Looking for Ing Stones

[ElephantHistorian]

Looking for a set of the plastic stones with the metal core, quite common at one time but now unfortunately unavailable.
Please PM me.
Thanks so much!

EDIT: Looking to Purchase them

[EdLee]

Hi EH,

Yea, unfortunate. I never opened up one to find out what's the weight inside.
How do you know it's metal ? Thanks.

[Calvin Clark]

I have some broken ones. There is a lead weight in the center.

[EdLee]

Hi Calvin,

Thanks! I was guessing sand or clay of sorts.
Lead... hmm...

[gowan]

It says on this Sensei's Library page: https://senseis.xmp.net/?IngStones that they are widely used on Taiwan. The comments mention some negative aspects. Personally I've experienced the rattling of the weight inside and also, transport inside a car in the summer can cause the metal to expand but the plastic does not, so the stones can crack or split. I also found that the plastic was a bit slippery and it is easy to drop the stones. Of course all that is my experience and opinion; yours might be different.

[sybob]

To each their own, but I prefer Yunzi. Very nice to play with, and better availability. You may want to consider.

[EdLee]

some negative aspects. ... the rattling of the weight inside and also, transport inside a car in the summer... so the stones can crack or split. ... the plastic was a bit slippery and it is easy to drop the stones.

Yes, nothing is perfect; even the shell stones are a disaster for the clams.

With good care, I've never experienced any of the above with my ING stones: keep them in a nice temperature range, the core doesn't expand or contract too much and the plastic doesn't crack; they are 'practically indestructible' (again, with good care); glass and yunzi stones can and do chip all the time when dropped from the table to a hard floor; the ING stones just bounce around and shrug it off. I've found the ING stones perfect for coffee shop use (even on a hard floor; if course, a soft floor is even better for their longevity), after over 10 years of use. The weighted core makes them feel much more substantial than the flatter stones. The nice shape and thickness are modeled after clam-and-slate stones, but at a significantly lower price. Of course, YMMV.

[ElephantHistorian]

Still looking!