friend at the game store says, so I think that's good advice. I don't know why Magicwand is saying it will lose value. That's not my experience. He must be a beginner to the game.

Thanks to everyone for the advice, except to Magicwand who is full of bad aji.

Now really, is this necessary? Magicwand takes time to offer his thoughts and you just insult him out of nowhere. Stay classy. And he is not a beginner.

Btw, I should mention that, despite the humorous nature of this thread, Magicwand doesn't speak English very well so obviously he won't take your post as you'd expect him to. Take that into consideration next time.

I'm sorry, you're right. I'm full of bad aji.

AHHh~~~ Fire bad!!! aji bad~~!!!!
so it was meant to be a joke thread???
i am still confused and puzzled

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"The more we think we know about
The greater the unknown"
Words by neil peart, music by geddy lee and alex lifeson

Since they just fall down on the flat side, perhaps you could make some sort of stand for them. Perhaps take one stone and glue it onto another to form a sort of upside down T. That way they won't fall over and still be able to stand tall. It will halve the amount of playable stones, but at least you can play. I'm unsure what kind of glue would be best for this. Perhaps your friend at the store could help out.

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Maybe a 19x19 grid of velcro strips on the board and a smaller strip of velcro around each stone's edge would do the trick as well. You might want to get black and white velcro strips, if possible. I don't know why your friend at the store didn't sell them originally like that, specially considering it is not a cheap set!

It is so much easier to pick up captured stones with my fat clumsy fingers when they are standing tall like this. After 25 years, I learn something new. Thanks for the tip.

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I think your problem is more with your go board. Simply put, you aren't playing the stone with enough force. Pros train for years to gain the arm and finger strength to be able to play stones like that. If you're not able to make them stick with just one move, just spend a few hours playing stones as forcefully and accurately as you can, and within no time your go board will have the indentations of a pro board! If you need an even faster way, simply place a ball bearing on each point, and pound it into the goban with a hammer for a head start!