This lovely set includes refurbished Go Stones and Go Bowls.
The stones are size 25 Slate & Shell (7.5mm).
The 180 clamshells are Suwabute stones, Japanese clams that are no longer harvested due to depletion. Japanese clams are not graded like Mexican clams, as they grow slower at a higher latitude and so have a higher density of lines. My lightbox shows their dense lines. The clamshell stones were been cleaned per our Care Instructions, including a week-long soak in h2o2 and a rinse with distilled water.
The flashlight on your phone will shine through most Mexican clams to reveal a yellow color, but Japanese clams reveal a deep orange - in this regard, they are similar to egg yolks of different qualities. On the other hand, Mexican clamshell has a pure white exterior, while these vintage Japanese clamshells have the unmistakable orange colorations of flower-grade Suwabute shells.
The 181 slate stones are slightly wider, to account for black's slimming effect. They were washed with soapy water, rinsed with distilled water, but have not yet been buffed with mineral oil (we leave this choice to you).
The bowls are Kuri (chestnut), size L. They were refurbished in our Colorado workshop with a Monkey Butter treatment. They are also old, and have shrunk slightly over time so that the lids don't sit neatly (this could be corrected, if you want to, by widening the openings slightly). They catch the light very well, and fit the stones snugly.
This is one of our Vintage products. If you want a new set of Hyuga Suwabute stones that will be pure white and without any wear & tear, we recommend visiting Mr. Kuroki or HyugaGoBoardStone, where they are available in the $1500-$4000 range.
Shipping Details:
This item ships from Colorado, USA via USPS or UPS. Allow 3 business days for handling, then you will receive a notification with the tracking details. Shipping box: 11x8x6 5.5lb
