Where to buy Yixings made out of REAL yixing clay

[towerofdabble]

I got one a few years back from Kam at funalliance.com. I always assumed it was the real thing! Anyway, it's very nice.

[heavydoom]

it is a well known fact that some chinese dealers/manufacturers do not follow strict guide lines when it comes to the manufacturing industry, this goes for tea pots. we have no idea of knowing what chemicals they have added to the clay or not.

i know for sure that stephane tests and uses all his pots for certain harmful chemicals, so him i would trust for sure. there are so many online sites that sell pots but man, who to trust or not??? i can only imagine your hot water somehow reacting to some arsenic in the clay and stuff....just saying , you know.

never been on rishi but i just got back from the site and there is a pot that i bought for 65 usd that rishi is selling for 36 usd!!!!! wow. not bad at all, it is this one and i have used it , it is amazing for cooked pu erh and has an amazing pour.

http://www.rishi-tea.com/store/product. ... =11&page=1



so rishi are easy to deal with and have any of you lot bought any pots from rishi? any info on some particular ones? i can tell you right now that the pots that rishi are selling are very very good, i can tell from the box, i mean the maker/brand.

[britt]

it is a well known fact that some chinese dealers/manufacturers do not follow strict guide lines when it comes to the manufacturing industry, this goes for tea pots. we have no idea of knowing what chemicals they have added to the clay or not.

i know for sure that stephane tests and uses all his pots for certain harmful chemicals, so him i would trust for sure. there are so many online sites that sell pots but man, who to trust or not??? i can only imagine your hot water somehow reacting to some arsenic in the clay and stuff....just saying , you know..

This is a very real and serious issue that many Yixing users are unaware of or unconcerned about. I've been called a China basher for stating similar, and rather obvious facts.

Industrial chemicals and dyes have often been added to make poor clay look like the real thing. Even motor oil has been found in counterfeit collector's pots to make them looked well seasoned. I don't mind drinking tea oil, but 10W-40 motor oil should be limited to automobiles, not teapots.

never been on rishi but i just got back from the site and there is a pot that i bought for 65 usd that rishi is selling for 36 usd!!!!! wow. not bad at all, it is this one and i have used it , it is amazing for cooked pu erh and has an amazing pour.

I am not disputing what you're saying, but everyone should be aware that there are Yixings that look the same but come from many different sources and at very different price levels. Copying a well known work is common, and is not considered pirating. In fact, many students copy their teachers work. They may look very similar to an untrained eye, but the student's copy will be worth much less. A copy isn't bad just because it's a copy. It's bad if it's made to cheat buyers or uses contaminated clay.

[heavydoom]

true.

the same pot i got from stephane, rishi sells for 36 usd, and stephane sells it for 65. it sure looks the same, both box and pot. surely rishi won't sell fakes? i totally trust stephane.

the stuff about the chemicals is so true. a while back, they found out that some chinese soya sauce makers added human hair to the sauce for some purpose, what purpose, i cannot say. there have been so many similar stories coming out of china.

hey, i am chinese so .....


you have to be very careful these days, buying stuff from anybody.

[heavydoom]

i got an update on that duanni pot i got. the rishi one is not the same one i got from stephane. so maybe i did get the real thing from stephane. for one, stephane's pot comes with a ball filter, the box also is totally different now on closer inspection. my pot's box side walls is black, the one on rishi's is coloured red. the rishi one has no ball filter but has nine hole flat filter.

the chinese character are the same on both boxes. i have also noted that there is a monogram on the lid of the rishi box, none on mine.

[chrl42]

it is a well known fact that some chinese dealers/manufacturers do not follow strict guide lines when it comes to the manufacturing industry, this goes for tea pots. we have no idea of knowing what chemicals they have added to the clay or not.

i know for sure that stephane tests and uses all his pots for certain harmful chemicals, so him i would trust for sure. there are so many online sites that sell pots but man, who to trust or not??? i can only imagine your hot water somehow reacting to some arsenic in the clay and stuff....just saying , you know..

This is a very real and serious issue that many Yixing users are unaware of or unconcerned about. I've been called a China basher for stating similar, and rather obvious facts.

Industrial chemicals and dyes have often been added to make poor clay look like the real thing. Even motor oil has been found in counterfeit collector's pots to make them looked well seasoned. I don't mind drinking tea oil, but 10W-40 motor oil should be limited to automobiles, not teapots.

never been on rishi but i just got back from the site and there is a pot that i bought for 65 usd that rishi is selling for 36 usd!!!!! wow. not bad at all, it is this one and i have used it , it is amazing for cooked pu erh and has an amazing pour.

I am not disputing what you're saying, but everyone should be aware that there are Yixings that look the same but come from many different sources and at very different price levels. Copying a well known work is common, and is not considered pirating. In fact, many students copy their teachers work. They may look very similar to an untrained eye, but the student's copy will be worth much less. A copy isn't bad just because it's a copy. It's bad if it's made to cheat buyers or uses contaminated clay.

We've been treating that issue not frequently but sometimes.

http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?t=5523
http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?t=5333

And there are numerous stories more than this.
For example, let's take on Zhuni this time.
Zhuni is scarcing clay that's only mined from Hu Fu recently. Possiblity of finding real Zhuni pot in America can be very rare.

Most common type of faking is mixing with iron red powder for color then added with glass liqour for gloss to the low-graded Zini or just common mud you can find from a vase.
And then there is mixing different size of particle for texture effect of Li Pi(pear-peel) Zhuni and also wrinkles can be drawn to look alike as Shao Mei Yao Zhuni.

Another way is grinding Hongni clay to 300-hole size then paste on Zini or dipping in a Hongni soup.

Horrible thing is, more ways are being invented to cover the limited quantity and to satisfy the demand.

Original clay-made yixing teapot it's natural to contain manganese or quartz particle to show more unfiltered, unpolished texture, then it will be too ugly to display on the market..

[ABx]

it is a well known fact that some chinese dealers/manufacturers do not follow strict guide lines when it comes to the manufacturing industry, this goes for tea pots. we have no idea of knowing what chemicals they have added to the clay or not.

i know for sure that stephane tests and uses all his pots for certain harmful chemicals, so him i would trust for sure. there are so many online sites that sell pots but man, who to trust or not??? i can only imagine your hot water somehow reacting to some arsenic in the clay and stuff....just saying , you know..

This is a very real and serious issue that many Yixing users are unaware of or unconcerned about. I've been called a China basher for stating similar, and rather obvious facts.

It is indeed obvious, but I think it's funny when people try to single out China. Arsenic and other extreme toxins and carcinogens are actually used in a wide variety of ceramics and glazes. Some glazes even require the artist to wear breathers, goggles, gloves, etc. so they don't get poisoned while glazing their ceramics. This is world wide, and can even be a problem in your local street markets where local potters sell their wares. I mentioned once before that it was a big deal in the news, at least here, that people were getting poisoned by local potters that thought they were taking every precaution. Even clays and glazes that are labeled food-safe can sometimes cause problems.

So yes, be skeptical, but don't stop at Chinese goods - any ceramic ware that's not manufactured by large reputable companies deserves some extra caution. Anything I get that's handmade and uses spectacular glazes get used for non-food/drink purposes. I wouldn't buy anything with a lot of age from anyone that isn't very knowledgeable about antiques - just like any antiques I would want to buy. For the rest you gotta stick with reputable vendors and pay close attention.

[britt]

surely rishi won't sell fakes? i totally trust stephane. .

From what I've heard here and on other forums, Rishi is reputable. It may be the same pot, it may just look the same but use different clay or be made by a different artist or factory, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's a fake or a ripoff.

hey, i am chinese so .....


you have to be very careful these days, buying stuff from anybody.

Originally some coworkers from China were somewhat offended when they'd hear me warn about the dangers of imported food from the mainland. My question to them was, are they willing to take a chance on poisoning their family out of some ridiculous loyalty to a country they no longer live in? Once this became mainstream news, some of the same people have asked me to keep them updated.

Pre-communist China was one of the greatest, most innovative nations in history. When free and independent thinking is punished and suppressed, as it was when Mao took over and still is with CPC in power, the current situation is what we get.

[scruffmcgruff]

Lead is used in a lot of Japanese glazes (I can't remember for sure, I seem to remember raku and most hagi glazes though), though they do usually acknowledge that fact. Still, not a lot of people know about it.

[britt]

i got an update on that duanni pot i got. the rishi one is not the same one i got from stephane. so maybe i did get the real thing from stephane. for one, stephane's pot comes with a ball filter, the box also is totally different now on closer inspection. my pot's box side walls is black, the one on rishi's is coloured red. the rishi one has no ball filter but has nine hole flat filter.

the chinese character are the same on both boxes. i have also noted that there is a monogram on the lid of the rishi box, none on mine.

They both may actually be real and safe, with the one from Stephane maybe using better clay or having better construction.

Many genuine Yixings don't come in boxes; they are often added later by a dealer or distributor. This can also be true with Japanese teaware.

[scruffmcgruff]

Stéphane has also been known to overcharge, though I suppose Rishi has as well. I guess what I'm saying is, don't assume it's not just markup.

[britt]

Zhuni is scarcing clay that's only mined from Hu Fu recently. Possiblity of finding real Zhuni pot in America can be very rare...

I'm very wary of any Yixing claiming to be Zhuni, especially the cheaper ones. I'm sure real ones can be found, but caution is certainly justified.

Those were very interesting methods of faking Zhuni; thanks for passing this info along.

Horrible thing is, more ways are being invented to cover the limited quantity and to satisfy the demand.

I guess that's the current state of innovation in China, being inventive enough to fake an Yixing clay to sell to uninformed customers. There are certainly legitimate factories and artists currently in Yixing, but unfortunately, they're probably hurt by all of this as well.

[britt]

It is indeed obvious, but I think it's funny when people try to single out China. Arsenic and other extreme toxins and carcinogens are actually used in a wide variety of ceramics and glazes.

I think China is singled out for a couple of reasons:

1. Their safety problems apply to just about everything, not just pottery.

2. Although some instances of safety problems with Chinese goods are mistakes, many more are intentional, as with many Yixing teapots. This is premeditated 1st degree murder versus manslaughter for your other examples of unintentional poisoning by American potters.

So yes, be skeptical, but don't stop at Chinese goods -

I don't hold the FDA in such high regard either. They label many additives as safe which they know will be harmful over the long term. The FDA approval has some value, but it's not as meaningful as some think it is.

Overall, I trust Japanese products the most. I consider Japanese products manufactured in Japanese plants in China and certified by Japanese inspectors to be safer and of a higher quality overall than other Chinese manufactured goods.

I also trust much of what comes from Taiwan and South Korea.

For the rest you gotta stick with reputable vendors and pay close attention.

My knowlege in these areas is limited, but I do understand there is a problem so I rely on the expertise of those who are in the business and are reputable, and if this costs more, that's fine. Although good deals are available, quality usually comes at a higher price.

[britt]

Lead is used in a lot of Japanese glazes (I can't remember for sure, I seem to remember raku and most hagi glazes though), though they do usually acknowledge that fact. Still, not a lot of people know about it.

I've recently seen some vendors label Raku ware with a lead warning, and others label Hagi ware as having a lead-free glaze. I don't know how accurate this is as far as Hagi goes, but apparently the Japanese government considers Raku as safe only for tea consumption.

[britt]

Stéphane has also been known to overcharge, though I suppose Rishi has as well. I guess what I'm saying is, don't assume it's not just markup.

Good point. I guess there's two different situations which add to the frustration:

1. Products that are visually the same, but differ in quality and price; they may use different materials, construction methods, etc.

Those shopping by price are fooled into thinking they got a great deal by buying the cheaper one.

2. Products that actually are the same thing, but different vendors offer them for very different prices.

Those shopping for quality may falsely assume the more expensive one is better.



This can get very complicated and frustrating, but it's certainly educational!