Show off your Kettle!!

[chamekke]

Congratulations, Fabien! It's lovely.

[kyarazen]

I have a question.
I'm noticing most posts here use tetsubin...but not many clay kettles!
For those that have both clay and tetsubin, do you really notice a difference? I only use clay kettles at the moment, but I'm definitely willing to learn.

i've pretty much drifted into using tetsubin (both kunzan and suzuki) and then am back into using clay kettles.

the difference is drastic and quite significant. if you brew some green tea or simply any tea with tetsubin boiled water, leave the tea in a cup for a few hours, you will return to see a really significantly darkened, sometimes even dark brown, blackish liquid in the cup.. this is due to the iron in the water reacting with tea pigments.

doesnt happen so much for clay kettles, unless you use a toko shudei pot to boil water, or some other clays that have high iron content.

olfactorily iron seem to give good heightening/intensitification/sharpening of aromas, but one has to watch the after taste which can become rough or at worse, metallic.

[bryan_drinks_tea]

I have a question.
I'm noticing most posts here use tetsubin...but not many clay kettles!
For those that have both clay and tetsubin, do you really notice a difference? I only use clay kettles at the moment, but I'm definitely willing to learn.

i've pretty much drifted into using tetsubin (both kunzan and suzuki) and then am back into using clay kettles.

the difference is drastic and quite significant. if you brew some green tea or simply any tea with tetsubin boiled water, leave the tea in a cup for a few hours, you will return to see a really significantly darkened, sometimes even dark brown, blackish liquid in the cup.. this is due to the iron in the water reacting with tea pigments.

doesnt happen so much for clay kettles, unless you use a toko shudei pot to boil water, or some other clays that have high iron content.

olfactorily iron seem to give good heightening/intensitification/sharpening of aromas, but one has to watch the after taste which can become rough or at worse, metallic.

Very cool, and good to know. Thank you.

[miig]

Most of these kettle have one or two small urushi plugs in the base, the casting method leaves one or two small holes in the kettle and then these are filled with a mixture of iron sand and urushi. not all are built this way but most. This stuff does not deal well with being exposed to raw flame, but it can last for a very long time over electric or charcoal flame, though it quickly degrades if places on the heating source while the kettle is empty.

I still wonder about this... Urushi is basically a resin from a certain tree, right? How is it possible that this will withstand the hot temperatures of the kettle on charcoal fire?

I searched for some footage showing the production process, but the bottom hole part seems to be absend every time
The mold is opnened, no hole left... has it been sealed alredy? The spot in the center is brighter than the rest.
Bottom is seen at 1min59
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U50ItP0gvf8

same thing here at 28sec.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plxZNrGw9DQ

one more time, 9min 50sec
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1m2phhMAJIY

[kyarazen]

urushi can stand high temperatures. i had an acquaintance in france whom repaired a broken pot with raw urushi and it worked well on flame after that. but still over time it will break down.. if urushi is well cured, it is so hard that metal cannot scratch it.

and yes.. tetsubins often have 2 urushi plugs at the base.. it is urushi + metal filings.

I still wonder about this... Urushi is basically a resin from a certain tree, right? How is it possible that this will withstand the hot temperatures of the kettle on charcoal fire?

I searched for some footage showing the production process, but the bottom hole part seems to be absend every time
The mold is opnened, no hole left... has it been sealed alredy? The spot in the center is brighter than the rest.
Bottom is seen at 1min59
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U50ItP0gvf8

same thing here at 28sec.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plxZNrGw9DQ

one more time, 9min 50sec
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1m2phhMAJIY

[miig]

Thanks for the reply - great material, both your info and Urushi itself

I may have found a video which shows the process - please see from 4.20 on - is he sealing the pinhole?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8vhl8aj8JQ

[miig]

Got my first real Tetsubin yesterday. Very happy I am about this. Its really so very - imposing, sturdy, massive, imposing and, well.. just so incredibly Japanese

Tetsu1a.jpg (26.97 KiB) Viewed 1784 times

Tetsu1b.jpg (37.15 KiB) Viewed 1784 times

[William]

Beautiful piece!

[Tead Off]

Enjoy it!

[miig]

Thank you, I am!
Really a great addition

[Tsubo]

Got my first real Tetsubin yesterday. Very happy I am about this.

Nice item indeed ... take care, it's the beginning of the end ...

DSC05407.JPG (40.17 KiB) Viewed 1697 times

[miig]

hahaha, great Photo!
I'll do what I can to avoid that, but there are so many nice things on these auction platforms

[debunix]

Got my first real Tetsubin yesterday. Very happy I am about this. Its really so very - imposing, sturdy, massive, imposing and, well.. just so incredibly Japanese

I missed this post when it first appeared, and am quite glad I clicked on the comments about it. Your kettle is simply gorgeous. Enjoy it!

[kuánglóng]

A heavy beauty - congrats!

[.m.]

Got my first real Tetsubin yesterday. Very happy I am about this.

Nice item indeed ... take care, it's the beginning of the end ...

DSC05407.JPG

Wow, such a nice collection Tsubo. Love that little nambu on the left.