This Goban came to Baduk Club from a second hand store in Shiga, Japan.
The board has a yellow/brown color, and we can see transition away from heartwood in the lower corners. It is likely Matsu (Pine) or something similar like Beech. At 8.5cm, it is a nice height for a table board if you choose to remove the legs - otherwise it stands 21cm tall.
It is a Kiura cut, the most preferred of Center cut when the tree is not large enough for a Cross cut. This is a Plain-sawn cutting style, which shows off the center of the tree at the ends where players sit, with straight lines along the sides. Heartwood ripples on the surface, like a strong wind on water, create gentle waves.
Some white wax residue in the endgrain and on the underside of the board is a good sign. The board will really glow with a fresh application of Monkey Butter. The legs are a darker orange, probably Katsura.
Shipping Details:
FedEx International Priority shipping from Japan (to nearly anywhere) is already included. This service reduces the actual transit time to only 5 business days, and also allows more room for padding in order to avoid shipping damage.
Because of the quality of this set, Surface shipping is not recommended, but it is possible by using the discount code JAPANPOST to reduce the cost by $40 at checkout - this is done at your own risk, as Japan Post shipping takes up to 3 months.
In either case, please allow a week for Customs preparations, then a tracking number will be provided that you can use to sign up for notifications.
