Wait a little longer for that review
Whoops! Quality control problem.My mini-goban from Yellow Mountain Imports arrived today (rather fast shipment) but it has a diagonal warp. Two opposite corners point upwards so it rocks no matter which side I play on. With the 13x13 side facing up, the board will spin on a smooth surface. I tried fixing it with felt pads and later with silicone pads but the warping is too pronounced.
I sent YMI an email to see what they can do. They have a good reputation of doing right by their customers.
The finish on the mini-goban is a few shades lighter than that of the full-sized table goban that I acquired from them back in December. Its color is more towards the yellow spectrum rather than cinammon. It's not an issue for me although I was hoping that the two might perfectly color-coordinate.
posted by ChiyoDad @ 8:21 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Welcome to the world of thin boards! : ) Samarkand says this about their 1/2" board: "There is some slight bowing after a while, possibly due to our extremely dry winter, but a heavy book placed on it overnight flattened it right out again." My own 20 or so classroom 13x13/9x9 boards have various degrees of warpage. I've 'solved' the problem by using *different sized* silicone pads on each board to compensate for the bizarre variations. This balancing act is a pain, but the end result is that 13x13 games are steady and kids don't mind (or haven't noticed yet).
Regarding YMI, I inquired about damaged boards for education and they made us a deal. We now have 3 table boards and a beautiful floor board with two very tolerably dented corners in our classroom. To see table boards, see today's edition of our local paper: http://www.oakdaleleader.com/articles/2006/04/12/news/news04.txt
Spring Break is a day away. I'll catch up with you then ChiyoDad (tournament et al.). Thanks for your great work!
Hello Iceman!
Yes, thinner boards are more prone to warping. The only exceptions seems to be MDF and bamboo boards.
I hadn't seen Samarkand's new shin-kaya board. Its thickness is actually 7mm which is 3mm thinner than the mini-goban I received from YMI.
It's great to hear that YMI was able to give your school a special deal on seconds. The boards look just great in that photo and I look forward to the details of the tournament.
I have the 1 1/2 inch thick Hiba board from Samarkand. It's beautiful and well worth the $45. It's much nicer playing on a thicker board. My 19x19 is a folding spruce board I got from Ishi Press and is about 3/4 of and inch thick--I can't wait to replace it it someday soon.
Hello kurzhaar!
It sounds like you may have gotten your board a while back. On Samarkand's website, their current combo board is only 1-inch thick.
Thick boards certainly have their advantages and a much more solid tone when the stone is placed. I hope you find a great 19x19 board in whatever price range you prefer! It seems that US distributors have been introducing a lot of new products and we now have more choices.
i can't measure. i got the samarkand board in november or december. it is 1" (and my 19x19 is a 1/2"). when i get my tax refund, it'll be hiroki goishi i'll be checking on first.
BTW i just got the deluxe magnetic go board from samarkand about a month ago. it's very nice--full set of stones that have a nice shape to them and a nice carry case. samarkand is selling for $70 (i think) -- i saw the same set on yutopian for $130. great for travelling or halling to go club.....
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