Yixing lid test?

[chrl42]

I've seen a person who said Bob Dylan can't blow a harmonica.. said everytime he listens to Bob Dylan, his poor single Honner harmonica sound annoys his ears (single harmonica is not really for tenichnique)..and he disliked Bob Dylan for that...some dislike Bob Dylan cos he's ugly and can't sing. (sorry I was just listening to him )

For ones who like Mariah Carey, they don't have to really choose Factory-1 or pots of older period...we listen to Bob for that idea of era, a culture..even though recording technique wasn't so developed as now.

But Bob Dylan and Factory-1 have one thing in common, they last long and have huge a following Things like that are scarce now, that talent and attitude...or great clay in this matter. It's good if you are rich enough to attend Pavarotti concert and have the best surrounding system in house (master Yixings), which I am not. But I'd take a record of Bobby anytime over those MTV bling-blings or American Idols

[ethan]

Sure Dylan's music is greater than Carey's, but she is a better actress than him.
Now we are really getting lost....
Enjoying some of my favorite Thai oolong prepared in glazed teaware...
all this thought about the yixing led me to avoid it this morning.
All the best to all of you

[Hmm]

Can someone please tell me where they are buying all their antique/vintage yixings, etc.?

I would also like know what the market price for antique/vintage pieces are.

[JBaymore]

I would also like know what the market price for antique/vintage pieces are.

When I was in Yixing in the spring I found they were somewhere between "get a mortgage" and "contact Bill Gates" for the truly good stuff.

best,

.......................john

[Thé Addict]

It seems that the discussion has moved from the lid test (as originally mentioned) to the issue of lid fit.

I think most people would agree is that a decent lid fit is fairly important for a good brewing experience, but we don't have to determine how well the lid fits through the lid test, especially since I suppose very few vendors of Yixing teapots would allow us to perform the test before we buy the pots. We can, however, try some fairly easy and even obvious tests:

1. Turn the lid 360 degrees when it's on the pot to make sure that it's not too tight or obstructed.

2. Try to move the lid (e.g. left/right) when it's on the pot; when there is too much space for the lid to move, it is too loose. This could cause the water to be unable to stop flowing when we place out finger on the vent of the lid to stop the flow. (However, there are times when a slightly loose lid may still work to stop the water flow even. It's strange, but I have seen a vendor turn the lid 180 degrees and the flow-stoppage works.)

3. Ask to pour water out of the teapot. Personally, I have never seen a need to stop water flow, so I'm more concerned about dripping (from the lid or from the spout).

A vendor has also told me that we could observe factors like the ratio of sizes of the hole on each side of the lid vent (I can't remember the figures).

A teapot that passes the lid test may be good in terms of mechanics (e.g. the lid fits well), but it may not be well-constructed in terms of aesthetics. If an artist grinds an excessively tight lid till it fits well, the teapot may pass mechanical tests like the lid test, but it may not be evaluated well when it comes to artistic craft.

Should we ever make do with a pot with problems such as a loose lid? If the problem does not affect functionality too much (for one's personal brewing practices) and if there are positive traits that make the teapot unique (e.g. it is made using a depleted clay or has historical value), why not? But this has already been said ...

To answer Hmm's question in the original post, I don't have any teapots made by masters. But I have tested it on a few teapots that seem to pass the test, including one (supposedly) 80s-made shui ping, which is actually not all that well-constructed in some other ways. (It is possible to find fairly affordable teapots that pass the test)I also have one that fails the lid test, but the pour is quite smooth, and the lid does not feel loose. There is only a slight dripping problem when I pour out the tea too fast. Conclusion: The test may indeed reveal some things about a teapot, but it doesn't seem to reveal hidden secrets that I won't find out by examining the pot in safer ways.

[the_economist]

Can someone please tell me where they are buying all their antique/vintage yixings, etc.?

I would also like know what the market price for antique/vintage pieces are.

Origintea has some 80s/90s pots for <150usd. It shouldn't be too difficult to find a couple of online vendors. Most of these are not going to have perfect lid fit, some may fail the 'tests'. But in my opinion they will brew much better tea than modern pots that do pass all these 'tests' and have better lid fit at similar prices.

[Hmm]

Can someone please tell me where they are buying all their antique/vintage yixings, etc.?

I would also like know what the market price for antique/vintage pieces are.

Origintea has some 80s/90s pots for <150usd. It shouldn't be too difficult to find a couple of online vendors. Most of these are not going to have perfect lid fit, some may fail the 'tests'. But in my opinion they will brew much better tea than modern pots that do pass all these 'tests' and have better lid fit at similar prices.

Hmm... Thanks for letting me know. Have you bought from them before? I just want to know whether they are legit or not. That's the biggest fear I have with buying yixings online.

They definitely aren't that expensive when considering that I would be using them until we basically die, so it's sort of an investment over a long period.

I wish I knew of this place a month ago, since I had family over in Taiwan that could have taken a cursory look at the pots they have on sale.

Any other sources out there?

[Hmm]

Has anyone used this website before?

http://store.thechineseteashop.com/Yixi ... s_s/23.htm

Is there a reason why the antique and vintage pots seem to have a density of 6 or so on a 10 point scale, while some of the newer pots sometimes have higher densities? I assume that a higher density means its fired at a higher temperature and has more iron content right? So we want a higher density?

[wyardley]

I assume that a higher density means its fired at a higher temperature and has more iron content right? So we want a higher density?

I think it's not so much that higher density is better, but that different firing temperatures / densities suit certain teas better. For a lot of teas, that lower density is said to smooth out a tea's rough edges a bit.

[the_economist]

Hmm... Thanks for letting me know. Have you bought from them before? I just want to know whether they are legit or not. That's the biggest fear I have with buying yixings online.

They definitely aren't that expensive when considering that I would be using them until we basically die, so it's sort of an investment over a long period.

I wish I knew of this place a month ago, since I had family over in Taiwan that could have taken a cursory look at the pots they have on sale.

Any other sources out there?

I think they are legit. Certainly the pots there are yixing pots. Some of the pots on thechineseteashop look a little more suspect to me.

[Hmm]

I assume that a higher density means its fired at a higher temperature and has more iron content right? So we want a higher density?

I think it's not so much that higher density is better, but that different firing temperatures / densities suit certain teas better. For a lot of teas, that lower density is said to smooth out a tea's rough edges a bit.

In terms of rough edges are you referring to the quality of tea or types of tea? Thanks.

[Hmm]

I think they are legit. Certainly the pots there are yixing pots. Some of the pots on thechineseteashop look a little more suspect to me.

Hmm... is there anything in particular that makes you a little more suspect? Trying to make a mental database of things to think about when purchasing yixings in the future.