TeaChat

Lots of folks like oyster knives.

I have one just like this:


I have a real pu'er knife too, but I usually use that one. It's nice when a cake is loose and you can do most of the work with your fingers.

I've observed more than one Chinese tea shop owner using a flat head screwdriver for this purpose. They seemed to work about as well as any custom puerh tools I've seen, although IMHO, nothing beats a spike for both loose & tight bings.

pencil (pens have ink-tastes nasty)
nail scissors (closed)
really dull knife
tiger claw brick break

I use a honesuki, a Japanese boning knife that can dismantle anything. If you want something common and pointy, try an awl.

As my dear departed daddy said to me, "Son, some day this awl will be yours....."

nada wrote: a spike

A big nail?

Salsero wrote: A big nail?

Sure, why not. I guess the handle on an awl or tuocha pick gives you more leverage, but when times get tough I'd settle for a nail.

wait till you start prying a brick!!!

might as well use a :

heavydoom wrote:

Hey, I think I have that tuocha.

All the above mentioned tools are good when starting off with a whole new cake. What do you use after to carefully flake the leafs. I use a puerh knife from Scott but it works more like a wedge, and recently bought what looks like a throwing knife, something that shogun89 would use sold under puerh knife. I used an old dart before and find this works fine at prying/flaking compacted piece of broken off puerh cake. Actually the piledriver is cleaning puerh stains off someone's teeth. puerh stains are pretty strong.

I've found the cutlery knifes in my kitchen drawer more than sufficient and certainly better than a nail, a pen knife or a long thin screwdriver. Nothing beats patience.

nada wrote:I've observed more than one Chinese tea shop owner using a flat head screwdriver for this purpose. They seemed to work about as well as any custom puerh tools I've seen, although IMHO, nothing beats a spike for both loose & tight bings.

Nada do you know if that youle maocha was pressed into any beengs, or was it just sold as is in the bamboo? It's really good tea, especially for the price. It's a very strong (in a good way) smelling pu'er. I wish it were pressed into some beengs instead of buying a bunch of bamboo wrapped maocha bundles, but either way I'd love to have more.

thanks wrote:Nada do you know if that youle maocha was pressed into any beengs...?

Not that I'm aware of. These packages were made around the time of the Dragon Boat Festival, when people traditionally eat glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves in this fashion. I think the idea with the tea is that they have a basket of these tea packages and give them to family & friends. I was pleasantly surprised when I came across it - for the price, it's a good tea.

tony shlongini wrote:I use a honesuki, a Japanese boning knife that can dismantle anything. If you want something common and pointy, try an awl.

As my dear departed daddy said to me, "Son, some day this awl will be yours....."

I'd be missing a few fingers by now using one of my Japanese knifes. Though It might be kinda fun to go to town on a cake with my 11" Yanagi.