Thoughts on this tetsubin?

[jayinhk]

Won this tetsubin today--how'd I do?

http://m.ebay.com/itm/311534573547

[.m.]

It looks like it is glazed on the interior, more like a teapot than a kettle...

[jayinhk]

Didn't look glazed to me from the pics--I suppose I should have asked the seller first!

[steanze]

It looks like it is glazed on the interior, more like a teapot than a kettle...

+1 it looks like it's enamel coated. If you are looking for a tetsubin to use as a kettle, in my experience looking for the 2 urushi spots on the bottom can be a useful sign to tell if it's decent

[miig]

doesn't look "antique" to me.

[.m.]

Didn't look glazed to me from the pics--I suppose I should have asked the seller first!

Sorry to say. You can see some rust on the rim where the glaze is flaked, but none inside.

doesn't look "antique" to me.

That's the other question, is it really 19th century? Probably not.
If you're not looking for a cast iron teapot but for a tetsubin, than you could perhaps cancel the transaction based on that antique claim....

[miig]

I mean, for 27$, its certainly a fair deal. I'd guess that it is a relatively cheaply mass-produced modern kettle. Not a bad thing per se, if you want to brew tea in it, why not. But in order to heat water Japan-style, that's probably not what you want.

The vendor seems to sell all kinds of things, so its very likely he (she?) put this on to the best of his belief. If you don't want it, I'd bet you can cancel the transaction.

Please take everything I say with a grain of salt, i'm no expert on the matter. But one suggestion: If you want a real tetsubin, you'd want to spend at the very least 100$ or leave it be. You can get tetsubin on the japanes auction platforms like zenmarket, jauce, etc, for good money, but of course there's always a gamble involved.

just to give you an idea. These are some kettles I'd buy if I wanted one now:
https://www.jauce.com/auction/h218536927
https://www.jauce.com/auction/r144620557
https://www.jauce.com/auction/d184912410

I need to get of these auction platforms right now...

[jayinhk]

Thanks, I should have asked here first! It comes out to closer to $65 after shipping so I'd rather have a tetsubin I can actually use as a kettle!

[kyarazen]

cast iron kyusu! probably about 300ml or 330ml there abouts

iwachu and other factories do make decent amount of these kyusus, interior's enamel coated rather than traditional urushiol, usually comes with a stainless steel mesh filter

nevertheless, it can also double up as a tiny kettle if you dont use much water!

[jayinhk]

I might just use it as a fancy yunomi for cooling water for green tea--seller has given me a tracking number. I let her know what the issue was, but it's probably too late!

The Chinese appear to be making ones that have a natural baked on coating and can be used on the stovetop. Anyone tried one of those? I'd rather not be the guinea pig! lol

[steanze]

The Chinese appear to be making ones that have a natural baked on coating and can be used on the stovetop. Anyone tried one of those? I'd rather not be the guinea pig! lol

hmm I am not quite sure what's the point of having a cast iron kettle if it's coated - it won't affect the flavor of the water boiled in it... in that case, why not a ceramic kettle?

[jayinhk]

Valid point. I think I'd better wait to pick up a brand new unlined tetsubin or an older Japanese one from Yahoo JP vs trying to score one at a good price on UK/US eBay auctions when I live on the other side of the world!

[kyarazen]

I might just use it as a fancy yunomi for cooling water for green tea--seller has given me a tracking number. I let her know what the issue was, but it's probably too late!

The Chinese appear to be making ones that have a natural baked on coating and can be used on the stovetop. Anyone tried one of those? I'd rather not be the guinea pig! lol

there are a couple of factories in china that makes some of the things that appear in japan... so it really really depends on item to item..

[jayinhk]

I took a cursory look on Taobao last night and the 'unlined' tetsubins have some kind of burnt on coating that prevents rust. Then prices jump considerably to genuine Japanese ones at ripoff prices. Admittedly there were 100 pages of tetsubin on there, so there might actually be a real cast iron solution available on the mainland for less.

[BioHorn]

That is an inexpensive way to learn! Thanks for posting.

An oft overlooked point is the design of the spout. A nice pour sure can make a big difference! That and a hollow tea seed knob for the lid and maybe a hollow handle would be other possible considerations.

Some have brought up the kind of iron making a difference. A search may turn up that conversation. Seems all quality Japanese makes should be fine.

Those on a budget might do well with antique heavy-duty US kettles. Some go for pretty cheap on eBay. Has anyone run a comparison?