Yixing Teapot De-Patinating?

[jayinhk]

Tea towels are not meant for the teapot regardless of what other people have told you. If you need something to wipe the pot with use a tea brush. Just either lightly brush or dab water off of the pot. But mostly you should let it air dry at all times after use.

Tea towels are mainly used for wiping water/tea off the bottom of the cha hai (pitcher) before pouring, or tea cups after washing, and wiping off your tea tools after use. Tea towels can also be used to wrap your pot in for long term storage.

I've rubbed my pots with tea towels for 25 years. There are 2 main reasons for this. The first is to pat dry the exterior of the teapot so water marks don't appear when air drying. The second is to lightly buff the teapots to highlight the patina. This allows the tea stains to 'shine' on the exterior and create an evenness in the patina. It works. You can also use other cloths for this.

I agree, I do this too with no loss of patina--if anything it works to 'buff' the exterior. I do this when my pots are still warm.

[Evan Draper]

So is anyone willing to stick their neck out and offer teapot-brushing technique? I always thought teapot brushes were silly, but I bought one for cheap with a big order a while ago. Then when I used it, the hairs would come out and stick to the wet teapot. I guess the brush needs to be soaked before use and/or plucked of loose hairs periodically? Without a nice microfiber towel, I am usually just bathing wares in boiling water and air-drying these days.