GSI Shiny Gloss Finish Full Carrom Board for Profesional Practice with Coins Striker and Boric Powder, Brown (Practice 33 inch 8mm)

Note: this review is after 15days of using the GSI board.Its awesome quality, its just 5 out of 5. I felf its worth more than what i paid, thanks to brand GSI.1. On time delivery2. Well parking but minor scratches on the board because of shipping and transportation3. You can charge more and provide extra smooth powder, bcz in the set what you had provided it is like talcum powder4. The same board which cost me around 2500 in the local shop5. Finally I just want to say I am the happiest customer

Good - sturdy. Feels strong. Glossy finish is nice.Bad - Board Finishing is good but upper and lower frame finishing is bad and looks really cheap. Not worth 1750. Disappointed with quality and finishing. Couldn’t return due to other reasons.

ProsFrame is very sturdy.Rounded corners are present.ConsThe product details mention it is 8mm. However it is only 5-6mm thick. A small piece of 2 mm thick plywodd is stuck near the pockets. So if you are looking from the top it will look as if it is 8mm. But it is only 5-6mm thickThe surface was very rough and actually made a grating sound while playing. I got a 1200 grit polish paper and polished the carrom surface. Post this polishing, the board was much smoother (Polishing Paper : https://amzn.to/3mnAl4o)The carrom coins that come with the board are substandard with cracks and rough surfaces which will damage the board further. I got the Siscaa Super Slam carrom coins which are way better (https://amzn.to/3DgPgnT) and a Synco striker (https://amzn.to/2YmPQBA)The powder that is provided with the board is disco powder, and not boric powder. this is not mentioned anywhere though. Disco powder might give you a very smooth experience but over time it damages the board and therefore is not recommended. I got the Unitedlys boric powder and it is perfect for carrom. (Boric powder : https://amzn.to/3BoNVuY)Finally I got a stand as well to ensure the board is positioned properly before play.(Stand : https://amzn.to/3DgP2Nz )After all of this the carrom playing experience is pretty great. But I also spent a lot of money to get to that experience. If the product gave the right accessories the experience would have been much better.Overall, it is an average board and recommended only if you are only looking for family games.If you want to practice and want to take carrom seriously get a Precise board.Precise is the gold standard for carrom boards and will be pretty expensive as well.(Precise Elegant : https://amzn.to/3ld3noa)

You can see that good material has been used. The board feels solid, except that the ply is not 8mm but only around 4 to 5 mm.. It has been only made thicker around the pockets because if you go looking for its thickness you can only see from there unless you look very closely.Coming to the craftsmanship of the board it is really bad. First the surface is not at all smooth. Coins stop abruptly in between even when whole board has been powdered. I used the powder provided and boric acid powder which was with me separately and it worked better with Boric powder but still pretty bad feeling flow. Also the rebound is not at all good. Even with full force the striker only hits the edges 2 times at max. I have been a carrom player my whole life and I can hit striker pretty hard.. What is the point of that thick 35 inch model if you can't get a good rebound than from a 1000 rupee carrom which can be purchased from a local store. My earlier carrom was a 1300 rupee carrom and it was a lot better that this one both in terms of smooth surface and rebound.Now coming to the evenness of the board it is upward bend from the middle as if someone put weight on it while transporting it. Could be an issue with the make or after it was shipped. But anyway I am not getting an even surface for playing. Shots get swayed towards right or left edges when they are played slowly.This is not what I was expecting when purchasing a 2600 something board. My father who plays with me absolutely hated the carrom for its surface.Since it is lockdown period and I need the carrom very much I am going to give this carrom another few days try and if I am not satisfied, I am going to return or replace it.

Excellent

Poor quality product. Multiple scratches on the inner side of border so rebound doesn't work. Finishing is poor. There are large gaps (3-4mm)at joints.Worst of all, plastic coins and striker are provided instead of wooden ones. Striker is so rough that it is damging the carrom surface. Even cheap brands provide better quality coins.Returned immediately. Found better quality product at cheaper price at local store.

Update : Today I can say with more confidence and a big smile that this product is worth the cost. I am still using it without any troubles , obviously a little old but no problems as such and proving to be very useful specially in these times of Covid.Previous (2018)The size is accurate as mentioned. The board quality is superb, quick delivery.I have been using it for a pretty long time now and has not given any trouble.Even after accidental water spill the board survived and is still well and usable as before.Worth the cost .

Ply used doesn't look premium, although size and build is sturdy. Boric powder provided with board is of no use having small crystals which can damage board, better use normal talcum powder.