Yixing Teapot De-Patinating?

[Vox Nihili]

I have a yixing pot that I've been using frequently for a few months now. It had started to build up a nice, shiny patina, but a week or so ago it started to fade and come off with use. It was splotchy with patina at first, but now almost all of it has come off; it almost looks new besides the patina remaining on the handle and knob of the lid.

Anyone had a similar experience? This seems strange to me, but I've only had one other yixing...

[the_economist]

do you have pictures? patina depends on the clay.

[Vox Nihili]

Here are some pictures. Its a qing hui ni pot from Yunnan Sourcing.

[jayinhk]

Were you drinking a new tea?

[Vox Nihili]

Were you drinking a new tea?

By a new tea do you mean the type or specific tea? I've only been using it for Yunnan black/red teas, but I did get a new one pretty recently.

[MarshalN]

Looks like you rub the pot with a towel?

[theredbaron]

Patina on pots morph over time. The blotches i see on the photos look to me anyhow more than normal tea stains, and not the kind of patina that builds up over the years/decades.
I would not worry about it.

[Vox Nihili]

Looks like you rub the pot with a towel?

Yes, most of the time I rub it gently with a tea towel. Would this cause the patina to do that?

[Vox Nihili]

Patina on pots morph over time. The blotches i see on the photos look to me anyhow more than normal tea stains, and not the kind of patina that builds up over the years/decades.
I would not worry about it.

Alright, thanks for the reply

[the_economist]

it looks like you were too vigorous in wiping down your pot at some point.

[JD]

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.

[Vox Nihili]

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.

Really? Interesting, thanks. I mainly rub the pot because we have very hard water in my area. I use a filter, but I may have to start using water from the store.

[wyardley]

I think using a soft (non-microfiber) cloth to wipe the pot is fine, provided the cloth is wet, and provided you don't wipe too hard.

[MarshalN]

Yeah, if you rub it dry, or if you rub too hard, the stains will come off and what you have is the result.

[Tead Off]

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.