"SuperBobo" wrote:
Hi, there's a little pot on the Silk Road Trade eBay site that's
making my mouth water. I saw some posts on the company awhile back
but nothing definitive as to the quality of their wares. Anybody have
any information about whether I should spend $45 (inc. shipping) on
the little beast?

I bought half a dozen or so from them not long ago. (Total shipping doesn't
rise much, so it made sense to buy several for gifts.) Very reasonable
quality for the price, about like MandJs. I like their emphasis on clean
lines and minimal decoration. I expected to keep one and give away the
rest - but at least for the moment, I'm keeping four! Most were "Grade C"
for about $10~15; one was a larger "Grade B" in a shape I liked. All are OK
to pretty good. I also found the photos accurate as regards finish. A couple
of very thin pots had slight imperfections in lid fit, but nothing serious -
and no issue at that price! I plan to try their Grade A pots when I'm next
feeling richer.

Good service and packing, again as with MandJs. Anyone care to recommend
other reliable and inexpensive sources for Yixings?

-DM

7/19/04


Hi, there's a little pot on the Silk Road Trade eBay site that's
making my mouth water. I saw some posts on the company awhile back
but nothing definitive as to the quality of their wares. Anybody have
any information about whether I should spend $45 (inc. shipping) on
the little beast?

Thanks!

B

Hey B,

I'd need to see the pot in order to offer an opinion. Why not post the URL
directly to the pot so we can see it? Meanwhile, here's my experience with
that company: Some months ago I chose and purchased four pots at their "A"
quality. The price including shipping for all was just under $100 USC. (This
was a two for one sale.) The pots are small, conservative and traditional in
design, of red clay. Two of them are in constant use. I like them. They are
seasoning gracefully and drinking their respective favorite teas with
enthusiasm. One, a red clay and sandy mix, quickly chipped at the lip,
despite the care I'd taken with it. Another I passed off to a friend. Except
for the chip, I was satisfied generally. I noticed some of what appeared to
be a clay drip within one, indicating that the pot was probably slip molded.
Also, the extreme thinness and uniformity of the walls indicate that. I
would have preferred that these pots be at least slab molded. On balance, I
was satisfied. The pots were worth the price, but not more.

As I said, let's see the pot. Post the URL.

Michael

7/20/04


Thanks for the reply. My only worry is the thing is billed as a
"zhuni" pot, a lovely "cinnabar red" color.. but then I read here and
elsewhere that such clay is basically gone, and it makes me wonder if
the pot is something other than a Yixing...

B


Clays from different areas and strata contain different chemical
compositions. Each batch is unique in that sense. So, the clay that's mined
in one place will be somewhat different from the clay that's mined in
another place nearby or lower down. Therefore, *any* clay is by nature
basically gone or going. There is a lot of hype going on. Even if it is not
Yixing, which it incidentally probably is, it doesn't matter that much. The
important thing is that you and the pot are happy drinking tea together.
Matching the pot to the tea has merit. Wall thickness, size, and porosity
will contribute to enjoyment. If you're still drooling, go for it, I say.

Michael

Oh, to follow up, I got the pot, I brewed my first cup of Pu-er in it
today, and it was lovely. It's relatively high quality and it meets
all the "Yixing tests" I saw posted recently, namely:

-When turned upright (90 degrees), spout down, with water in it, the
lid doesn't budge.
-If the steam hole is covered, the pot stops pouring completely. Not
even a drip.
-If the spout hole is covered, with water in the pot and the pot is
inverted completely (180 degrees), the lid doesn't fall out. In fact
it doesn't budge at all.

The capacity is slightly less (~1/2 oz) than silkroadtrade listed it
as, but not a big deal.

Overall a good buy and I look foward to using it more! Thanks for
your help.

B


(SuperBobo) wrote in message . com...
Hi, there's a little pot on the Silk Road Trade eBay site that's
making my mouth water. I saw some posts on the company awhile back
but nothing definitive as to the quality of their wares. Anybody have
any information about whether I should spend $45 (inc. shipping) on
the little beast?

Thanks!

B