Bok

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Bok
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Sun Feb 14, 2021 9:37 pm

Bok wrote:
Thu Jan 28, 2021 8:23 pm
Shall I... ?
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Ahhh... the holidays (CNY), found a perfect stray piece of wood, wandering about in holiday boredom :)

Sawed it to size, trimmed it with a cutter and sanded it smooth.

Next part was using an varnish-free polishing method using a spoon.

Will still use a bee wax sort of non chemical product to improve the durability and look though.

Pictures going to follow.
Now that was the easy part...
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Bok
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Mon Feb 15, 2021 2:53 am

And here it is...

The way this piece of wood feels in the hand I’m aiming for a short back handle grip, short enough to control the tip of the lid with one finger while far enough not to burn oneself.
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26uk
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Tue Feb 16, 2021 6:34 pm

Can't wait to see how it's attached. A piece of metal wrapping a bit of the handle leftover and the wood?
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Bok
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Tue Feb 16, 2021 8:00 pm

26uk wrote:
Tue Feb 16, 2021 6:34 pm
Can't wait to see how it's attached. A piece of metal wrapping a bit of the handle leftover and the wood?
I drilled a hole in the pot last night :twisted:

Basically I am going to attach it with the help of a metal "bone" of sorts, then attach and seal the whole thing with Urushi methods (as in Kintsugi/Gintsugi). That will take longer, but I believe it will yield better and safer results as compared to other adhesives.

I also sanded the wood piece to -almost- smoothly fit to the body and applied a first layer of wood-wax-polish from Japan. Starts to bring out the grain of the wood rather nicely.
26uk
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Tue Feb 16, 2021 8:08 pm

Can't wait to see the result. My pot might accidentally slip and fall too.
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Bok
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Mon Feb 22, 2021 9:38 pm

Some of you may have spotted it already on Instagram, there will be a joint publication of Kenny Leong and myself in the near future on the topic of classical Gongfu Cha.

Kenny did the historical background research and wrote the text, while myself was responsible to make the whole thing presentable. Worth noting, that this is not an how-to-guide for gong brewing, but rather addressing the historical facts and common modern misconceptions. It is a short, but concise piece of work and I am looking forward to see it come to light!

See Kenny’s posting for more details: https://www.instagram.com/p/CLmJq2VA0jV ... cNHOmygA0/

We are in the final phase of production, I’ll keep everyone updated on the progress. It is going to be a limited print run, more details on finishing, price and so on when I have it.


P.S. Those who do not know Kenny, it is well worth following his postings as he is a very thoughtful writer with a lot of knowledge and experience in tea to share.
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Last edited by Bok on Mon Feb 22, 2021 9:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
26uk
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Mon Feb 22, 2021 9:48 pm

Can't see the instagram link.
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Bok
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Mon Feb 22, 2021 9:53 pm

26uk wrote:
Mon Feb 22, 2021 9:48 pm
Can't see the instagram link.
Should work now, but I think his account is private now, need to request access.
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Victoria
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Mon Feb 22, 2021 11:11 pm

Sounds like a nice collaboration Bok Congrats.
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Bok
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Mon Feb 22, 2021 11:14 pm

Victoria wrote:
Mon Feb 22, 2021 11:11 pm
Sounds like a nice collaboration Bok Congrats.
Thanks Victoria! It has been a nice project and I hope to bring it to fruition soon!
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Bok
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Mon Feb 22, 2021 11:17 pm

For simplicity's sake here are Kenny's words:
Synopsis: “Commonly regarded as a traditional and studied approach to tea brewing, gongfucha is a practice ubiquitous in the world of Chinese tea. Yet it is also one of the most exploited, in part due to its vaguely defined nature in the absence of historical context. To seek a better understanding of what gongfucha really is, we take a little journey back in time and hear from those who lived in an era where it all began.”

Beginning in the late-Ming dynasty, the journey takes us through the Qing dynasty, accompanied by writers and members of the literati such as Xu Ci Xu (1579), Wen Long (1630), Wang Cao Tang (1717), Yuan Mei (1792), Liang Zhang Ju (1844), Lian Heng (1920) et al. To preserve the integrity of our references and textual evidence, their works are cited in their original language.

The essay provides us with a proper historical and cultural backdrop and context, and addresses some common beliefs, myths, and misconceptions. As such, this is not an instructional manual on gongfucha and guide to tea brewing, but a study of the origin and development of gongfucha as a practice and custom that predates the regional variants of Chaozhou, Nanyang, and Hong Kong gongfucha.

Topics addressed include:
• The Humble and Noble Beginnings of Modern Tea Culture
• The Birth and Development of Gongfucha
• Gongfucha and the Number of Teacups
• The Spirit of Gongfucha
A short excerpt from the essay:
“Yuan Mei’s account paints a clear picture of how Wuyi tea was prepared in its place of origin. And while he did not provide specific names, this much is clear from his encounter: All the elements of gongfucha were already present, including the use of small teapots and teacups; this method of tea brewing had already reached a certain level of maturity in Wuyi (and presumably in the surrounding regions in Fujian); and prior to his touring of Wuyi, Yuan Mei had never experienced anything like this, despite being a regular tea drinker himself.”

We’re currently in the final stages of production; it may be a while more before the publication is released but we’re greatly excited to produce a unique project that brings together exclusive content and artwork.

When the project is near its completion, we may invite patrons or sponsors to have your name printed in the booklet (unless you wish to remain anonymous) under the credits page, so keep an eye out for that!

More details will follow in the future. When it is published, we hope this collectible booklet accompanies you as you traverse the world of gongfucha, providing you greater insight into a tale told over the course of three centuries.
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wave_code
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Tue Feb 23, 2021 2:34 am

sounds super interesting and also like a resource that is very much needed in the age of reddit/instagram 'tea wisdom'/rumor/speculation. looking forward to hopefully getting a copy.
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Bok
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Tue Feb 23, 2021 2:41 am

wave_code wrote:
Tue Feb 23, 2021 2:34 am
needed in the age of reddit/instagram 'tea wisdom'/rumor/speculation.
Exactly that!
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belewfripp
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Thu Feb 25, 2021 6:46 am

Bok wrote:
Mon Feb 22, 2021 11:17 pm
For simplicity's sake here are Kenny's words:
This looks super interesting - as a Westerner who is only a few years into drinking tea "seriously" I've heard and read a lot of different things about gongfucha, with a lot of sites claiming it to be the "traditional Chinese tea ceremony" while others indicate that's not really the case and prior to the last few decades was only really known and practiced in SE China. It would be nice to have something scholarly and well-researched that provides real background on where gongfucha came from and exactly how widespread it was or wasn't prior to recent years.
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Bok
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Thu Feb 25, 2021 6:55 am

@belewfripp it covers exactly that! All this by quoting classical texts of the Ming and Qing dynasty, so cutting out all the “Chinese whisper” from the back then until now.
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