My New Take Set - Initial Impressions

Japanese Reach Mahjong Rules. Strategy, news, sets - anything!

Moderator: Shirluban

User avatar
Gamegrunt
Senior Reacher
Senior Reacher
Posts: 125
Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2009 2:20 am
Location: Grand Prairie, TX

My New Take Set - Initial Impressions

Post by Gamegrunt » Thu Dec 31, 2009 5:30 pm

http://www.mahjongmart.com/shop/index.p ... ge&pID=199

It arrived yesterday, 12 days before it was supposed to arrive. I was napping in a recliner when my daughter brought it in the house - she told me I had a package but I figured it was from my sister in Michigan, afterall, I had left a couple of items there during a recent visit.

My wife informs me awhile later that the box is from Japan - Japan? I\'m out of that recliner faster than Shimizu Kentaro can utter the word, \"tsumo!\" I find a utility knife and carefully cut open the box - is Jenn Barr\'s handwriting on the packing slip? Inside the shipping box is my eagerly awaited set in it\'s grey and blue glossy corrugated cardboard box - a beautiful blue vinyl case with gold-colored Japanese characters, a hefty item, easily five pounds. Lots of bubble wrap to protect the set on its long journey from Tokyo to North Texas, and the vinyl case is finally opened; here is what I found.

144 tiles including the 136 basics with four flowers and four red fives. There are four sturdy plastic trays that each hold one fourth of the total - 36, that I\'ve already lined with felt. There is a narrow tray that separates the tile trays on either side and contains the betting sticks - my set contained the following:

5 - 10,000 point sticks (one extra)
9 - 5000 point sticks (one extra)
39 - 1000 points sticks (three extra?)
42 - 100 point sticks (two extra) I like these the best since I am a \"Fresh Reacher.\"

The sticks are nice and they only require a minimum of cleaning (ink outside the holes, superfluous plastic).

Also in the narrow box are the dice (4) and the complementary keychain featuring a fob from a black mahjong set - I happened to get a \"one character\" tile. The tile is nice but the chain itself is pretty \"chintzy\" meaning, they spared a lot of expense in the production process on this item. But hey, the purchase didn\'t hinge on this bauble and besides, my wife told me she wants it.

The dice: They\'re small, really small. How small? I don\'t believe dice can be made smaller and still be functional. I recently inherited a micrometer from my father and I went on line this morning to learn how to use it, so I can give those who crave to know such things the dirty details. The dice have an s-value = .3465\" (yes, that\'s ten thousandths of an inch.) For the rest of the world that would be 8.8010 mm. That\'s small, but they give you four of the little buggers, so why complain. Besides, this is Mahjong we\'re playing with the dice and not Yahtzee. Here\'s a bit of a complaint - MahjongMart in their ad for this set says:

\"White tiles with yellow backs. Set includes 4 red fives (with stones in the red five-dots), 4 small white dice, 3 large colored dice, one white dealer button, scoring sticks and a complimentary mahjong tile keychain. Tiles come in trays and a blue case with handle.\"

I did not receive the \"3 large colored dice.\" Didn\'t get them - nope. A \"white dealer button?\" well...

Also in the narrow box is a dealer button; it\'s a clear, plastic gizmo that holds the red east on one side and the blue south on the other printed on paper. It is 4x3 cm and is functional, but is also a study in minimalism. This is OK as well, since I\'ll probably make a dealer button myself to satisfy the need for something extra.

In the lid of the case is a clear, plastic sheet that holds 20 betting chips in four colors. I don\'t know as yet how to use them, but I\'ll learn soon. These are small, poker-style chips that are about 2.5 cm in diameter. Also in the same place is a pink scoring sheet printed in Japanese, of no use to me, but I\'ll cherish it anyways, nonetheless.

The tiles - the heart of the matter, the reason why I forked out 139 of my hard-earned dollars, what about them?

They\'re nice, really nice, and I have four previously purchased mahjong sets to compare them with. They don\'t smell (I\'m looking at you, Yellow Mountain Imports). They have very clear, precise engraving - I especially like the bamboos - so much easier to tell a six from a nine compared to the Chinese sets.

The one bamboos and their peacocks are very nice, the dots are great - love the one dot! I like the orange/yellow backs - reminds me of the color of a pale pumpkin pie.

One suggestion bordering on a gripe - why not use a green ink for the green dragons? The flowers are nice looking, but I would\'ve preferred an extra set of blanks.

They feel nice, these tiles, but they are much smaller than the tiles I\'ve been using. How small? Let\'s get out the trusty micrometer and see...

The box gives the dimensions in millimeters: 26x19x16. The dimension of a tile in inches is typically given as 1 x 3/4 x 5/8. This is what my micrometer found:

Length: 1.051 inches (26.695mm)
Width: 0.775 inches (19.685mm)
Thickness: 0.636 inches (16.154mm)

In other words, the tiles are about hair larger than their officially given dimensions - a good thing! This is notable because I had a previous experience with an online seller whose concept of what constituted an inch was about a quarter inch off.

The tiles sit in the four sturdy trays, and two trays are kept together with a clear, plastic sleeve. One of the sleeve was damaged for some reason, but this can be remedied, if indeed the trays need the sleeves to begin with.

The red fives - besides the dimensions of the tiles, are the hallmark of a riichi mahjong set. The Take Set feature the red five dots with clear faux diamonds replacing the center dot. This is a nice touch, but red stones would\'ve been more logical, I would think. The stones are recessed into the tiles with one of them set in at an angle, a quality lapse of a minor nature. My thinking is to find some nice red stones and replace the clear ones some day, so this is not a big deal either.

The tiles are really slippery, probably because they\'re new -perhaps after some handling they\'ll be easier to hold together when building walls, or doing all those neat movements I see in the videos without the tiles flying off in all directions.

In a sense, there\'s a tinge of disappointment due to the minor quality issues. The Japanese have been known for their penchant for delivering more than what was expected - exceeding the expectations of customers is something I strive to deliver in my own professional life. The quality of the tiles is very good, but they could\'ve sweated the details in this set a bit more.

In the final analysis, I\'m pleased, overall, with the purchase and would recommend MahjongMart and the Take Set to others...like you perhaps?

Gg

HotelFSR
Expert Reacher
Expert Reacher
Posts: 328
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 11:39 am
Location: Federated States of Micronesia

Re:My New Take Set - Initial Impressions

Post by HotelFSR » Sat Jan 02, 2010 4:47 pm

Interesting comments.

I have the Take set and agree with you.

I also have the Sango set (which is cheaper) which I like a lot better.

I feel like the quality is actually better overall and the tile designs more pleasing. Better attention to detail, less slippery and nicer dimensions.

The Sango scoring sticks are much more cleanly made as well.

I was wondering if anyone else had the same impression.

User avatar
Gamegrunt
Senior Reacher
Senior Reacher
Posts: 125
Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2009 2:20 am
Location: Grand Prairie, TX

Re:My New Take Set - Initial Impressions

Post by Gamegrunt » Sun Jan 03, 2010 2:19 am

HotelFSR wrote:Interesting comments.

I have the Take set and agree with you.

I also have the Sango set (which is cheaper) which I like a lot better.

I feel like the quality is actually better overall and the tile designs more pleasing. Better attention to detail, less slippery and nicer dimensions.

The Sango scoring sticks are much more cleanly made as well.

I was wondering if anyone else had the same impression.
Interesting. From the pictures of the Sango it is hard to see any appreciable difference, but you have them both so you should know. What do you mean by "nicer dimensions?"

Do you have a micrometer handy? :silly:

Gg

HotelFSR
Expert Reacher
Expert Reacher
Posts: 328
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 11:39 am
Location: Federated States of Micronesia

Re:My New Take Set - Initial Impressions

Post by HotelFSR » Sun Jan 03, 2010 4:32 pm

For me the biggest things are:

- Sango has nicer tile graphics (to my taste)
- Sango graphics not oversized like Take (preference)
- Sango has cleaner ink finish on tiles and sticks
- Sango has rounder corners and better surface grip
- Sango has nicer proportion of tile back to tile front
- Sango is smaller and easier to transport

User avatar
Gamegrunt
Senior Reacher
Senior Reacher
Posts: 125
Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2009 2:20 am
Location: Grand Prairie, TX

Re:My New Take Set - Initial Impressions

Post by Gamegrunt » Sun Jan 03, 2010 5:28 pm

HotelFSR wrote:For me the biggest things are:

- Sango has nicer tile graphics (to my taste)
- Sango graphics not oversized like Take (preference)
- Sango has cleaner ink finish on tiles and sticks
- Sango has rounder corners and better surface grip
- Sango has nicer proportion of tile back to tile front
- Sango is smaller and easier to transport
Thanks for the bullet points! You\'ve certainly brought some ammunition to the discussion. :)

Gg

User avatar
Gamegrunt
Senior Reacher
Senior Reacher
Posts: 125
Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2009 2:20 am
Location: Grand Prairie, TX

Re:My New Take Set - Initial Impressions

Post by Gamegrunt » Mon Jan 04, 2010 2:37 am

HotelFSR wrote:For me the biggest things are:

- Sango has nicer tile graphics (to my taste)
- Sango graphics not oversized like Take (preference)
- Sango has cleaner ink finish on tiles and sticks
- Sango has rounder corners and better surface grip
- Sango has nicer proportion of tile back to tile front
- Sango is smaller and easier to transport
FWIW, larger graphics is a big plus for the seniors. On that point, Take beats Sango (preference.)

Gg

User avatar
Barticle
Platinum Boarder
Platinum Boarder
Posts: 1555
Joined: Thu Apr 30, 2009 12:08 pm
Location: Ipswich, UK (and usually 一向聴地獄)
Contact:

Re:My New Take Set - Initial Impressions

Post by Barticle » Tue Jan 05, 2010 6:50 pm

Gamegrunt wrote:ammunition
Hoho! :laugh:

After this thread, in future I will pay no heed to any tile-set review which fails to quote tile dimensions to at least three decimal places. :silly:

User avatar
Gamegrunt
Senior Reacher
Senior Reacher
Posts: 125
Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2009 2:20 am
Location: Grand Prairie, TX

Re:My New Take Set - Initial Impressions

Post by Gamegrunt » Tue Jan 05, 2010 7:52 pm

Barticle wrote:
Gamegrunt wrote:ammunition
Hoho! :laugh:

After this thread, in future I will pay no heed to any tile-set review which fails to quote tile dimensions to at least three decimal places. :silly:
A voice inside my head told me to give the people the information they needed and I responded...any one of us would\'ve done the same. ;)

Gg

Fat Dragon
Junior Reacher
Junior Reacher
Posts: 53
Joined: Mon Nov 09, 2009 9:00 am
Location: Frankfurt/Germany

Re:My New Take Set - Initial Impressions

Post by Fat Dragon » Mon Jan 11, 2010 8:35 pm

@HotelFSR

Which colour do the backs of the Sango set have?

User avatar
Gamegrunt
Senior Reacher
Senior Reacher
Posts: 125
Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2009 2:20 am
Location: Grand Prairie, TX

Re:My New Take Set - Initial Impressions

Post by Gamegrunt » Mon Jan 11, 2010 11:55 pm

The Sango appears to have the same pale orange colored backs as the Take.

http://japanese-mahjong.com/sangomjset.html

Gg

Fat Dragon
Junior Reacher
Junior Reacher
Posts: 53
Joined: Mon Nov 09, 2009 9:00 am
Location: Frankfurt/Germany

Re:My New Take Set - Initial Impressions

Post by Fat Dragon » Tue Jan 12, 2010 10:38 am

@Gamegrunt

- Thanks! -

Fat Dragon
Junior Reacher
Junior Reacher
Posts: 53
Joined: Mon Nov 09, 2009 9:00 am
Location: Frankfurt/Germany

Re:My New Take Set - Initial Impressions

Post by Fat Dragon » Tue Jan 12, 2010 12:39 pm

By the way, what\'s your favourite colour for backs of Mahjong tiles?

I have a set that\'s all white. Sometimes I feel that this is not the best colour in case of counting tiles (how many are left?).

I would be interested in your impressions!

User avatar
Gamegrunt
Senior Reacher
Senior Reacher
Posts: 125
Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2009 2:20 am
Location: Grand Prairie, TX

Re:My New Take Set - Initial Impressions

Post by Gamegrunt » Tue Jan 12, 2010 12:51 pm

I\'ve got green (my jumbo Hong Kong set with \"bamboo\" striations), white (my Vietnamese set - tiles just a tad smaller than the Hong Kong), black (my small Chinese set...damn, I wish they had made them thicker. They are the same L and W as my new Riichi, but only 1/2 inch thick rather than 5/8 inch, and that .125 inch makes a big difference in stability,) and, of course, my orange riichi.

I don\'t think I have a preference, but white with blank white dragons would be problematic, I would think - they would disappear in the dead wall as dora indicators! But fortunately, the white backs also have the conventional blue rectangles.

The Yellow Mountain Imports riichi set has all white tiles with blank white dragons :ohmy:

http://www.ymimports.com/p-36-japanese- ... tiles.aspx

I would think that tiles of all one color (either white or black) with no contrasting color backing, combined with the Japanese penchant for blank white dragons, is a bit of an issue.

Gg

User avatar
Gamegrunt
Senior Reacher
Senior Reacher
Posts: 125
Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2009 2:20 am
Location: Grand Prairie, TX

Re:My New Take Set - Initial Impressions

Post by Gamegrunt » Wed Jan 13, 2010 12:48 am

Mahjongmart must\'ve read my review, since some changes were made to the description on their website:
\"White tiles with yellow backs. Set includes 4 red fives (with stones in the red five-dots), 4 small white dice, 3 large colored dice, one white dealer button, scoring sticks and a complimentary mahjong tile keychain. Tiles come in trays and a blue case with handle.\"
Here\'s the new copy...
\"White tiles with yellow backs. Set includes 4 red fives (with stones in the red five-dots), 4 small white dice, one colored dealer button, a full set of scoring sticks and one complimentary mahjong tile keychain. Tiles come in trays and a blue case with handle. Set may differ from image.\"
The italicized boldface has been subtracted from the first, and added to the second. Now the description matches the set I received! :laugh:

Gg

sevenup
Fresh Reacher
Fresh Reacher
Posts: 23
Joined: Wed Oct 28, 2009 4:25 pm

Re:My New Take Set - Initial Impressions

Post by sevenup » Wed Jan 13, 2010 10:13 am

It seems yours is pretty much one of the most popular sets in Japan. I have seen the exact tiles in many places. The set is though very good and I like it. I would think that people tend to determine if the set is good based on how the carvings are done in each tile. That really is the art part though I guess it would be very difficult for those who do not know Chinese characters.

Post Reply