TeaForum.org

faj I would like a pot that works very well with some teas, but not as well with other teas, so that I can taste the difference and learn. It should be of high enough quality that I will later on dedicate it to a more specific use and keep happily using it for a lifetime. You are asking for a fast ...

Very informative article, much more in depth than most what I have come across in English articles. More accompanying images would be a nice addition. One part which I think still has a lot of confusion, is Zisha. Some say that Zisha encompasses all of Zini, Zini being a better kind of Zisha and Dic...

In the next step I might extend the comparisons to Chaozhou clay, visually it looks very similar and I have a pot in the right size :mrgreen: Victoria funny you mention Shudei as turning the tea harsher, which was my impression of the Zhuni. I suspect that the underlying issue is the tea. The clay w...

Thanks everyone for the feedback everyone! Makes me really think how Hojo comes up with this statments in the first place. Overall he seems very dedicated to tea and teaware, as well as researching his topics, not many shops source their own clays... Unless he has a huge collection of Yixing that we...

Nice info, thanks! I find that Zini and all it’s varieties and shades is quite the confusing kind of clay. So many different ones! Add to that the older clays which seem to often have been blends of various sources and it’s a real mess! Fascinating as well, as one can never be quite sure how it will...

Youzi of course they are not the same as in the same material composition. What the original statement of Hojo was, is that it has a similar effect on the tea as Zhuni, just as you mentioned. All said and done it wouldn’t be impossible to imagine that identical clays could be found in different geo...

First round: I do like to smell the inside of the lid for hints of what's to come in the cup. The Zhuni lid is very fragrant, Shudei less, but - the smell in the Shudei stays longer, while the one in Zhuni dissipates quickly. The tea broth is almost the same colour, the Zhuni always a tad darker. Fi...

So here is the set up: Both teapots are about 90ml. The Zhuni on the right hand side is a bit thinner, but that could not be helped... The old Tokoname Shudei is from an unknown craftsman, no chops or seal and one can tell that it dates from a period where Chinese styles where copied, yet not master...

The following is a partial answer to a big question mark I was ever after, since I read a statement on Hojo's website in regards to Shudei clay. It was along the lines that Shudei clay, same as some Yixing clays, had some ores that have been extinct over time. The first generation of Shudei clay bei...

Yixing pots are normally fired to an even colour, if not they are so called yaobian, firing defects. I quite like to collect those as they have a bit of character.

carogust that is no gradient in the clay, it is the patina and grub of an old uncleaned teapot :) the body is darker from stains and the spout and handle as further extending parts get rubbed off dirt a bit more frequently. Attached a full image of my pot. A lot depends on the lighting to see afore...

Nice one, how is the handling? Looks a bit bottom heavy.

Interesting. So if I read this right, what makes this clay legendary and sought after is the mere fact that it is extinct, not any especially good clay properties or a beautiful colour (like pig liver Hongni or Zhuni in general)? When I saw the pictures of the clay in close-up, I realised that I mig...

When all is said and done, I think it's reasonable to say that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts when it concerns arts and craftsmanship, whatever it may be. I think that would be a good conclusion! Are you, Bok? I very much admire the history and life of GM Chen Xiang, who founded the...

Has anyone had any luck with any of Hojo's pots smoothing out roasted oolong? If so which of his clays should I be shopping for? I've been looking for a pot that smooths out that bitter metallic note that roasted oolong sometimes has (aka my inexpensive "daily drinker" type roasted oolong). It's th...