Refurbishing a beautiful old tetsubin
I inherited this beautiful old tetsubin which I have used for several years for boiling water on the stovetop. As happens, it developed rust and over the past few weeks I tried several of the techniques described here and on other tetsubin forums; vinegar to dissolve, baking soda to scrub, old tea leaves to blacken. Results were mediocre so I tried another approach I had read about - letting it sit for a few hours with Coca Cola. Big mistake. The blueish coating receded considerably and now I have a great deal more exposed and rusting iron than before. It’s now at the point where I can no longer use it. Just too much rust. So now what ? Hoping someone here can guide me in the right direction. Is it possible to restore the blueish coating whatever that is? Can I have it refurbished professionally ? Any other suggestions welcome. I value this tetsubin greatly and would like to be able to continue using it on a daily basis.
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Re: Refurbishing a beautiful old tetsubin
Hi from Tokyo.
A nanbu-tetsubin manufacturer recommends this:
"when it's badly rusted, fill with water, put a green tea teabag, and let boil for 30 min. The water will turn black by the reaction of tea tannin and iron. Remove from heat and leave it for a full day. Pour out the black water, rinse with fresh water, then boil fresh water a couple of times, each time with fresh water. Pour boiled water in tea cup to test for color, smell and taste. If still picks up rust, repeat the process above. When the boiled water has no rusty color or smell or taste, then the pot is good to use.
Always empty the pot when it's hot after use, in order to let it dry by the remaining heat. What keeps the pot from rusting is the coating of calcium in the water developed through use. As long as the pot is kept dry when not in use, it will not rust. Slight rust inside can be removed through boiling fresh water multiple times. Although rust is harmless to the human body, it will degrade the tea flavor, so care should be taken."
I hope it helps.
Tatsurou
A nanbu-tetsubin manufacturer recommends this:
"when it's badly rusted, fill with water, put a green tea teabag, and let boil for 30 min. The water will turn black by the reaction of tea tannin and iron. Remove from heat and leave it for a full day. Pour out the black water, rinse with fresh water, then boil fresh water a couple of times, each time with fresh water. Pour boiled water in tea cup to test for color, smell and taste. If still picks up rust, repeat the process above. When the boiled water has no rusty color or smell or taste, then the pot is good to use.
Always empty the pot when it's hot after use, in order to let it dry by the remaining heat. What keeps the pot from rusting is the coating of calcium in the water developed through use. As long as the pot is kept dry when not in use, it will not rust. Slight rust inside can be removed through boiling fresh water multiple times. Although rust is harmless to the human body, it will degrade the tea flavor, so care should be taken."
I hope it helps.
Tatsurou