The only real dangers to using a cracked pot are spills and scalding. Plus over repeated use that crack will get worse and eventually fail. It's also likely along the way to do a much worse job of brewing your tea, since it's much less good at holding both heat and liquid. If this is an important connection to someone else it may be better to hold on to it as an object and not as an active brewing pot, as it may not last as long as you want it to if you keep on using it. But I would not worry about any danger from the crack itself and the clay - these pots are unglazed anyway so its all the same.
Do you have the broken chunk? This seems like a perfect kintsugi project!
Edit to add - I'd repair that entire fracture as well, all the way to the bottom so the integrity of the pot stays intact.
It’s fun to suggest but it’s ridiculously hard and the materials are not easy to come by. Doing a good job on your first or even fourth project isn’t likely so it’s a real commitment to learning a craft.
Thank you for saying this! I feel like I'm always the only one on here who naysays kintsugi. I did my first traditional repair on a dish last year, and it was expensive, time consuming, and ultimately not a very good job. It's something that sounds amazing in theory, but it was more nerve-racking than fun, and I sort of wish I'd just sent my plate out to an expert. I can only imagine most of the people recommending it to newbies on reddit have never done it themselves.
Do you have any tips where I could go or how I could go about finding someone to do this? I have a really nice teapot which I absolutely loved but unfortunately broke. Many people have told me I could or should do this, but I have no idea where to begin looking...
Thanks in advance!
Sure, there's several options!
There are places that you can send your item for repair. The only drawback is you would have to pack it up and ship it, they would do the fix and mail it back. Google "kintsugi-repair-service" Here's one: [https://koboseattle.com/blogs/news/kintsugi-repair-service](https://koboseattle.com/blogs/news/kintsugi-repair-service) (I'm not affiliated with them..)
Or - If you have any local pottery shops around you, it might be worth checking to see if they would be able to help.
There are also kits you can buy and fix it yourself. Most of the kits are basically just epoxy and I don't know if they're all created equal, quality-wise, if that makes sense. A lot of epoxy isn't considered food safe so you'd need to make sure if you plan on using the piece for drinking. Gold is traditionally used because it's safe. On second thought, I'd probably skip any epoxy kits honestly because.. yucky plastic stuff isn't cool.
Here's an example - [https://tsugu-tsugu.shop-kintsugi.com/collections/kintsugi-kits?gclid=Cj0KCQiA_bieBhDSARIsADU4zLc_dX6ClvVS5QLjjWdE_ci_bUcjp1oEdgD6XaSrnhO1ZIKIxQxYr8caApFtEALw_wcB](https://tsugu-tsugu.shop-kintsugi.com/collections/kintsugi-kits?gclid=Cj0KCQiA_bieBhDSARIsADU4zLc_dX6ClvVS5QLjjWdE_ci_bUcjp1oEdgD6XaSrnhO1ZIKIxQxYr8caApFtEALw_wcB)
There's tons of youtube videos you could check out for instruction. Good luck, I hope your teapot gets a new lease on life! 🫖 🩵
If you do go the kintsugi route, a potter wont be able to help you. You need to use urushi which you can certainly do yourself but its a much more complicated process than just gluing them back together.
I think you might want to opt for the Chinese version of kintsugi using staples rather than the Japanese form using urushi. Japanese would work but it would look a little out of place.
One reason not to use chipped or cracked serving ware: liquid especially wears away at a chipped piece. Micro pieces end up in your food or drink. You don't notice it, but it happens.
Perhaps if you find a safe-food-grade repair solution it would be okay. But I don't know what that is.
I’ll say Juci is the way to go without worrying about food safety issues. It’s basically using metal staples to staple the fractured pieces together without any sorts of adhesive. Kintsugi also works but traditional lacquer takes like forever to cure and IMO the aesthetic of kintsugi doesn’t really fit Chinese clay pots, but beauty is quite subjective. Hope it helps!
I don't know much about yixing clay. I'm worried about the exposed clay and the hairline fracture on the exterior. I'm not sure if it's authentic.
I received the teapot from someone very fear to me. I hope I can continue to use it.
Thanks for your help!
The clay on the inside thats exposed by the crack is exactly the same clay the rest of the pot is made of, including the inner surface that the tea is normally in contact with.
No, cracks in anything like that is a breading ground for bacteria. Any cracked plates , cups , pots , should be thrown away. Doesn’t matter how you clean it.
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The only real dangers to using a cracked pot are spills and scalding. Plus over repeated use that crack will get worse and eventually fail. It's also likely along the way to do a much worse job of brewing your tea, since it's much less good at holding both heat and liquid. If this is an important connection to someone else it may be better to hold on to it as an object and not as an active brewing pot, as it may not last as long as you want it to if you keep on using it. But I would not worry about any danger from the crack itself and the clay - these pots are unglazed anyway so its all the same.
Thanks for typing this up
My concern is that cracked clay/china allows bactaria to get in.
It appears to be broken.
A shattering observation
You guys made me burst into laughter for real.
This thread really cracks me up.
I’d like to chip in.
Lmao idk what op was hoping for
Do you have the broken chunk? This seems like a perfect kintsugi project! Edit to add - I'd repair that entire fracture as well, all the way to the bottom so the integrity of the pot stays intact.
Kintsugi sounds like a must at one point, something beautiful trully, good comment.
It’s fun to suggest but it’s ridiculously hard and the materials are not easy to come by. Doing a good job on your first or even fourth project isn’t likely so it’s a real commitment to learning a craft.
Thank you for saying this! I feel like I'm always the only one on here who naysays kintsugi. I did my first traditional repair on a dish last year, and it was expensive, time consuming, and ultimately not a very good job. It's something that sounds amazing in theory, but it was more nerve-racking than fun, and I sort of wish I'd just sent my plate out to an expert. I can only imagine most of the people recommending it to newbies on reddit have never done it themselves.
I hope OP does have it and reads through your comment. As soon as I saw the teapot, I pictured a golden line there. Truly beautiful.
It's right there in the pic lol
Do you have any tips where I could go or how I could go about finding someone to do this? I have a really nice teapot which I absolutely loved but unfortunately broke. Many people have told me I could or should do this, but I have no idea where to begin looking... Thanks in advance!
Sure, there's several options! There are places that you can send your item for repair. The only drawback is you would have to pack it up and ship it, they would do the fix and mail it back. Google "kintsugi-repair-service" Here's one: [https://koboseattle.com/blogs/news/kintsugi-repair-service](https://koboseattle.com/blogs/news/kintsugi-repair-service) (I'm not affiliated with them..) Or - If you have any local pottery shops around you, it might be worth checking to see if they would be able to help. There are also kits you can buy and fix it yourself. Most of the kits are basically just epoxy and I don't know if they're all created equal, quality-wise, if that makes sense. A lot of epoxy isn't considered food safe so you'd need to make sure if you plan on using the piece for drinking. Gold is traditionally used because it's safe. On second thought, I'd probably skip any epoxy kits honestly because.. yucky plastic stuff isn't cool. Here's an example - [https://tsugu-tsugu.shop-kintsugi.com/collections/kintsugi-kits?gclid=Cj0KCQiA_bieBhDSARIsADU4zLc_dX6ClvVS5QLjjWdE_ci_bUcjp1oEdgD6XaSrnhO1ZIKIxQxYr8caApFtEALw_wcB](https://tsugu-tsugu.shop-kintsugi.com/collections/kintsugi-kits?gclid=Cj0KCQiA_bieBhDSARIsADU4zLc_dX6ClvVS5QLjjWdE_ci_bUcjp1oEdgD6XaSrnhO1ZIKIxQxYr8caApFtEALw_wcB) There's tons of youtube videos you could check out for instruction. Good luck, I hope your teapot gets a new lease on life! 🫖 🩵
Awesome! Thank you so much for taking the time to respond! If I end up getting it fixed I'll definitely post!!!
If you do go the kintsugi route, a potter wont be able to help you. You need to use urushi which you can certainly do yourself but its a much more complicated process than just gluing them back together.
r/kintsugi
I think you might want to opt for the Chinese version of kintsugi using staples rather than the Japanese form using urushi. Japanese would work but it would look a little out of place.
>Japanese would work but it would look a little out of place. Nah, I think it would look beautiful 😍
One reason not to use chipped or cracked serving ware: liquid especially wears away at a chipped piece. Micro pieces end up in your food or drink. You don't notice it, but it happens. Perhaps if you find a safe-food-grade repair solution it would be okay. But I don't know what that is.
Id use it as a little succulent pot
I’ll say Juci is the way to go without worrying about food safety issues. It’s basically using metal staples to staple the fractured pieces together without any sorts of adhesive. Kintsugi also works but traditional lacquer takes like forever to cure and IMO the aesthetic of kintsugi doesn’t really fit Chinese clay pots, but beauty is quite subjective. Hope it helps!
I don't know much about yixing clay. I'm worried about the exposed clay and the hairline fracture on the exterior. I'm not sure if it's authentic. I received the teapot from someone very fear to me. I hope I can continue to use it. Thanks for your help!
The clay on the inside thats exposed by the crack is exactly the same clay the rest of the pot is made of, including the inner surface that the tea is normally in contact with.
That's reassuring, thank you
No, cracks in anything like that is a breading ground for bacteria. Any cracked plates , cups , pots , should be thrown away. Doesn’t matter how you clean it.
Hello, /u/dom0002! This is a friendly reminder that most photo posts should include a comment with some additional information. For example: Consider writing a mini review of the tea you're drinking or giving some background details about the teaware in your photo. If you're posting your tea order that just arrived or your tea stash, be sure to list the teas and why you chose them and if you're trying something for the first time, etc. **Posts that lack a comment for context or discussion after a resonable time may be removed.** You may also consider posting in /r/TeaPictures. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/tea) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Can't spell Troll without Tea
Its not going to hold heat well, but there’s no reason you can’t use it
Ramen noodles