Just in from AN

[Poohblah]

The tetsubin that is above, the Kunzan Oni Arare, is an artisanal tetsubin, hence the higher price than Teavana's so-called tetsubin.

This was a thread about high-quality pieces of equipment. I'm genuinely surprised a reference to Teavana made it into this thread.

[tkellyd]

I walked into that store one time and walked out. The blaring rock music was killing me! It was the first, last and only Teavana that I've ever walked into. At the time, I was young into tea culture, but that just ruined my zen.

[blairswhitaker]

If I'm not mistaken, don't all tetsubin's have hollow handles?

No, not all kettles have hollow handles I have one that does not.

Toru has this to say about the specific kettle I purchased from him

"This kettle is rather unusual as it has a hollow handle, a feature which is normally reserved for kettles of a much higher price. This is because it is hammered out of one sheet of metal by a skilled craftsman and requires a lot of time and expertise to produce. Therefore only small quantities of this type of handle can be made. The little holes on the handle ("mushi kui", literally "bug bitemarks"!) are to let out the heat and make the handle cooler to hold."



While Hojo has this to say about the handle of kettles-

"There are 2 different types of handle, hollow and solid. The making of handle is completely different from casting. Handle is made by forging while kettle is made by casting.
(i) Hollow Handle

The hollow handle is used for super high-end kettle. This type of handle is made of iron plate. It is rolled and forged into the intended shape. The handle has a few holes which is called insect bite. This is a fashion and also has a function to cool down the handle. The insect bite hole is the symbol of the hollow type handle. The kettle made with hollow handle is much more expensive than solid handle.


(ii) Solid Handle

The solid handle is used for low to intermediate model. The solid handle is made of iron bar. It is forged into the intended shape. Majority of hand-made kettle in the market has a solid handle. The production cost for solid handle is much cheaper than hollow type. Nowadays we use either gas cooker or IH cooker for heating kettle. The handle never gets hot even if it is made of solid material. As a matter of fact, the type of handle is a fashion and it is the major factor in determining the price and superiority of kettle."

I don't think that he would opt for handles that were not hollow as these are inferior and used for commercial quality tetsubin.

I would consider this kettle to be an intermediate model, and as I quoted Hojo above,

"The solid handle is used for low to intermediate model."

and

"As a matter of fact, the type of handle is a fashion and it is the major factor in determining the price and superiority of kettle."

so from the above quote am I to take it that Hojo is claiming the handle to be a mere artistic flourish on modern kettles?

it's a bit confusing because he is claiming it doesn't affect the kettle using modern heating methods but also claiming that is has something to do with the superiority.

That exact kettle is $93 less from Hojo than AN.

I am curious as to what Hojo charges for shipping his shipping costs for tea are almost twice what I pay to other vendors in Nippon also the difference in handle would account for a difference in price, though I am not saying he can't get a better price point.

And in conclusion I still just want to know if they both have hollow handles.

[tkellyd]

I would say that Kunzan is an intermediate model tetsubin also, hollow handle and all. And I might agree that it's a modern flourish considering all of the silicone pothandles and other kitchen paraphernalia that we use today. I must say, though, that on some of the tetsubin that I have it makes a difference, but on other tetsubin, it does not; I still need a potholder. Can't say much about the superiority as I don't judge my pots by the handle (or my car by kicking the tires).

As for the cost, I paid $556 complete. On the AN website just the tet costs that. Not sure what the shipping may be.

I've never ordered tea from Hojo although I plan to. I think that shipping costs are different coming from different areas of Japan. The costs can differ a lot!

[Tead Off]

Where does high end begin? At $500, this would not be high end compared to $2000+. So, I'm still not sure if all high end models have hollow handle or is it up to the craftsman. I could have sworn I've seen hollow handles for under $500 but I really don't pay that much attention to tetsubin and I could be mistaken.

Browsing Hojo's shop in KL is a real eye opener for someone looking at tetsubin for the 1st time. The difference between a $300 tetsubin and a $2000 model is quite noticeable side by side. Very impressive stuff.

[tkellyd]

No, $500 is not high end. I think that because these tetsubin are artisanal, a high end tet is what you make it. Literally. If you are up to having one designed for you - Satetsu or White, large, ornate, inscribed, Suzuki Morihisa, etc., the sky's the limit.

I've never been in Hojo's shop (maybe I'll get there during my Beijing stint) or any other shop selling authentic tetsubins, although I'd love to see what Hojo's got. My experience comes from buying antique (and not so antique) tets. Personally, I'd be interested in seeing the quality of today compared with the quality of yesteryear.

I've got antique tets that have solid handles as well as hollow and some of both kinds stay cool and some of both kinds get hot. I don't think that it has anything to do with quality.

I don't think that it's up to the craftsman to make the tet as he sees fit. I think that it's up to the artist, the one whose name goes on the tet.

[betta]

Invest in gold or silver, not in iron

True, but iron is functional, while silver is a bit of a pain

True!!!!
For me silver teaware is only for aesthetic purpose.
Buying silver teaware is not at all an investment.
Both functionality and liquidity tend to zero.
Even the melting cost is higher than the material itself .

[tkellyd]

I figure that, in the end, if you can't take it with you, you should be able to play with it and enjoy it while you're still here. So it doesn't matter what it's made of, or the cost, really.

But then that notion extends to pets, people, plants and any material object that you value, doesn't it?