Chip
Immoderate TeaDrinker who happens to Moderate
On this forum, Yixing pots are some of the most discussed, yet least understood kinds of teaware out there. In an effort to educate ourselves on clay types, pot shapes and sizes, clay sources and vintages, pot/tea pairings, etc., some of us spend hours pouring over countless threads and links. Luckily, due to lots of sharing from some generous and very knowledgeable people here, there is quite a decent amount of info about these perplexing and alluring vessels on TeaChat.
That being said, many of us (myself included) are mere beginners in terms of knowledge. Asking "What's the best type of clay for x tea?" or, "What's the best shape for y tea?" is ok, but it can only get us so far. Those of us who have plunged far enough down the rabbit hole, usually come to some similar conclusions, namely: there is no best anything! Vintage zhuni is not always magic, there are good modern pots, and sometimes cheap pots can work as well as expensive ones. On top of that, everyone has different tastes, and it's all subjective in the end!
So, for the betterment of the teaware forum, I propose a new approach to learning about Yixing clay and pots.
Instead of asking questions which may not have any ultimate answer, let's post info and photos about some of our favorite pots in the hopes of learning what works well for other members. In this way, perhaps we can answer some questions before they are even asked. So, along with a photo of a pot you own, please post the following info:
- Clay type (zhu ni, hong ni, zi ni, duan ni, zisha, etc.) Low/Med/High fired?
- Size of pot in ml or oz.
- What year/decade the pot was made.
- If the pot is thin-walled, medium, or thick-walled.
- How long is the pour?
- Where you acquired the pot.
- What type of tea you make with it.
- What qualities the pot has on tea. i.e. Why do you like to brew a certain tea in it, and what does it do for that tea?
Feel free to copy and paste the format. 
I'd love you to post your impression too though!
