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Bok wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 10, 2023 7:04 pm

PamelaOry looks like the first one could be a green label period F1, so 1977-82. But pics are too dark to be sure… maybe take some daylight ones?

The other is some sort of modern Yixing.

Thank you! I will take better pictures tomorrow. My number one concern is just if they are authentic or not and therefor safe to use. I can’t believe I don’t remember where I got them! Maybe the small t shop in Eugene, or eBay, or a thrift store?

Here are some better pictures: thanks so much! I’m super excited for the opportunity to understand better.

And the rest of the pictures: I guess I took too many for one post.

PamelaOry wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 11, 2023 2:02 pm

Here are some better pictures: thanks so much! I’m super excited for the opportunity to understand better.

Nice pictures! The shuiping is green label (1977-1982), the xishi is modern but the clay seems quite good as far as I can tell. What tea do you plan to use them for?

@steanze, (trying to figure out how to tag someone here)

Thank you! I am not sure yet. Just finding out they are safe to use is cause for celebration here. Do they lend themselves to certain teas?

PamelaOry wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 11, 2023 3:11 pm

Do they lend themselves to certain teas?

It depends on what you want from the prepared tea. There are as many guidelines as there are exceptions. I wouldn’t follow silly charts for clay selection. They are mostly made by people who don’t know tea very well. I suggest instead that you try teas of various styles, see how the clay alters the prepared tea, then determine what you like.

This won’t harm your teapots and will result in tea that you like rather than making tea in agreement with some imaginary consensus.

@Baisao,
In that case, I’m going to try that silly Dancong I have so much of in both pots to see if either improves it.

PamelaOry wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 11, 2023 5:40 pm

Baisao,
In that case, I’m going to try that silly Dancong I have so much of in both pots to see if either improves it.

Look for changes in texture as well as aromas.

One thing I like to do is mentally divide aromatics into three groups: dark, medium, bright. For examples, chocolate or heavy roasting tend to be dark, vanillas and stone fruits tend to be medium, florals and berries tend to be bright. I’ll then see how a given teapot changes the presentation of the aromatics in these three groups.

Some teapots (and waters) will outright remove some aromatics while most will tune them to be more or less pronounced.

Feel the texture on your palate and in your throat. Is it a sparkling or smooth sensation. What else do you notice?

I don’t believe there are wrong parings when considering these things, within reason of course. Sometimes I want more of one thing and less of another, so I’ll change teapots and parameters to adjust for that. While there is some orthodoxy to these things— often nothing more than strong opinions with no supporting evidence — the tea should be prepared to a way you like if you’re the final consumer.

Approaching tea this way is also fun. It’s better to know from experience than to follow a crowd.

What do you all think about this Ba Le pot? The clay has a lot more impurities compared with other F1 pots I own. Replica?

PamelaOry wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 11, 2023 3:11 pm

steanze, (trying to figure out how to tag someone here)

Do they lend themselves to certain teas?

What do you usually like to drink? You can try a few different teas and see how they turn out. It also depends on your preference. Personally I would not use them for dancong: with dancong I prefer to use thinner vessels, and usually either porcelain or denser red clays (hongni/zhuni), as I find that the aromas of dancong come out better that way. But if you value mouthfeel over aroma, then you might like how dancongs turn out, there is no harm in trying.

@PamelaOry +1 to what everyone above stated. Try and error is the way to go to find your own personal preferences.

@DailyTX that looks a bit dodgy indeed… in that light the clay seems very red as well, but it may be the lighting.

Bok wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 11, 2023 9:06 pm

DailyTX that looks a bit dodgy indeed… in that light the clay seems very red as well, but it may be the lighting.

@Bok Good eyes! It does have a deeper red color tone compared to regular zini. The color is close to Hong Qing Shui Ni color.

DailyTX wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 11, 2023 9:46 pm

Bok wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 11, 2023 9:06 pm

DailyTX that looks a bit dodgy indeed… in that light the clay seems very red as well, but it may be the lighting.

Bok Good eyes! It does have a deeper red color tone compared to regular zini. The color is close to Hong Qing Shui Ni color.

Maybe it’s a fully coated one, but with a coat that is thinner than usual.

steanze wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 11, 2023 8:46 pm

PamelaOry wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 11, 2023 3:11 pm

steanze, (trying to figure out how to tag someone here)

Do they lend themselves to certain teas?

What do you usually like to drink? You can try a few different teas and see how they turn out. It also depends on your preference. Personally I would not use them for dancong: with dancong I prefer to use thinner vessels, and usually either porcelain or denser red clays (hongni/zhuni), as I find that the aromas of dancong come out better that way. But if you value mouthfeel over aroma, then you might like how dancongs turn out, there is no harm in trying.

Thank you! I did end up trying them with the Dancong I have just out of curiosity. It is, ironically, the tea I own that I know best. It worked wonderfully in the big pot, but was very much bitter again in the small pot. I will try my giawan next.

PamelaOry wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 12, 2023 3:20 pm

Thank you! I did end up trying them with the Dancong I have just out of curiosity. It is, ironically, the tea I own that I know best. It worked wonderfully in the big pot, but was very much bitter again in the small pot. I will try my giawan next.

Interesting! I suggest to try more than one session in each pot, and to write down some notes. Some variation from session to session can also be due to factors other than the pot, so it is useful to replicate your tests and see what findings are consistent.