Why are Go sets so expensive?

Why are Go boards so expensive? – Quora. True GO boards are made with Kaya wood, a particular kind of tree that is almost extinct now, at least the native Japanese kind. Even Shin Kaya, a close enough alternative is rare. So getting a single piece board, involves a lot of select inventory.

How much does a Go set cost?

Go playing equipment varies widely in quality. You can get a good basic set, with a thin wooden board and plastic stones and bowls, for under $50; or spend a little more for thicker, more fine-grained wood and heavier, thicker glass stones. The best equipment can cost $1000’s.

What is a Go piece?

The playing pieces are called stones. One player uses the white stones and the other, black. The players take turns placing the stones on the vacant intersections (points) of a board. The standard Go board has a 19×19 grid of lines, containing 361 points.

What are Go stones called?

Go stones, or go-ishi 碁石,棋子, are round objects placed on the board. They are colored either black or white, for each player, and normally number 181 for black and 180 for white (or sometimes 180 for each).

Where can I buy Go equipment in Japan?

Go Equipment (kiseidopublishing.com/go_equipment.htm). end and click the “Equipment-Order Selection Completed” button. Kiseido offers a large selection of go equipment, from inexpensive sets to boards, stones, and bowls of exquisite quality, and we can help you select the equipment most suited to your needs.

What kind of Go equipment does Kiseido have?

Kiseido offers a large selection of go equipment, from inexpensive sets to boards, stones, and bowls of exquisite quality, and we can help you select the equipment most suited to your needs. Special bargains for luxury equipment can be found at http://www.kiseidopublishing.com/luxury.htm . Photo shows an 8-inch thick tenmasa kaya board.

What are the grades of Go Go stones?

Aesthetically, if you are going to use the stones for a board with legs, the thicker the board, the thicker the stones should be. Besides thickness, the white stones are classified into three grades: yuki, tsuki, and jitsuyo .

Where are the black stones in Go equipment made?

The black stones in these sets are made from slate nachiguro mined in Wakayama prefecture, Japan. The white stones are made from a clam called hamaguri. These clams used to be harvested in Hyuga, Miyazaki prefecture, on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu and processed there into stones.