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Bok wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 14, 2023 10:42 pm

Prettty!

Thank you, Bok. I’m surprised I don’t have more recent or better photos of it. It catches my eye every time I walk past my tea table. I’ll have to get the Mamiya RZ67 out for some beauty shots soon.

I also have one of the finer examples. They were capable but generally CZ pots are rough. Like the country cousin to Yixing.

Calyx Nursery seal:
Wear marks from use:

There is also sodium bicarbonate aka baking soda, available in any grocery store. Leaving a thick water based paste of the stuff all over the pot to sit over night and using a tooth brush on the pot the next day should go a long way. If needed, pouring white vinegar right over the pot with the agit...

wave_code Thanks for your input! I will likely steer away from magic eraser if this is the case. Honestly, I am hesitant to use any chemicals. After reading bit more on the percarbonate here, I’m not even sure it’s necessary to go to this extent. I want to clear something up: there is nothing wrong...

No wonder I've been disappointed by most of the sencha I've been drinking the past few years from O-Cha, Yuuki-Cha, etc. I thought I was just unlucky with the teas I picked but it makes sense that first flush teas would be flavorless. That's the case with Chinese greens and Darjeelings as well. I n...

By no means masterpieces here, but maybe interesting in a historical context or as a curiosity... Here is an example of another Tong Fon/Dong Feng or in this case Tong Fong tea set complete (as far as I know) in the box, as well as some cups and saucers found separately. I have no idea when this wo...

Ippodo is a successful boutique tea company, nothing wrong with that. I have really enjoyed their top gyokuro, sencha, iribancha and now hojicha. It is excellent 🍃 It’s the kind of tea that Japanese buy at department stores as gifts for others. It’s a very large company and not what most would cons...

It's Japanese department store sencha. It isn't bad but it's not great either. You're paying a premium for the name to get tea quality you could get for less elsewhere. It's the Luis Vuitton handbag of sencha. Ippodo is a successful boutique tea company, nothing wrong with that. I have really enjoy...

Good to hear about Thes du Japon’s Sincha Teafortea. I just received notification that Ippodo’s Sincha pre-orders are up on their site. Haven’t tried those yet. Oh I have not tried ipodo's tea yet. The tea's look so yummy. Here I am again about to go crazy in spring and over order 😅 It's Japanese d...

Right now, I'm loving my fine metal strainer. It's long-lasting and easy to clean. This strainer comes with a stand and is super fine for a metal strainer. You can check them out here: https://teaandwhisk.com/products/gongfu-tea-strainer?q=fine%20strainer -Leo ./download/file.php?id=13447 teasnow ,...

I think that’s a much nicer kyusu than the one you posted on February 19th. I don’t know the maker but it is unglazed so you’ll have the added effect of the shudei interacting with the tea. For me, shudei contributes a bright, prickly sensation to tea.

Here is a complex full hand pot from the xray group using clean clay. Note this taiwan facing price, which would probably normally be much higher for western audience ./download/file.php?id=13304 That definitely puts the price of ornate, fully handmade pots into perspective. Based on the rest of th...

nohwonder wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 14, 2023 4:29 pm

There are studies that show that patina is at least partially from tea compounds. Here's one: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... 9814000945

I don’t think anyone doubts that.

Weren’t we discussing that specific teapot, not patina in general?

Speaking of... it is also that people do go up in arms over the tiniest threat to their perceived right to bear dangerous firearms, but do not care enough for the water that keeps them alive. entering political territory... Hope I'm not the only one to see the ironic hilarity in this turn of the th...

I am wondering what everyone's take on the source of the exterior patina is. This pot is pretty young and confirmed my suspicion that it's probably just sebum from handling that produces a shine after a bit of use, quickly on dense clays, more slowly on more porous clays. Certainly not tea, as I do...