Just received a very nice pot but it has some wobble to it. This pot was not cheap either. Cost was $250. Is about 20in long. Is that common or did I just get unlucky. I’m pretty new to bonsai so I wasn’t sure if bonsai people would consider this a defect. Is it something I should take up with seller?Thanks y’all
Are uneven bonsai pots common?
- Thread starter Gatorade
- Start date
vp999
Omono
Yes it is common, I have many high end Tokoname pots that are a bit wobbly, I think because its hand made.
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Is it a new or antique pot? Did the seller disclose there was some wonkiness in it? Reputable sellers will disclose that it does.
If it’s a new pot, I’d return it. If it’s an antique, it’s up to you. Old pots will have some defects. Inexcusable in a new pot, however.
If it’s a new pot, I’d return it. If it’s an antique, it’s up to you. Old pots will have some defects. Inexcusable in a new pot, however.
It’s common enough that I also have one pot that has a bit of wobble to it. I didn’t pay anywhere near that kind of money for it though. It was just the pot that came with a tiger bark ficus I bought a few years ago. That said, I don’t have other pots with noticeable wobble.
It’s new nice quality from china. Yea I might, got it through the mail yesterday and through away the box, so don’t know if I’ll be able to return it. But might inquire with seller. Thanks
They did not disclose wobble.
I’d contact the vendor if I were you. A good vendor will try to make things right with you. For example, I once got a pot from a vendor in China that arrived with a crack in it. I contacted them and sent a photo. They immediately shipped me another pot of the same kind to replace it. Smart business on their part, as that told me they were a good vendor that I could trust and they earned my repeat business.
penumbra
Imperial Masterpiece
From a potter's viewpoint, the potter should disclose this information. Also from a potter's viewpoint, this can be fixed by the potter fairly easily even post firing.
Yea absolutely if it came chipped, cracked, or broken in any way I would have contacted immediately but I didn’t notice the wobble for like half a day. I was a little bummed but it’s not broken. so just wasn’t sure if a wobble was considered a big defect in the community.
I did not get it from the actual, potter got it from American retailer. Was made in china
Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
I would expect it not to wobble, and would probably send it back if shipping wasn’t crazy high. It’s a little sketchy it wasn’t disclosed.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Kiln Shelves that don't warp are rare, recent technology, or over an inch thick. It takes a lot of energy to heat an inch thick shelf and not many folks use shelves that don't warp.
That's just the shelf.
We do our best to dry pots so that they don't warp, weeks sometimes
, but there is nothing sensible you can do to make sure each piece in a kiln is heated evenly, short maybe inch thick saggars (China), then you're back into paying a greater energy price. So almost everything is subject to slight, but enough difference in melt to cause a difference in final stance.
That's just the pot.
Put the 2 together, then increase the size.
It's starts to become rather easy to see why a pot that doesn't rock is rare and much more expensive as you move up in size.
It's just physics.
I reckon there are many more potters playing the odds than working to always follow a specific set of rules to ensure perfection.
Everyone is going to deal with the scenario differently too.
It comes down to if you're willing to hide it like a bald spot in a JBP. We are.
I see a problem where it will actually matter.
If a tree in a show takes a sudden tip because you walk up to it, then the viewer overcompensates a save and flings the tree into the shohin display next to it...and... dominos!
Only movement in display is a no no to me.
Everything else is personal.
Further....
I can't think of a place I can buy a bonsai pot in person AND have a large enough flat surface to test it on before purchase.
At the show at the Botanical Garden, I would have to walk a pot out to the glass display case in the lobby and probably test it against the facing side, cuz the top probably sagged.
Who's walking around with a machined piece of granite to buy pots?
Look at books, they'll start ....standing out.
Sorce
That's just the shelf.
We do our best to dry pots so that they don't warp, weeks sometimes
, but there is nothing sensible you can do to make sure each piece in a kiln is heated evenly, short maybe inch thick saggars (China), then you're back into paying a greater energy price. So almost everything is subject to slight, but enough difference in melt to cause a difference in final stance.That's just the pot.
Put the 2 together, then increase the size.
It's starts to become rather easy to see why a pot that doesn't rock is rare and much more expensive as you move up in size.
It's just physics.
I reckon there are many more potters playing the odds than working to always follow a specific set of rules to ensure perfection.
Everyone is going to deal with the scenario differently too.
It comes down to if you're willing to hide it like a bald spot in a JBP. We are.
I see a problem where it will actually matter.
If a tree in a show takes a sudden tip because you walk up to it, then the viewer overcompensates a save and flings the tree into the shohin display next to it...and... dominos!
Only movement in display is a no no to me.
Everything else is personal.
Further....
I can't think of a place I can buy a bonsai pot in person AND have a large enough flat surface to test it on before purchase.
At the show at the Botanical Garden, I would have to walk a pot out to the glass display case in the lobby and probably test it against the facing side, cuz the top probably sagged.
Who's walking around with a machined piece of granite to buy pots?
Look at books, they'll start ....standing out.
Sorce
Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
This reads like a long excuse for shoddy workmanship. I would hope you, as a potter, take enough pride in your work to trash warped pots.Kiln Shelves that don't warp are rare, recent technology, or over an inch thick. It takes a lot of energy to heat an inch thick shelf and not many folks use shelves that don't warp.
That's just the shelf.
We do our best to dry pots so that they don't warp, weeks sometimes
That's just the pot.
Put the 2 together, then increase the size.
It's starts to become rather easy to see why a pot that doesn't rock is rare and much more expensive as you move up in size.
It's just physics.
I reckon there are many more potters playing the odds than working to always follow a specific set of rules to ensure perfection.
Everyone is going to deal with the scenario differently too.
It comes down to if you're willing to hide it like a bald spot in a JBP. We are.
I see a problem where it will actually matter.
If a tree in a show takes a sudden tip because you walk up to it, then the viewer overcompensates a save and flings the tree into the shohin display next to it...and... dominos!
Only movement in display is a no no to me.
Everything else is personal.
Further....
I can't think of a place I can buy a bonsai pot in person AND have a large enough flat surface to test it on before purchase.
At the show at the Botanical Garden, I would have to walk a pot out to the glass display case in the lobby and probably test it against the facing side, cuz the top probably sagged.
Who's walking around with a machined piece of granite to buy pots?
Look at books, they'll start ....standing out.
View attachment 433364
Sorce
Out of my 150 pots, I can think of a couple that wobble slightly, a POS $20 bag shaped oval, and a donated $6 Chinese junk rectangle.
penumbra
Imperial Masterpiece
As I stated earlier, this can be fixed by the potter, even post firing. Commercial pot makers are a different thing.
I have a sanding disc on a wheel head that evens things up.
I have a sanding disc on a wheel head that evens things up.
Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
I don't own a single pot with a noticeable wobble - at least not one that is detectable when the tree is out on the bench. It would drive me nuts if the tree rocked (even slightly) in the wind.
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HorseloverFat
Squarepants with Conkers
THIS!
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Maybe you should go back and read your post. I know that what you write is “stream of consciousness”, perhaps you aren’t aware that what actually gets written isn’t exactly what you were thinking.
In your post you talk about hiding imperfections, and how you are willing to accept ”hiding it”. Then you go on about how a buyer shouldn’t have to carry a polished slab of marble to determine if a pot is wonky before he buys it. That’s right, he shouldn’t! THE POTTER SHOULD DO THAT BEFORE IT’S OFFERED FOR SALE!
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Let's read it again together!
"You", meaning the OP or reader, is specifically not me.
And "we", meaning me only as I am part of the group, but more you, cuz I don't accept bald spots or use JBP.....so.
The point about the slab is that ...
Well, people are definitely hiding 3 wheeling pots.
Some people hide more personal problems!
But reveal them in these responses!
Sorce
