Yellow Mountain Imports Digit Standard Abacus 10.5 Inches - Professional 17 Column Soroban Calculator (Functional and Educational Learning Tool)

My mother made me go to Abacus school when I was younger. Even as a child, I was fascinated and impressed by my school mates who were able to perform very complex calculations all in their head. Unfortunately, I never reached their level during my brief schooling before having to move, but I suddenly decided that I wanted to pick back up where I left off after over 30 years of hiatus. This abacus made of wood is surprisingly large. Because it is so much bigger (3 1/2") and heavier than more standard abacus I was used to, I was initially turned off by it. However, I decided to try it out and then I started appreciating it more by day. Because it's heavy, I don't ever have to steady it with my other hand and the Reset mechanism that I initially thought was unnecessary came in very handy because of the heftiness of the device.The beads move well and stick where you place them fairly ok. The beads are a bit looser than the abacus I had as a youngster, but for all intents and purposes, this is a good device at a reasonable price and probably would work out better for men with larger hands. Although the corner brass bracings could be done better (mine are lifted and wrinkled), It has an interesting antique look to it. For those of you looking to learn Abacus, there's no need to purchase expensive educational books. You can find many great free resources on the web --for one just search for "ABACUS: MYSTERY OF THE BEAD" and you'll learn all necessary concepts, and the rest is for you to practice practice practice. I add 1 through 100 daily (sum 5050), and subtract back down to 0 multiple times. There are more exercises you can perform like games in the aforementioned tutorial and other online resources. Like everything else, the more you practice your speed and coordination improves and you'll be able to visualize calculation in your mind without having to use the device.

This is not my first abacus, but it is the first with a reset button, and I like it. First one I ever got was a "transitional" soroban which I picked up from an antique dealer in Korea. It has one bead "topside" and five "below decks," with the former owner's name painted on the back. This one is about the same size - somewhat large, meant to stay put and not be carried around. For the true old-timers reading this, imagine the difference between a pocket calculator and an office adding machine. As I recall abacus use from my time in Korea (1990-1991), examples in this size were what you'd see at the cash drawer of the small restaurants and stores in the little village just off-post. Among the things to like about this abacus, a few things stand out: o It has rubber feet to help it stay put. Another reviewer said the arrangement of the feet makes it wobbly and perhaps it does. The obvious solution is to not lean one's hand on the thing. Proper technique discourages leaning on it anyway. o The placement of the little brass brads BETWEEN the rows of beads rather than in line with every one-in-three makes designating a "unit" column that much easier. It makes the brads appear to be where the decimal point and commas ought to be, which is visually easier to grasp. o Materials and workmanship imply practical utility over aesthetic beauty. It is built to be used. In the same way exercise makes the body stronger, use of the abacus makes the mind stronger. One of the advantages of archaic aids to calculation such as the abacus, the slide rule and the log table book, is that of instilling in the operator an intuitive sense of the relationships between the numbers he or she is working with and the things those numbers represent. In other words, one develops a sort of "sixth sense" regarding quantity, spatial relationship, magnitude, etc. by working with these old devices, which in turn makes the operator better at the math he or she is called upon to perform. Calculators and computers are more convenient, certainly, but we lose something valuable when we rely on electronic devices to do our thinking for us all the time.

This is a decent soroban for the price. It is a good deal larger than a standard Japanese soroban, and thus may be better for large-handed folks or those simply not used to fiddling with little beads. The finish a little rough: you can tell this thing was meant to reach a price point. Inner wood surfaces are not varnished/treated the same, and the fittings are cheap sheet metal. That said, the beads are smooth, consistent enough, and the clearing mechanism works well enough. The beads aren't exactly all the same size, so the clearing bar can't quite push every bead clear perfectly, but it's enough for practical use. I also had to tighten down a couple screws on the clearing mechanism by hand: they simply weren't driven in all the way out of the box. Finish and detail aside, this soroban is very sturdy, and seems like it could take a good deal of punishment. I could see this being the soroban at a cash register in a market. I wish the brown beads that mark unit columns was a little lighter: in some lighting it's hard to differentiate it from the black ones. If you're just getting into learning a soroban, this would be a fine choice. The beads are heavy and satisfying, and the rubber feet and sheer weight mean it stays put on a table. Someone unfamiliar with using a soroban may find the standard-sized ones too small. I would NOT get this soroban if you're looking for an "authentic" Japanese soroban. The smaller, black-framed, brown-bead soroban is the "standard" size and design. This is more like a Chinese abacus made in the style of soroban. If you're going to transport your abacus (say, to school), you may also want to look for a smaller, lighter one.

I am very pleasantly surprised by the build quality of this inexpensive abacus. It's feels very solid and works well. I'm also very pleased with some of the design considerations that went into this model: The brass bars contrast well with the black beads making it easier to quickly read the results. having a lighter colored bead at the top of every third column makes it easier to keep track of which place value you're at. I also appreciate that the pins placed for the decimal/comma place holders are positioned between the columns, rather than in-line, just like you would write the commas/decimal between the numbers when writing the numbers out. The beads are also good sized; big enough to easily manipulate, but not so big so as to be inefficient. This may not be an ultra-fancy display piece, but it is a very functional, well built and attractive abacus to learn with.

Has a little instruction booklet. Nice quality. Exactly like one I bought 55 years ago. For the grandchildren over Xmas to keep their minds busy. Tweens.

My son has been using it for some months now and it’s perfect

About me: I'm a 20 year old American college student looking for an affordable soroban to teach myself. I was pleased to receive the package 2 days early. I was not pleased, however, that the soroban had a bent clearing rod, which made it impossible for the earth beads in the middle to stay up against the reckoning bar. When I would register the beads, they would just bounce off the bar. I returned the product and decided to go with a higher quality Tomoe Soroban. Besides the defect, the abacus was ok. It had a sturdy construction and I liked the rubber stoppers on the bottom to prevent it from sliding. The frame looked like some sort of wood or wood composite, and the beads felt good and slid well. The frame did look pretty cheap where it connected in different places, as you could see the glue connecting the pieces, but this is to be expected given the price that you pay for this abacus. It was average, and ok for someone beginning to learn soroban, but if you're looking for something that looks nice and possibly has less chance of coming with a defect, go for a higher quality abacus. In this instance, you get what you pay for.

I seldom write reviews. Having been fascinated with abaci as a child, I attempted to make one, finding the alignment and construction requiring great precision. So, I purchased the Sorban from Yellow Mountain, expecting a plastic toy. I was wrong. This is a serious instrument, solidly constructed of wood, with mitered corners, reinforced with brass strips and plastic beads that give a satisfying click. It must weigh in at nearly a pound and is a true desktop calculator with rubber feet to stay in place. One feature that surprised me is the reset button, an ingenious device to reset the beads to zero. It includes a short instruction manual on arithmetic functions. I look forward to honing my skills and and using it to help teach my grandson arithmetic skills.

Nicely made abacus. I’ve now just got to learn how to use it

Excelente calidad y tamaño

The product is durable and easy to carry about. And makes learning process stress free. I recommend it to anyone in search for quality.

Very useful product and easily available at amazon.

Todo muy bien