Go set identification

[istealth]

Hi All,

I recently got a set, which includes the board, stones and bowls. I was wondering if it is possible to get some more information about that. I have not seen such boards in online shops (with rounded borders), so I was wondering if someone saw them before or can tell what kind of wood it might be made of. Also the bowls look wooden but I have no idea how to find the similar in the internet. They are not really brown but more blackish-grayish-brownish. The stones I think pretty standard, glass, 22 mm x 9 mm. The previous owner said that the other previous owner ordered it from Japan. The board size is 38 x 42 x 4 cm and the grid spacing is 22 x 23.5 mm. I really like the set, but I am curious if it is one of cheaper or intermediate quality sets.

I was also wondering what kind of book is that (see the picture). It came with the set and contains some go problems I would say... but it would be nice to know what it the title The first to characters mean Go in Japanese, as I found on wikipedia.

Thanks!

[gowan]

The board appears to be made from oak wood. The rounded edges and corners are also from oak and have been added to the center section which is made from pieces of oak that have been glued together. I haven't seen such a board available commercially so I can't say anything about the origin of the board. Oak is not a common board material, probably because it is too hard and also fairly expensive for mass production. The bowls are chestnut wood and look somewhat the worse for wear. The book is about life-and-death; the title in Japanese reads Igo Shikatsu.

[Erythen]

I was wondering if someone saw them before or can tell what kind of wood it might be made of.

Hmmm, wish I could be of more help. If it's not Kaya, Katsura, Agathis or Spruce I'm not as familiar with the wood. It's a beautiful board though

Also the bowls look wooden but I have no idea how to find the similar in the internet.

I believe the bowls are Kuri (Chestnut). As far as I've seen, chestnut is always itame cut (circular on top). Compare with these pictures of a new set...

http://www.kurokigoishi.co.jp/english/o ... kurttd.jpg


Chestnut dries out like that if not cared for properly, I'm surprised there's no crack in the wood. Rub some vegetable oil over the surface, it'll go a long way in helping the material. If you rub it on the inside though, give the wood quite a while (a week at least) to dry before placing the stones in.

The stones I think pretty standard, glass, 22 mm x 9 mm.

Just from the matte reflection, the black stones look a bit like slate. If the white stones have grain (lines) then they're shell, if not, then they're glass (which would also mean the black probably are too).

I was also wondering what kind of book is that (see the picture).

I really wish I could help here. My spoken Japanese is broken at best and written is, well, not good

Anyway, it's a beautiful, well crafted board. Congratulations on your find!

[istealth]

Hi,

Thanks for the answers!

Indeed the wood of board does not look similar (in texture and color) to the wood of the boards from the online shops. It is probably indeed oak. The bowls look very similar to chestnut bowls from many shops, but indeed are old and worn out, no cracks though. I will try the trick with the oil. The stones are from glass, I found one black which is broken a bit and the cut looks pretty much like glass. I only wonder if those are Japanese or Korean glass stones. I also Have Korean glass stones, which are 22mm x 8mm and even though people say that thicker stones are more respected, I find the new ones (which are 22mm x 9mm) more difficult to handle... The they slip my fingers too often and drop on the board. I do not have such problems with flatter Korean stones but I think I just have to get used to that shape. The book is indeed life and death problems. It basically has one problem, on each page, and 2 variants of play on the other side. See the photos.

[skydyr]

That's weird... The book looks like it opens to the left as in English. Is this common at all?

[Bantari]

Very nice board and bowls. I think I have seen something similar in Europe many many years back, as a matter of fact - it looks familiar, as if this kinds of sets were popular or at least - accessible. Old-style, this is what my first though was when I saw the pics. But don't remember when and where. Maybe somebody with better memory can help.

I have no clue about the materials.

Are you thinking of selling it?

[istealth]

I have no clue how old the board and the whole set is, it would be really cool to know approximately. As I understood, the previous owner already bought it from someone, who, as she said, got the board from Japan. She bought the whole set from that person, but did not know if the bowls, book and stones were also from Japan. Besides, the board has a velvet cloth glued beneath in order to protect a table from scratches. I wonder it is hand-made board, or mass production kind of board, but I assume it is not possible to know. I am not planning to sell the set yet and it is pretty heavy, so I assume shipping from the Netherlands might cost quite some money. If I decide to sell it I will probably post it here as well.

The book indeed opens and reads from left to right.