Re: On Muo Lvni Clay (Yixing Subthread)
So I returned to the store and ended up getting one of the pots I saw for around $60 USD. Thanks to the info supplied by you guys, I felt like for what it is, it is worth the price, and if not, i'll chalk it up to education. I'm guessing it's a kind of Ben Shan Luni, probably fortified with something. The store owner insisted it's quite old and a natural clay, but for the price I find it hard to believe. It has a very sandy texture, and smells very strongly of hot sand when boiling water is poured into it. The craftsmanship is very good, nice and symmetrical with a strong pour and minimal drips (one interesting feature I noticed is that the spout/handle longitudes have a higher density of sandy particles). There is only one chop which is on the bottom, so I have next to no idea where it is actually from. The colour, while it looks like an almost navy blue, is more of green/blue in actuality. Not as blue as Ting's hallowed pot (from what I can tell from his pics). I'm thinking of trying some shou in it as I don't have a smaller shou pot atm. Let me know what you think!
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Re: On Muo Lvni Clay (Yixing Subthread)
I think the store owner is either pulling your leg, or just doesn't know much themselves. I don't think it's old, natural, or Ben Shan, unfortunately.
The hot sand smell is a good sign though. Try doing a water test: Get two identical cups, pour boiling water in to the pot and let it sit for a couple minutes, and then pour the water in to the first cup. Then, pour water directly from the kettle in to the other cup and taste test them side by side. Make sure the water from the teapot tastes clean, doesn't have any odd or chemical flavors, and is smooth on the throat. If you prefer the water from the teapot and it doesn't give you scratchy throat, then you're good! If you prefer the plain water right from the kettle instead, see if you can get a return.
The hot sand smell is a good sign though. Try doing a water test: Get two identical cups, pour boiling water in to the pot and let it sit for a couple minutes, and then pour the water in to the first cup. Then, pour water directly from the kettle in to the other cup and taste test them side by side. Make sure the water from the teapot tastes clean, doesn't have any odd or chemical flavors, and is smooth on the throat. If you prefer the water from the teapot and it doesn't give you scratchy throat, then you're good! If you prefer the plain water right from the kettle instead, see if you can get a return.
Re: On Muo Lvni Clay (Yixing Subthread)
+1 modern, oxide/colorant-added, non Ben Shan claytingjunkie wrote: I think the store owner is either pulling your leg, or just doesn't know much themselves. I don't think it's old, natural, or Ben Shan, unfortunately.
I don't know if I'd trust drinking regularly from that.For reference, it's hard now to find actual Ben Shan Lv Ni even in China for under $900/pot... the clay was mostly used by good Qing dynasty craftsmen, there's one F1 pot made of BSLN but I've seen it sell between $1000-2000
Re: On Muo Lvni Clay (Yixing Subthread)
Ah, I see. CZ style, I didn't think of it.
CC, your pot is a mix of clays plus various colourings; modern stuff. I wouldn't use that pot for regular use either.
Cheers!
CC, your pot is a mix of clays plus various colourings; modern stuff. I wouldn't use that pot for regular use either.
Cheers!
Re: On Muo Lvni Clay (Yixing Subthread)
Hey Guys,
Thanks for your input. I'm starting to arrive at the 'don't use' conclusion, I haven't tested the water fully in it but you are all more knowledgeable than I and are of the same opinion so that is that as far as I am concerned! I may try to return and exchange it for a good looking duanni pot I saw there also. I'm feeling a bit mixed about it all as I have gotten other things from the same store which I have been much happier about, but this one does seem to be a bit of a dud...
Cheers,
CC
Thanks for your input. I'm starting to arrive at the 'don't use' conclusion, I haven't tested the water fully in it but you are all more knowledgeable than I and are of the same opinion so that is that as far as I am concerned! I may try to return and exchange it for a good looking duanni pot I saw there also. I'm feeling a bit mixed about it all as I have gotten other things from the same store which I have been much happier about, but this one does seem to be a bit of a dud...
Cheers,
CC
Re: On Muo Lvni Clay (Yixing Subthread)
Hello,
I was searching more info about Muo Lvni Clay and found pictures of this teapot on the mandarin's tea blog :
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rNl5VRNLz_s/R ... G_9224.JPG
It is identified as Muo Lvni and there is mention of two other clays that may be similar in aspect :
Wen Ge LvNi
Tian Qing LvNi
I was searching more info about Muo Lvni Clay and found pictures of this teapot on the mandarin's tea blog :
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rNl5VRNLz_s/R ... G_9224.JPG
It is identified as Muo Lvni and there is mention of two other clays that may be similar in aspect :
Wen Ge LvNi
Tian Qing LvNi
Re: On Muo Lvni Clay (Yixing Subthread)
So time for a (hopefully) silver linings moment. Either way, I'm hanging out my dirty laundry so that others might learn from my own mistakes.
After some friendly advice from ting (I hope you don't mind me naming you in this context), I was put on to the 5000friend store on eBay where there happened to be a Muo Lvni Shui Ping not unlike the one he got from the same source (this one sized at 90ml). It arrived yesterday and it has been getting a thorough clean, as it was in a bit of a dirty state (it was bleached for a day and boiled in water for an hour or two). This has removed a considerable amount of muck and it is now ready for some photos.
In addition to this, I also got a used Muo Lvni from the same store that was in even more of a sorry state. It came with considerable mineral deposits, some of a slightly bulbous nature. I tried citric acid on top of the bleaching and boiling, which met with limited success. Still, the pot looks a lot better than it did. If it is as was advertised, the pot is supposedly from a period between 1900-1940 and of a reputed maker. Provenance aside, there are noticeable differences between the clay of these two pots (and indeed the earlier posted, somewhat questionable MLN pot). While these differences are clear in the photos, I thought a quick description may also be useful to anyone who might get sucked into acquiring MLN as I have!
Pot 1, which we shall label as the lowest quality of the three, has the brightest colour of the three. When heated it smells strongly of sand (as opposed to rock), but I'm beginning to wonder if this smell is actually a chemical additive. The particle size of the sandy aspect of the clay is the least uniform, with the lighter flecks clearly larger than the base clay.
Pot 2, the small shuiping from 5000friend, has noticeable finer textured clay. However, there seems to be some similarity between the characteristics of the clay and that of the first pot. Most noticeably, the clay of these two pots seems very lightweight. Both have thin walls, but the clay does not seem to be overly dense. I'm not sure if that is a general trait of Benshan Lvni clays, but the tone of both pots when struck is somewhat dull and this pot (Pot 2) has the greenest hue of the three. These similarities aside, Pot 2 definitely seems to be of higher quality. The sandy smell is not as pronounced in this pot, and the clay seems to have been well refined. This pot is supposedly an unused 80's factory 1 but if it is I'd say it's a pot of an artist in training as it is somewhat clumsily made
Pot 3, while being the largest pot (by far, with a capacity of around 350ml), also seems the most solid in its construction and quality of workmanship. It has all of the characteristics you hear about good pots having. Most of all , the clay seems the most high quality. It is almost impossible to see any sign of the different particles in the clay, and even after the most thorough cleaning of the three, the clay has a natural lustre and silky smoothness which the other two just do not have. When heated there is no discernible smell of any kind and the body feels 'hard like iron' as they say. It also resonates in a similar way to what I consider my best quality pots when struck. Not that this is relevant to the thread, but the craftsmanship of this pot is by far the highest of three, it appears to be fully handmade (with a seam on the inside at the point the handle is attached) and includes what is to my taste a high quality engraving of both Chinese characters and a landscape.
I'd be interested to hear what you guys think of this latest set of events (ting
)
Regards,
CC
After some friendly advice from ting (I hope you don't mind me naming you in this context), I was put on to the 5000friend store on eBay where there happened to be a Muo Lvni Shui Ping not unlike the one he got from the same source (this one sized at 90ml). It arrived yesterday and it has been getting a thorough clean, as it was in a bit of a dirty state (it was bleached for a day and boiled in water for an hour or two). This has removed a considerable amount of muck and it is now ready for some photos.
In addition to this, I also got a used Muo Lvni from the same store that was in even more of a sorry state. It came with considerable mineral deposits, some of a slightly bulbous nature. I tried citric acid on top of the bleaching and boiling, which met with limited success. Still, the pot looks a lot better than it did. If it is as was advertised, the pot is supposedly from a period between 1900-1940 and of a reputed maker. Provenance aside, there are noticeable differences between the clay of these two pots (and indeed the earlier posted, somewhat questionable MLN pot). While these differences are clear in the photos, I thought a quick description may also be useful to anyone who might get sucked into acquiring MLN as I have!
Pot 1, which we shall label as the lowest quality of the three, has the brightest colour of the three. When heated it smells strongly of sand (as opposed to rock), but I'm beginning to wonder if this smell is actually a chemical additive. The particle size of the sandy aspect of the clay is the least uniform, with the lighter flecks clearly larger than the base clay.
Pot 2, the small shuiping from 5000friend, has noticeable finer textured clay. However, there seems to be some similarity between the characteristics of the clay and that of the first pot. Most noticeably, the clay of these two pots seems very lightweight. Both have thin walls, but the clay does not seem to be overly dense. I'm not sure if that is a general trait of Benshan Lvni clays, but the tone of both pots when struck is somewhat dull and this pot (Pot 2) has the greenest hue of the three. These similarities aside, Pot 2 definitely seems to be of higher quality. The sandy smell is not as pronounced in this pot, and the clay seems to have been well refined. This pot is supposedly an unused 80's factory 1 but if it is I'd say it's a pot of an artist in training as it is somewhat clumsily made
Pot 3, while being the largest pot (by far, with a capacity of around 350ml), also seems the most solid in its construction and quality of workmanship. It has all of the characteristics you hear about good pots having. Most of all , the clay seems the most high quality. It is almost impossible to see any sign of the different particles in the clay, and even after the most thorough cleaning of the three, the clay has a natural lustre and silky smoothness which the other two just do not have. When heated there is no discernible smell of any kind and the body feels 'hard like iron' as they say. It also resonates in a similar way to what I consider my best quality pots when struck. Not that this is relevant to the thread, but the craftsmanship of this pot is by far the highest of three, it appears to be fully handmade (with a seam on the inside at the point the handle is attached) and includes what is to my taste a high quality engraving of both Chinese characters and a landscape.
I'd be interested to hear what you guys think of this latest set of events (ting
)Regards,
CC
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Re: On Muo Lvni Clay (Yixing Subthread)
I don't know but the shuiping is a nice pot and legit (not MLN though but plain Lu Ni). They brew nice oolongs and puerhs from my experience. Enjoy!
Hey TJ is your other MLN similar to cheekychipmunk's pot? Care to post a pic? Cheers!
Hey TJ is your other MLN similar to cheekychipmunk's pot? Care to post a pic? Cheers!
Re: On Muo Lvni Clay (Yixing Subthread)
Yes I've earmarked the shuiping for shu pu but I'm still to test it out properly. As for TJ's pots, he has posted pictures of both of his (muo?) lvni SP's earlier in this thread...bagua7 wrote: I don't know but the shuiping is a nice pot and legit (not MLN though but plain Lu Ni). They brew nice oolongs and puerhs from my experience. Enjoy!
Hey TJ is your other MLN similar to cheekychipmunk's pot? Care to post a pic? Cheers!
Re: On Muo Lvni Clay (Yixing Subthread)
I thought the 3 pics of his were only taken of the 40mL. I don't see a photo of the eBay sourced pot...correct me if I'm wrong. 
Shou pu is a gentle tea so your 'blue' pot will like it.
I wanna try some moonlight buds sheng pu I am ordering in a blue pot...see how it goes. A tea buddy here in Brissie brewed some moonlight sheng maocha and it was wonderful. Never had this particular tea before.
Shou pu is a gentle tea so your 'blue' pot will like it.
I wanna try some moonlight buds sheng pu I am ordering in a blue pot...see how it goes. A tea buddy here in Brissie brewed some moonlight sheng maocha and it was wonderful. Never had this particular tea before.
Re: On Muo Lvni Clay (Yixing Subthread)
Yes actually he did post pics of both. The eBay sourced pic is in TJ's post dated feb 18th, you can tell it apart by the lid button. His 40ml is quite squat while on the 80ml the lid button is 'pointier' as is the case with mine (although mine is somewhat wonky).bagua7 wrote: I thought the 3 pics of his were only taken of the 40mL. I don't see a photo of the eBay sourced pot...correct me if I'm wrong.
Shou pu is a gentle tea so your 'blue' pot will like it.
I wanna try some moonlight buds sheng pu I am ordering in a blue pot...see how it goes. A tea buddy here in Brissie brewed some moonlight sheng maocha and it was wonderful. Never had this particular tea before.
The 'blue' pot does indeed brew a smooth and mellow shu, I'm happy with it! I have been intrigued by the moonlight bud style tea, how would you describe it?
Re: On Muo Lvni Clay (Yixing Subthread)
Thanks! I missed that.
Good stuff, indeed green/blue clays smoothen shou pu. Same as duanni, but this clay can also bring up some (unwanted) sharp stuff whereas the first two won't.
It feels like a mix between white and green teas with a touch of sheng (fruity tones)! A very unique tea for sure. Love it. Not suited for colder weather though as it is a very cooling tea.
Good stuff, indeed green/blue clays smoothen shou pu. Same as duanni, but this clay can also bring up some (unwanted) sharp stuff whereas the first two won't.
It feels like a mix between white and green teas with a touch of sheng (fruity tones)! A very unique tea for sure. Love it. Not suited for colder weather though as it is a very cooling tea.
Re: On Muo Lvni Clay (Yixing Subthread)
Just for the record... I definitely do not endorse 5000friend across the board. If you have a trained eye for good clay, it's possible to occasionally find a nice pot from him though. Just completely ignore the descriptions and claims to age/artist.
Glad you snagged the shui ping though, CC. That's definitely the right clay and texture for proper MLN, even if the craftsmanship isn't anything special. Personally, I would not waste it on shou though. Better off with a traditional roast oolong. Just my 2c.
Oh, a couple other good ways to get rid of some of the remaining stains: Mr. Clean Magic Eraser pads, and an overnight soak with plain (non-mint) denture cleaner tabs. Just boil in clean water again after the denture cleaner.
Glad you snagged the shui ping though, CC. That's definitely the right clay and texture for proper MLN, even if the craftsmanship isn't anything special. Personally, I would not waste it on shou though. Better off with a traditional roast oolong. Just my 2c.
Oh, a couple other good ways to get rid of some of the remaining stains: Mr. Clean Magic Eraser pads, and an overnight soak with plain (non-mint) denture cleaner tabs. Just boil in clean water again after the denture cleaner.
Last edited by tingjunkie on Mar 12th, '17, 14:34, edited 1 time in total.
Re: On Muo Lvni Clay (Yixing Subthread)
Yeah I picked up a few other items from him and I actually am generally satisfied. But I wouldn't necessarily say I have a well trained eye for good clay so who knows I could be wrong. Still, no off-smelling pots and the quality seems good.tingjunkie wrote: Just for the record... I definitely do not endorse 5000friend across the board. If you have a trained eye for good clay, it's possible to occasional find a nice pot from him though. Just completely ignore the descriptions and claims to age/artist.
Glad you snagged the shui ping though, CC. That's definitely the right clay and texture for proper MLN, even if the craftsmanship isn't anything special. Personally, I would not waste it on shou though. Better off with a traditional roast oolong. Just my 2c.
Oh, a couple other good ways to get rid of some of the remaining stains: Mr. Clean Magic Eraser pads, and an overnight soak with plain (non-mint) denture cleaner tabs. Just boil in clean water again after the denture cleaner.
I might try some trad oolongs with it, I tend to prefer brewing bigger when it comes to shu cos you don't get as much out of the leaves as sheng or even oolong so it might be a bit small for my habits. It seems to mute and smooth the tea so it should work pretty well.
As for the extra stains, I had wondered bout the magic erasers and whether they might scratch the clay but it's mainly the inside of the pot that needs cleaning so doesn't matter too much. The denture cleaner sounds like a good idea too, the deposits in this pot are the most extensive I've come across.
Thanks again for the help TJ,
CC
Mar 12th, '17, 12:03
Posts: 760
Joined: Aug 1st, '12, 08:20
Location: not anymore Bangkok, not really arrived in Germany
Re: On Muo Lvni Clay (Yixing Subthread)
Do not buy from that store - he is a rip of merchant and *all*, that means *every single one*, of his pots are fake or miserably low quality, and *never* the age advertised.CheekyChipmunk wrote: I was put on to the 5000friend store on eBay
If you want to buy Yixing pots over the net - buy from essence of tea or chawangshop. Do not buy on ebay, unless you really know your stuff and are able to make a steal. 99.99 % of what is advertised as Yixing on ebay is either fake or lowest of low quality.