This thick goban set came to Baduk Club from a private home in Toyama. The seller notes that his uncle has Alzheimers disease so the details of the set aren't known. However, this uncle also had an extensive Jazz collection on vinyl, so he clearly had good taste.
The set was not measured or photographed very well. Sorry! However, it was clearly cared for. The board is in excellent condition with clean corners and edges. The playing surface is clean of any major defects and the raised-lacquer grid is outstanding. It seems about 17cm-20cm thick, and was cut in the Plain-sawn style. The Kiura cut provides a look at the center of the tree, with the endgraying displaying the impressive growth rings. The dark color of heartwood is uniform throughout the entire piece, so the material is probably Katsura but could be Matsu (pine) or something similar.
The board is protected by a paulownia lid.
Visit my Care Instructions to learn more about caring for this board (and for cleaning the stones).
It is hard to say what type of wood the bowls are made of, due to the photos. The glossy look in the photos may point to Shin-Sakura (mahogany). They have been protected by a modern Paulownia storage box, so that is a very good sign, and it includes the standard purple ribbon. The box does seem to have fended off some water damage in one spot - this can be sanded away with ultra-fine steel wool if necessary. The bowls look size XL based on the thickness of the stones and how snugly the stones fill the bowls.
The stones are slate and shell, but were not measured or counted. They look like size 32 or size 34. In any case, they are in need of a strong scrubbing. The clamshell stones may still have a cream-colored patina after refurbishing, but they exhibit good, dense lines. If any of the stones are broken or missing, they will be replaced from our Colorado workshop so that you have a full set, and this is included in the purchase price (please measure them with a caliper and email us photos so we can best understand the color of their patina).
All together, this set weighs 21kg.
This is a Vintage product.
Shipping Details:
FedEx International Priority shipping from Japan (to everywhere) is already included in the purchase price for free, a service that reduces the actual transit time to only 5 business days.
It may be possible to downgrade to Surface shipping (a $180 discount) by removing the legs and sending them separately with the bowls and stones in a second parcel. Please contact us to request this, as it is done at your own risk of shipping damage.
In either case, please allow a week for the board to be packed and to clear Customs, then a tracking number will be provided that you can use to sign up for notifications.
