Vintage Chinese Wooden Bead Arithmetic Abacus W. Instruction

Beautiful decorative abacus.

The Abacus and box was very nice. The problem is it was smaller in size than the measurements in the description. I guess they don't known how to use a ruler.

The instructions are clear. The quality is great. I'm getting betterat using it, but half the time I find myself using it as a fidget toy.

The case is the best part of this deal. The abacus itself is cheap in every way. Craftsmanship is poor. Grooves that hold the bars are elongated, a 7th grade wood working class could do better. The beads, and the frame have a very poor finish. The dye comes off on my fingers when I use it. I had to wash it several time to get the dye to stop running. This is no 'vintage' abacus. It looks that way in the picture but its not. I wish I had read all the reviews before I bought this one. This should be selling at Walmart for $10.

It appears to be a well made product. The case is beautiful.

The abacus predates modern electronic calculators by centuries. If you are skilled enough with one, they can be useful in most situations in which computation of numbers is a necessity. Learning to use one is not necessarily difficult, though you may be spending the rest of your life learning to truly master it. To that end, there a many books that have been written on its use and it would be worth it to buy the book as well, as the instructions are rather limited. If you have an appreciation of history, elegance, and a willingness to learn, this is well worth the time and money. However, if you are of the "steampunk" persuasion, this may also serve nicely as a center piece on the curio shelf, as it is very well made and very pleasing to look upon. Either way, this is a beautiful piece that fits well within any home.

I intend to actually use this abacus for actual calculations, but let me tell you, it really looks like a nice museum piece. The use of antiqued newspaper is a nice touch. The little instruction book is best left for looks in that there are much, much better full sized instruction books out there to use, or just do an internet download. A good book is better though. Much better detail. Special mention needs to be made on the beautifully designed box that enclosed the abacus. It is classic Chinese beauty. It looks really good up on my bookshelf in the Oriental section of books and stuff.

Good