Life In 19x19

I simply cannot afford shell and slate.

I am used to glass stones - they are good.

I played with a set of Korean Ceramic stones ... they were single convex. I really liked the feel of them however i think i prefer double convex (although the snap of single is very cool, but then placing double with a snap is also very easy.) .. but that is another discussion.


I am considering yunzi stones. I kinda want to buy them just to see what they are like, but the asthetic of placing them is kind of important i think. Maybe this is splitting hairs over a decision simply because there is one to be made.

Are they significantly different to glass in feel .. how do they compare to ceramic stones?
I think i prefer ceramic to glass and i saw yunzi compared to glass so am slightly unsure about what to go for.

Cheers

Choosing stones? It's all a question of taste. Unless you can physically fondle a variety of different substances and diameters and thicknesses, it's all a guessing game because the differences are not easily described and they are, mostly, subjective. Even if one eliminates a snob factor, you may not like what I like in a go stone. You will want a set of bowls for the new stones so budget appropriately.

If you can afford to get additional stones, or you have found a bargain, I say, do it. But it's not my money, of course.

I have many charming sets of stones but they were acquired as economic opportunities presented, not in an effort to become a collector of playing equipment.

Ok maybe the real question got lost

is there any real tactile difference between yuzni and glass stones?

I'm not an expert on Yunzi, but from my understanding, it's much nicer than glass (look, feel, quality).

Glass will easily chip and break , the stones are often uneven (from what I've played with), and they've got a bit of a glare to them in the light, which for whatever reason bothers me.

Yunzi, (like glass) is easy to clean, but sometimes comes with a few chipped or broken stones (based on what I've read here in the forums). Then again, glass probably isn't much different with that regard.

Given a choice between the two, Yunzi is, in my humble opinion, much nicer.

I'd rank stone quality in this order (and I'm sure there are those who'd disagree with me)

1. Hyuga (Native Japanese) clamshell (Snow --> Moon --> Standard)
2. Clamshell (Mexican, Giant Clam, other) (Snow --> Moon --> Standard)
3. Precious stones (Jade, Agate and so on)
4. Yunzi
5. Ing
6/7 Glass and Plastic

I recently purchased some double-convex Yunzi stones from Yellow Mountain Imports and I've been quite happy with them. I used glass stones at my old go club in middle school and, because they were the first kind of go stone I ever played with, those are always my baseline for what stones are like.

I would agree that Yunzi and glass are similar, but there are some differences.

1. I like the sound a lot better. The sound they make moving in the bowl. The sound of the stones on the board. It seems more full than glass stones. (I'd like it if my computer had a better mic so I could share the sound with you, but it just doesn't sound right when recorded and played back.)
2. They seem to be about the same weight as glass stones - perhaps a bit heavier, but if so not much.
3. They feel softer than glass, but they also feel less fragile. This is a bit hard to describe, but perhaps the best analogy is the difference between a hardcover and softcover book. The hardcover book's cover has a bit more give when squeezed so it seems softer, but you can tell it is firmer than the paperback. (The stones obviously have no give when you squeeze them, but that's the analogy I could think of)
4. They look similar to glass at first glance, but they look different when you see them close up. Both black and white stones have a bit more of a matte finish to them (the glass stones I used did too, but these are more matte).
5. And of course the green coloration thing is awesome - I know it's not really a factor when playing, but it's pretty cool.

I had a hard time finding good pictures for the stones when I was looking around, but Wikipedia has a pretty good picture of Yunzi stones. Yunzi stone picture This is exactly what mine look like. One thing I note is that the black stones make even the tiniest speck of dust visible. I actually kind of like that about them.

None of my stones were chipped when I got them, but I've only purchased a set once so I don't know if that is always the case. The glass sets I've used always had a chipped stone or two and I know I didn't like how sharp the edge of the glass was or how glossy the broken area looked. I could chip some stones to compare, but I have no intention of doing that on purpose.

I can compare these to glass stones, but I've never used ceramic so I can't make that comparison. They are honestly similar to glass so if you really like ceramic then you may want to go with that.

cool thanks for the answers


I guess the stone curvature between glass and yunzi is the same at the same grade?

Im swinging towards yunzi but can only find 9.2 or 11 ... 11 is probably way too fat for me! (I suspect the stones i tought may be ceramic are actually yunzi from what was said above - will find out tommorow)
I also think i want something a little rounder than glass 9,2 ... need to check what grade my friends are ... i guess they could be 8mm ... hmm decisions decisions ... always make a meal of them.

MrTortoise wrote:Ok maybe the real question got lost
is there any real tactile difference between yuzni and glass stones?

Here they are:
I am considering yunzi stones. (That's an implied question. I answered it in the affirmative providing, of course, you really REALLY want them.)
I kinda want to buy them just to see what they are like, (Decisions, decisions. Again, I say, swipe your card and enjoy playing with them. You may not like them, however.)
but the asthetic of placing them is kind of important i think. (Maybe. It's unresolved until you hold one and snap it into place, is it not? Thickness influences the placement. I like 6-9mm myself. Subjective.)
Maybe this is splitting hairs over a decision simply because there is one to be made. (Oh, I agree. Hairs. Certainly.)
Are they significantly different to glass in feel? (There's an inquiry! Answer: Yes, oh, yes.)
how do they compare to ceramic stones? (Answer: Well, they are different: different colors, different material, different manufacturing process, different finish. Perhaps that is more of a list of contrasts than a comparison. Here's a good comparison: Yunzi stones are cooler to have in your possession at the club but glass is cooler to the touch.)
I think i prefer ceramic to glass and i saw yunzi compared to glass so am slightly unsure about what to go for. (Your decision is a question of lust. and money.)

I have a set of Japanese glass stones from Ye Olde Ishi Press, purchased in the mid-1980s; they're as old as my son. They are superbly crafted, precisely finished and sized. I have lost one or two and I have dropped one or two onto tile floors (only play over carpet when using your best gear) to watch them chip but none have ever chipped spontaneously or disappointed me in any way. All of the other stones in my collection are charming for their incomparable reasons. I do love the more traditional glossy whites and matte blacks, though, and that restricts my deliberate stone acquisition decisions. Economic opportunities are serendipitous and the joy is in the having not in the niggly bit about aesthetics of finishes. I even like Ing stones.

I have some Korean glass stones and they are of terrible manufacture. Still, they are go stones and, because they were stupid cheap, they serve the purpose of being in places my finer gear would never show up.

Go ahead, get the stones. Get a new set of bowls, too.