Is olive oil OK for caring Slate stones?

[Psychee]

Also, Sensei's library says:
* First time, wash stones in warm soapy water
Is any kind of soapy water fine? Or should be some special soapy water that PH=7? Can I just wash them with pure water?

Thanks,

[Jordus]

I just used tap water and regular liquid soap for mine.....

not sure about olive oil....

I used sewing machine oil for mine (can buy it at wal-mart.. runs maybe 2 dollars a bottle or something).. was actually recommended to me over the forums I think... back in the GD days..

*EDIT* Sorry.. just noticed you said slate... I was thinking yunzi.... My stones were yunzi

[Jordus]

Btw when you do oil your stones it literally only takes a couple drops...

[Psychee]

Btw when you do oil your stones it literally only takes a couple drops...

Thanks, that's why i thought about olive oil. It's just there in the kitchen and I need only 2 drops.
The one who sells it says food oil is fine, but I do doubt it after reading some pages on sensei's library .

[kaimat]

I don't know if you're supposed to even oil slate stones; I'm almost certain you aren't supposed to do anything to shells.

Like the other poster, I too used sewing machine oil on my Yunzi stones, but I was also told that you can just leave them be and they'll pick up the oil from your fingers after a few uses and be just as good, so maybe you just need to play with your slate ones and after a short while they'll be fine, too.

[EdLee]

Same reply for another thread:

"Mr. Kuroki told me: for the first few years, use a clean, dry, soft cotton cloth.
If they get dirty later on, just use a bit of water.
I read somewhere that it's not a good idea to use any kind of soap or detergent,
since the shell stones are organic (some kind of calcium carbonate?),
and soaps/detergents are designed to DISSOLVE organic materials.

(It's probably OK to use soap/detergent on the slate stones,
and if you keep a good habit of cleaning all the hands before touching them,
and otherwise take good care of them, they should last a very long time.)"

Caveat: my personal preference is I cannot stand any kind of oily or slimy
feeling on any Go equipment, especially not on the beautiful slate & shell stones.

[gowan]

First here's link to the Sensei's Library page on caring for go stones: http://senseis.xmp.net/?CaringForGoStones

Regarding oiling the slate stones, I wouldn't use any vegetable oil because it might get moldy and smell bad. The slate shells arrive already oiled and you should wipe any excess oil off with a clean cotton cloth. As has been noted elsewhere you want to avoid getting oil on the shell stones. The clam shell is porous and might absorb oil if it gets on unwaxed shell stones. The shell stones are waxed when new and as long as the wax is there you can clean them just by wiping them with a soft cloth, perhaps using a little water. Using soap or other detergent could remove the wax, which is why strong detergents are not recommended for cleaning the shell stones. When the wax has worn off it should be replaced. Ibota ro is the Japanese name for the wax used by the manufacturer but might be hard to obtain outside Japan. So-called micro-chrystalline wax, Renaissance Wax is one brand, is OK. Using detergent on the slate stones will do no serious harm except that when the oil is totally removed the color will be gray rather than black. Light mineral oil (sewing machine oil) can be used to re-oil the slate stones but, again, any excess should be wiped off. Skin oil from your fingers will keep the slate stones adequately oiled from normal use.

Kuroki Goishi Ten offers a cleaning service (page only available in Japanese): http://www.kurokigoishi.co.jp/onlinesho ... index.html If you want to use this service and don't speak Japanese you can communicate with Mr. Kuroki. The cost for this service on Mexican clam shell stones is 5250 yen plus shipping to and from Japan.

[daniel_the_smith]

I doubt you want to put anything edible on them.

As others noted, don't oil shells.

I don't personally have slate stones, but yunzis will pick up oil from your hands after a couple uses. That might be a better way to do it, if you use more than a few drops you'll end up with a big, oily mess-- you don't want that...

[tapir]

Same reply for another thread:

"I read somewhere that it's not a good idea to use any kind of soap or detergent,
since the shell stones are organic (some kind of calcium carbonate?),
and soaps/detergents are designed to DISSOLVE organic materials."

Caveat: my personal preference is I cannot stand any kind of oily or slimy
feeling on any Go equipment, especially not on the beautiful slate & shell stones.

1. Calcium carbonate isn't organic.
2. Soaps are not designed to dissolve organic materials, but they aid dispersion of e.g. oil in water.
3. So if you are trying to do sth. special and end up with some acidic cleaning material you really can harm your shell stones, because acids do dissolve calcium carbonate. (That is why you use citrus based cleaner for getting rid of carbonate residues in a sink or a kettle.)
4. The equipment isn't oily if you remove excess oil with a clean cloth after oiling. (I just cleaned and oiled my Yunzi stones yesterday. Kind of meditative if you do it one by one
5. I don't own shell & slate stones and would listen to Gowan regarding shell stones. (Just a cloth or maybe a little plain water).

[EdLee]

Calcium carbonate isn't organic

Thanks, tapir. From http://chemed.chem.purdue.edu/genchem/t ... ganic.html

Most compounds extracted from living organisms contain carbon. It is therefore tempting to identify organic chemistry as the chemistry of carbon. But this definition would include compounds such as calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), as well as the elemental forms of carbon diamond and graphite that are clearly inorganic. We will therefore define organic chemistry as the chemistry of compounds that contain both carbon and hydrogen.

[BramGo]

I wouldnt use olive oil. Olive oil is likely to give a yellow color to your stones. The whole point is to avoid getting dirt inside the stone. Therefor carwax is a good idea. On the other hand, Use sewing machine oil, only for the slate stones, not for the shell. Sewing machine oil will make them shine a little. If you dont use oil on the black stones they can have a slight white layer, which results in a dry look.

[tchan001]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsZIwsXpve8
In the video, they are using camellia oil 椿油 with the slate stones.
For the shell stones, after cleaning them with egg yolk, they use a bit of ibotarou イボタロウ wax polish powder to coat the shell stones.

[go west young man]

These are little pieces of stone. There is no reason at all to oil them. Play with them, and they will get a little oil from your fingers. Wipe the dust/orange juice/peanut butter/bong water/whatever off of them with a clean towel if you want to. That's all you need to do, and if you don't abuse them they will literally last for thousands of years.