In need of some help for picking the right Go equipment shop

[Sharlatan]

Hello everybody!

I've been playing Go for a few years now and now that I'm really sure it's not just a fade for me, I'd like to buy me a nice Go set that will serve me well for many, many years to come.
I was thinking of investing about 1500-2500US$ and am looking for a table board as well as bowls and stones (I'd like to go with slate and shells).

I didn't find too many shops out there that might satisfy my needs. The ones I stumbled upon are (have I missed any major shops?):

• http://www.kiseido.com/go_equipment.htm
• http://shop.kurokigoishi.co.jp/en/
• https://shop.gogameguru.com/
• http://jzool.com/en/c/352-go-equipment

I'm not directly looking for advice on what to buy. I think I'll be able to find something that fits me well (although tips are certainly welcome if you can (not) recommend something) within the price range I've set myself. But truth been told, I don't have too much of a clue what prices to expect exactly and was wondering if you could tell me if some of this shops are a bit on the expensive side or if prices seem reasonable. For example (sadly can't find it anymore) I remember reading somewhere that jzool supposedly is relatively expensive.

Any insight would be most welcome!

Thank you very much and have a nice weekend!

[Solomon]

With a $1500-2500 budget, you can get a pretty nice set from Kurokigoishi which carries high end equipment. I have bought from them personally a few years ago and was extremely satisfied with their service and shipment from Japan, and you can read other's reviews here. The only thing you might be constrained by is that you won't be able to get a high end board with legs, as they cost around your budget or more just by themselves, so you'll probably have to settle with a table board instead.

[EdLee]

Hi Sharlatan,

I agree with Solomon.

With your budget, I highly recommend Kuroki's Size 38 ( 10.7 mm ) Standard Grade slate and shell stones.

If you have never experienced any stones thicker than 9 mm, you could buy "sample" stones from Mr. Kuroki --
he sells them for sets of 10 stones. Of course, the price-per-stone for these samples will be higher than
that of full sets. But it gives you a chance to physically touch the various sizes, for a modest fee.

I've had excellent experience with Mr. Kuroki and his shell & slate stones, and bowls.

For the bowls and boards, once again it depends greatly on your personal preferences: many (good) choices.

Example: if you have more than one room at home for Go, you may consider two separate table boards, versus one floor board, etc.,
to work within your budget.

Example: Similarly, instead of one very expensive Snow Grade, under size 38 ( Less than 10.7 mm ) shell stones,
you may consider two sets of Standard Grade size 38 ( 10.7 mm ) -- to get the optimal value for your budget.

If you still have "left-over" change after your Kuroki purchase, you can also consider the 10 mm ING stones --
for coffee shop use.

[Erythen]

I second the Kuroki endorsement.

Here are a couple more options for you...

You mentioned Kisedo. This is a good option. Mr. Bozulich has connections (and discounts) to many Go stores in the Tokyo area and the Nihon Kiin giving him access to a lot of nice items that aren't listed on his site. If you want something that's truly a work or art, look up the Shimakuwa bowls by Yoshiaki. The pictures here don't do them justice.

http://www.kiseido.com/goki/shimaguwa.htm

Miwa Gobanten - Sadly this site is Japanese only, but has a good reputation among the Japanese Go players I've known.

http://www.miwagobanten.com/

[tj86430]

I bought my Kaya board and slate and shell stones from Kiseido. I also exchanged some emails with Kuroki, but got a better offer from Kiseido and chose them. No complaint with either, perhaps dealing in English is slightly easier with Kiseido. From my experience I can recommend both.

[Sharlatan]

I'd like to thank everyone for their fast and super helpful advice! Honestly, I was really surprised how fast and well you helped me out! If only every online community would be like this!
I think I'll stick around and I'll also make a small donation to this site to keep it going!

Again: Thank you very, very much,

Sharlatan

Edit:
Now that I got good feedback on kurokigoishi and kiseido, I had a closer look at them.

But I think I'm confusing something. Stones seem to be cheaper at kiseido. And if I say "cheaper" I mean a lot "cheaper". It's most obvious for the yuki stones. At kiseido 10.1mm yuki stones are priced at $1,430 while 10.1mm yuki stones at kurokigoishi are priced at 330'000JPY or roughly 2726$ with the current exchange rate (http://shop.kurokigoishi.co.jp/en/item/204). Of course some price differences between shops are to be expected. But with this big a difference I'm assuming that I'm missing something..?

Thank you very much for your help!

[Solomon]

Edit:
Now that I got good feedback on kurokigoishi and kiseido, I had a closer look at them.

But I think I'm confusing something. Stones seem to be cheaper at kiseido. And if I say "cheaper" I mean a lot "cheaper". It's most obvious for the yuki stones. At kiseido 10.1mm yuki stones are priced at $1,430 while 10.1mm yuki stones at kurokigoishi are priced at 330'000JPY or roughly 2726$ with the current exchange rate (http://shop.kurokigoishi.co.jp/en/item/204). Of course some price differences between shops are to be expected. But with this big a difference I'm assuming that I'm missing something..?

Thank you very much for your help!

Might have to do with this, which totally slipped past my mind : http://www.lifein19x19.com/forum/viewto ... 19&t=12560
Based on this information, you'll probably get the best bang for your buck at Kiseido.

[EdLee]

Hi Sharlatan,

Not all shell & slate stones are the same level.

( My experience: there's a learning curve to everything,
including Go equipment. Mine was measured in terms of years;
YMMV. )

[gowan]

Kuroki Goishi Ten says on its website that it is finding it difficult to harvest clam shells in Mexican territorial waters. Because of this, prices are increasing. Maybe Kiseido has stock from before the prices increased. Also, the Kuroki prices for "standard" grade are much lower. The (very) high prices are for the yuki (snow) grade stones.

[EdLee]

My wishful thinking: with all the nano- and manufacturing technologies available --
look at Intel, Apple, Telsa ! -- it would be fantastic if somebody creates an entirely new,
eco-friendly material that surpasses clam shell in every aspect.

( If slate harvest is acceptable for the environment, we can keep it for a while. )

Then we'd have a set that's (much) better than yuki stones
for the price of 10mm ING stones. ( US$25 )

[Sharlatan]

[...]
Not all shell & slate stones are the same level.
[...]

Hey EdLee!

Hmm, but isn't the grading exactly for that; comparing the level of the stones to each other? Then again, grading might be quiet subjective and vary between manufacturers.

Anyway, thanks again to you and all the others and lets hope for those magical stones für US$25

[tj86430]

It is of course very much a matter of personal preference, but
- I would probably look for slightly thinner than size 36
- I would also look at perhaps Tsuki or even Jitsuyo grade stones - at least in Kiseidos price list the price difference btw Yuki and Tsuki is considerable compared to that btw Tsuki and Jitsuyo (esp. in thicker sizes)
(I currently own a set of size 34 Jitsuyos)

In addition, there is this on the Kiseido site:

If there is a particular size and grade of stones that you would like to purchase, please let us know and we may be able to obtain them for you.

Which I read as "you might not be able to get the stones at those prices", but it is always worth asking.