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Caring For Go Stones
Path: MakingYourOwnEquipment · Prev: TeachingGoban · Next: BlindGo
Keywords: Equipment
During my last trip to Japan, I bought a set of slate and shell go stones from a store in Sapporo. The shopkeeper gave me instructions on how to care for the stones. I'd thought I'd share them here. The cleaning method depends on the material of the stones. When black stones are purchased new, they usually have an oil on them. The white stones can be used right away. Glass
Slate
Shell
If you have any other cleaning tips or want to expand on the above, please do so. I read this post by Roy Schmidt on rec.games.go. I reformatted it for Sensei's Library. It's not quite as interesting as what I heard from the shopkeeper, though. :) Roy Schmidt wrote: Thumbing through this FAQ, I did not see anything about caring for go stones, which is a frequent question on r.g.g. Here's a translation of the pamphlet that came with my shell and slate set, titled: Caring for Your Clam Shell Go StonesFirst of all, each time before you play a game wash your hands. This will go a long way toward maintaining the original condition of your stones by reducing skin oil transfer during the game. WHITE STONES (Clam Shell)After play, wipe the faces of each of the stones with a dry, 100% cotton cloth. If the stones become sticky, wash them. Add a small amount of dish detergent to some tepid water and wash them by hand. These stones are crafted from genuine clam shells. Do not place them in hot water. BLACK STONES (Nachi Black Stones)Before first use, use an absorbent cotton cloth to remove the oil on the surface of the stones. Over time, if the stones appear to be fading, add more oil. Put a small amount of machine oil (mineral type oil) on a soft cloth and rub the stones until their original lustre returns. GeneralIf your stones become especially sticky or difficult to clean, then seek the assistance of a specialist. You can find one by inquiring at the shop where you bought these stones. Advice from Kuroki Goishi Ten
For anyone who is interested in seeing the original pamphlet on which the above translation was based, it's in photos 27-35 in the Mr Kuroki replied to my email in which I asked for more advice on caring for the black stones, whether to oil or not to oil, etc. He explained that if you use the stones often the natural oils from your skin will help to keep some oil on the black stones (and for the same reason the shell stones should be wiped clean after use). However if you don't use the stones so much the black stones will turn a chalky or whitish colour. It's just a cosmetic thing, easy to fix. In order to prevent it you should apply oil to the black stones by putting a very small amount on a clean cotton cloth and wipe the black stones one by one. Then take another clean cotton cloth and wipe the stones again one by one. This will leave a very thin protective coating of oil on the stones. When asking about the best oil to use Mr Kuroki originally said car oil is fine. However someone else suggested this was too thick and additive-based. When queried Mr Kuroki explained that was just a suggestion based on ease of availability. Car oil is fine but it would have to be used very sparingly. Far better is light machine oil, available from a barber's or sewing machine shop. This is very thin oil and normally used for machine blades. It should be applied in the same way as explained above. This is also Mr Kuroki's preference - a thin light oil applied sparingly by wiping onto the black stones to give a very light coating. He also explained that as long as the board is wiped down after each use with a clean cotton cloth and the white stones are wiped clean every few games, they won't be contaminated by the oil from the black stones. Also keep the stones in their respective bowls. Every now and again (once per year seems to be common) all the stones can be washed gently in tepid water with a small amount of light soap, rinsed clean and dried thoroughly. Then the black stones can be lightly oiled as above. Above all don't get stressed out over the stones, just look after them and enjoy using your set as much as possible. -- holosys I have several sets of slate and shell stones and, not having any advice on the matter, I've washed them using cool water and dilute dishwashing detergent. I've had no problems in over 20 years. Clam shell being what it is (Calcium Carbonate?), obviously it should not be immersed in anything that would interact with it chemically. I think the white powder Chris mentioned is wax. White stones arrive with a wax coating that gives them their shine and depth I found out about the white powder, but I didn't put it up here. It's cocaine, and apparently I had the wrong bag. ;) Actually, Bob's right, it's wax. It was confusing because the bag was labelled "ibotaro." Read one way in Japanese, "ibo-taro," means "wart boy." I thought it was a brand name. Read another way, "ibota-ro," it means something else. I think it's the name of the tree that the wax comes from. The "ro" part means wax. Chris, your new nickname is "ibo-taro"... -- Fhayashi What about ING stones? I'm guessing the method described above for glass stones would probably work, just curious if anyone has ever washed/cleaned a set before. -- Jim Kiraly Path: MakingYourOwnEquipment · Prev: TeachingGoban · Next: BlindGo This is a copy of the living page "Caring For Go Stones" at Sensei's Library. ![]() |