This set came to Baduk Club from an antique dealer in Gifu, Japan.
The board is a single-piece of Kaya, cut in the Plain-sawn style (Kiomote). This cutting style shows off the endgrain where you will sit, so you can view the beautiful growth rings. The sides feature some heartwood lines, and the playing surface has a unique double-ripple like a contour map of 2 mountain ridges.
Kaya blocks are cured for 10 years before being shaped into a board. The result is that the board is very stable and very dense. This board is 14.5kg and the cured resin gives it a unique sweet smell. The edges and corners are in great shape, but one small dent exists on the bottom edge (see photo) in addition to incidental marks.
The wood has some pith rays in the endgrain - cracks may form along these lines if a board is not cared for, but even so the wood is very stable and will not come apart.
We can see that a repair was needed on the underside where a knot was removed. This is likely why its current orientation was selected for the final product. A small sticker is indicating that the board is 5-sun thick (15.1cm), this is considered by some to be the ideal size for a board.
The bowls are most likely Chestnut, but could be a type of Mulberry. They are size XL and fit the stones comfortably. They have their original finish in decent shape.
The stones are size 28 slate and shell (about 7.5-7.8mm). The stones are dirty from age, and would benefit from a proper cleaning. Some chips may exist - we have not refurbished this set in our Colorado workshop, so we are able to offer it at a discount.
Shipping Details:
Airmail shipping from Japan with FedEx International Priority is already included, there will be no additional fee at checkout. Please allow one week for handling, then we will email you a tracking number that you can use to sign up for notifications.
