602-TWC-KS-12 Wood craftsman "懐志 / Kai-shi" made Tagayasan 【Ironwood】 Go bowls for size 30 - 36 Go stones GKTGS-SB36-601-01F

The material, Tagayasan (Ironwood), has long been celebrated as one of the “Three Great Karaki” woods, renowned for its rarity and prestige.
True to the name that bears the characters for “鉄 / iron” and “刀 / sword,” it is an exceptionally hard and heavy timber, admired for its strength and enduring beauty.


What Are the “Three Great Karaki Woods”?
Known for their hardness and dense texture, Ebony (Kokutan), Rosewood (Shitan), and Tagayasan (Ironwood) have long been treasured as fine timbers for architecture, furniture, and musical instruments.
Together, they are referred to as the “Three Great Karaki Woods” and are esteemed as some of the most luxurious materials.
Their global supply is extremely limited, and with concerns of eventual depletion, these woods are now regarded as highly rare and valuable.

Characteristics of Tagayasan
Tagayasan is exceptionally durable and resistant to decay, making it a favored material for luxury pillars and high-end furniture.
However, due to its scarcity, it is considered extremely expensive.
When quarter-sawn, the wood reveals distinctive and elegant grain patterns. Its color ranges from deep brown to almost black, often accented with lighter streaks.
Flat-sawn surfaces can display beautiful patterns resembling clouds or arrow-feather shapes, collectively known as “Tagaya-me.”

Uses of Tagayasan
Because of its strength and resilience, Tagayasan has traditionally been used for fine furniture and Buddhist altars.
Its resistance to decay also makes it suitable for decorative applications such as prayer beads, architectural materials (floor pillars, interior elements), walking sticks, wooden practice swords, and brush handles.
Although rare, its remarkable qualities have also made it a prized material for crafting Go bowls, where its weight and beauty are especially appreciated.

The Origin of the Name “Tagayasan”
The name is generally believed to derive from the wood’s extraordinary hardness and heaviness—“as strong as an iron sword”—thus the characters for “iron” and “sword” in its name.
Another theory suggests that the name evolved from the Philippine word “tambulian.”

Long-established business founded in Kansei Era (around 1790)
"Kai-shi (懐志)", a long-established woodworking company, was founded in the Kansei era (around 1790).
When the company was first established, it made trays, wooden plates, and other tableware, but later, when it was commissioned to make Go bowls, it became a woodworking company specializing in Go bowls.
The word "Kai-shi (懐志)" expresses their desire to "never forget the techniques handed down from generation to generation and our sincere efforts to make Go bowls, and to carve our thoughts into our own bosom with high aspirations."
Currently, the fourth generation of the family, who has devoted 65 years of his life to making Go bowls, is devoting himself to making Go bowls every day.

The essence of "Kai-shi (懐志)" 4th generation's Go bowls making is to maximize the beauty of the material, wood, and to create Go bowls that combine practicality and artistry.
Facing each material one by one and checking the feel of it in their fingertips and palms, they transform the wood into a Go bowls.
And the proof of this is the engraving of "Kai-shi (懐志)" on the bottom of the Go bowls.

All the tools for making Go bowls are handmade.
All necessary tools are customize.
*Please check the photo images.

• Wood craftsman "懐志 / Kai-shi" made Tagayasan 【Ironwood】 Go bowls for size 30 - 36 Go stones
  Product No.：GKTGS-SB36-601-01F
  Conformity Go stone for size：size 30 - 36
  Size：Go Bowl / Diameter About 150 mm × Height About 105 mm
  Outer box size: approx. 315 × 170 × 120 mm (H × W × D)
  Weight：Go Bowls / 1 pair About 780 g
  Total Weight / About 1,000 g
  
• 1,000 JPY flat rate shipping within Japan, free shipping for purchases totaling 20,000 JPY or more.
  Please bear the actual cost for shipping charges outside Japan.
  

You may find small knots, burrs, rolled-in bark as all these products are made of natural wood materials. There may be some small flaw or scratch, dent, chipping.