caring for and oiling yunzi

[cdybeijing]

Hi all,

My wife recently bought me a very expensive set of bi-convex yunzi stones, which I am uncertain how best to care for.

I have read on Sensei's library that these stones can be oiled, but as I am in Beijing both the Youtube clip and ChiyoDad's blog are blocked sites which I can not access.

Would anyone be so kind as to post a brief tutorial within this thread on how to care for and oil these stones, specifying what kind of oil can be used?

[Jordus]

The only reason to add oil is to get the shine. What i did for mine was add a drop or 2 of sewing machine oil into a bag full of stones and worked it in. As long as you keep them covered (so no dust gets in) you shouldn't have to oil them again until you decide to wash them (what you do if dust gets in).

[tj86430]

My wife recently bought me a very expensive set of bi-convex yunzi stones

OT, but I'm curious since I have only seen relatively inexpensive yunzi stones: how expensive are very expensive yunzi stones?

[Harleqin]

I thought that oil was added to reduce friction, so that the matte texture does not become polished after some time.

[deja]

You can do this if you like to. It is as Jordus said, a drop of mineral oil in a plastic bag should do the trick.
I oiled mine, but after some consideration I washed it away again...

I like yunzi stones, but since mine are of ordinary quality I'm not overly concerned about their welfare.

Yep, oiling yunzis is purely an aesthetic choice as far as I'm concerned. I don't think oiling yunzis has any value in preservation or care. They're actually a special type of glass. Here's a promotional video about yunzi stones showing them being made (briefly) - those part start at around 2:05 and 3:45 if you want to get right to it.

http://justplaygo.com/index.php/JPG/yunnan_weiqi_factory/

I prefer mine without oil, but if you like the sheen of an oiled stone, you only need to oil the black stones because the oil doesn't really improve the luster of the white stones.

Edit: sorry I had the time stamps wrong on the YouTube video - changes made.

[palapiku]

Yunzi should be slightly oily because otherwise the black ones are a dull gray color. Fortunately they get oiled as you handle them during play. I wouldn't bother doing anything beyond that.

What are expensive yunzi? I thought there was basically one kind of yunzi (plus two different shapes, plus the greenish "jade" colored stones, and I don't think those things affect the price).

[cdybeijing]

My wife recently bought me a very expensive set of bi-convex yunzi stones

OT, but I'm curious since I have only seen relatively inexpensive yunzi stones: how expensive are very expensive yunzi stones?

There may have been some slight hyperbole in my post; in actual fact, my wife bought me a very expensive set, which included stones. These were ordered directly from the manufacturer in Yunnan, and they are "1st grade stones." (that is translated from the Chinese labels)

The cost of the stones themselves was probably only about USD 200, so relatively inexpensive in comparison to slate and shell stones. They are biconvex.

The finish on the dark stones is a very nice matte. I have not even washed them, only played them several times, and I think the natural oils accumulated through play will be more than enough.

[deja]

The cost of the stones themselves was probably only about USD 200, so relatively inexpensive in comparison to slate and shell stones. They are biconvex.

$200.00 would be an expensive set of yunzi stones. The Yunnan factory makes and sells a grade of yunzi stones called "fine sub-cloud" or something to that effect, which go for 2800 Yuan or around 400 USD. You have a very nice set of yunzi stones.

[bengozen]

I've written a whole post on my blog about oiling and caring for your yunzi stones.

http://bengozen.blogspot.com/2010/10/ho ... tones.html

Check it out and let me know what you think!

[Monadology]

I prefer mine without oil, but if you like the sheen of an oiled stone, you only need to oil the black stones because the oil doesn't really improve the luster of the white stones.

That was not my experience at all. While it's less immediately noticeable, my white yunzi stones definitely had improved luster after being oiled.

[JMP]

Thank you very much for a greatly helpful guide on how and why to oil new Yunzi stones. The guide was exactly what I need!

All the best,
J.M.P.

[aatos]

Just got my Yunzi =)

Don't they smell of oil then for long time?

I remember I oiled a friends mill which smelled of oil then a few weeks long

[skydyr]

If you've put enough oil on them that they smell, you've put way too much.

They should look dry, just not as if there's white powdery stuff on them.