My very first gaiwan...and I chipped it

Hi all,

Yesterday I bought a gaiwan when I was out of town, and after I returned home today I unpacked it. I was so happy!

Then I tried taking it downstairs, but got interrupted to do something else, and in the process of trying to shift around everything I was carrying in my arms, I dropped the gaiwan and chipped the lid.

Dammit.

Anyway, the chip is only on the lid, and I saved the fragments that flaked off. The chip isn’t very deep, but there is a thin crack now radiating on the underside of the lid from the chip to the centre. Is there any way to fix this?

I am aware of a similar thread from a year ago (http://steepster.com/discuss/3716-what-to-do-for-a-cracked-gaiwan) but the person there opted to get a new gaiwan instead of fixing the present one.

Thanks.

18 Replies

Uniquity said

There is the possibility of glue but I would be leery of that since there will be hot liquids in contact with it and I doubt glue is food safe. If the crack is superficial you could use it anyway and hope it doesn’t split. Or you could try to use something else as a lid. A saucer or something?

KiwiDelight said

I chipped my saucer this weekend :[ I was holding the gaiwan over the sink so I wouldn’t spill, and I didn’t notice that the saucer got stuck to the cup. It fell on some dishes. It got chipped /and/ cracked.

It’s one of Verdant’s Red Lotus gaiwans. I got it for my birthday. I’m too frazzled to use it anymore. I’m going to get another, cheaper gaiwan X_X

Uniquity said

I’ve had some precious teaware break but ny philosophy is that it’s no good to you if you don’t use it. I say ditch the saucer and use away! Alternatively you could ditch the lid and use it as a teacup. Of course you should do what makes you comfortable but you may as well enjoy it as long as you can!

KiwiDelight said

It seems odd not to use the saucer with the other pieces. I won’t be getting a new gaiwan for a while (new birthday present hurrrr), so I’ll still use the one I have for now, albeit sparsely. I just feel terrible for breaking my finest teaware :(

Uniquity said

I understand that. At least the saucer is the least essential of the three pieces!

mrs.stenhouse12 said

I did the same with my Verdant gaiwan, it got stuck to the bottom and fell when I poured, the saucer shattered into a million pieces :( I felt terrible, but I still use it and love it! I just am very careful with pouring now to not break it again and to not burn my hands as bad as I did when I broke the saucer..rather painful, although less concerning to me than breaking the saucer at the time lol

KiwiDelight said

It’s so relieving that I’m not the only one :) Who’d have known that dried tea could be an adhesive…

UncleScrooge477 said

That’s terrible! I hate it when I break my stuff, especially when new. If you can, don’t think “chipped”, think “aged, with character”.

Waterproof epoxies? Although they might not be foodsafe….

Quick google search shows:

http://www.masterbond.com/properties/food-safe-adhesives-sealants-coatings-encapsulation-compounds?gclid=CI6qr9fUzr0CFchQ7AodvxgAZg

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_kk_1?rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Afood+grade+epoxy&keywords=food+grade+epoxy&ie=UTF8&qid=1396883532

Flyawaybirdie select said

I second this one if you want to try ‘fixing’ the crack. I’ve gotten waterproof DAP that’s food-safe for sealing cracks before. Most people use it for fishtanks or beer brewing tanks. You can find it at most any major hardware store. The one I have has micro-ban and dries clear.

Christina / BooksandTea said

I took some photos of the damage. They’re not the greatest, but I do hope they give a better idea of what happened. Should I just use the gaiwan and be extra careful? The lid is still mostly intact (you can see the reserved flakes of porcelain in the centre of the lid).

https://www.dropbox.com/s/iqam9fped2luef2/2014-04-07%2010.24.18.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/fu6juprcqqm5ysj/2014-04-07%2010.24.06.jpg