Reviews of Lian Zhen's Chop and Red Paste Ink Set

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This is an especially good product in that it not only has the ink in a beautiful container but also has a blank chop that can be carved with a sharp item. I wish they included instructions on carving your own chop but I guess a little experimenting and some memories of watching a Korean sit on a curb and carve on will get me through.

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This LIAN ZHEN CHOP AND INK SET is a very affordable way to introduce yourself to the world of Chinese chops (personal seals). The soapstone is 5/8" x 5/8", and 2 3/4 inches long. So its small, almost too small to carve on anything but the most simple Chinese character. You'll need some soapstone chop carving tools, to make this as well. (Available on AMAZON.) Instructions for creating a seal, can be found in CHINESE CALLIGRAPHY MADE EASY by Rebecca Yue. Information about the history of Chinese seals, is also important. You need to understand WHAT to create, and not just HOW. A good way to gain a fast intro to the CHOP, is in ANCIENT ART OF THE CHINESE SEAL by Yunn Pann. (Plus it contains 4 little chops, and some ink.) You need to translate your name into CHINESE. There are web sites for this. Google something like "Chinese Seal Generator" or "Chinese Name". If you know what your name means (William means "Protector"), you can also get the word PROTECTOR translated into Chinese, and go with that. (The other way, is to use Chinese words that sound a bit like your English name.) TAKE A LOT OF TIME WITH THIS STEP. The name on your seal, is very auspicious. Its recommended that the style of Chinese Calligraphy be CHUAN SHU, which is the old seal style.

If you don't want to ruin your soapstone, try to carve your first attempt at a stamp, using an Eraser. (the one inch block erasers, from a stationary store.) Draw the outline of the eraser on a piece of paper. Then, using ink, draw the Chinese character on the paper, and BEFORE THE INK DRIES, press it on the eraser. YOU NEED TO HAVE A MIRROR IMAGE OF THE CHINESE CHARACTER on your seal, in order to make a correct print. So, carve out the inked image on the eraser (if you want the character to be white, on a red back round), or carve out the area AROUND the character, if you want to print the character as red, on a white back round. If making an eraser seal works OK for you, then try to fit your characters into the 5/8" square top of your soapstone. However, for carving a soapstone chop this size, you almost HAVE TO carve the character into the soapstone. This creates a white character on a red back round, for your seal. (which is perfectly acceptable.) When you go to print, you need to place the paper you want to print your seal onto, on top of something SOFT. I use FELT. You need to get the vermillion ink on the chop, PRESS IT HARD onto the paper (rice paper is best, coz its so absorbent.) Don't ROCK the chop when printing it, or let it move around. PRACTICE printing your soapstone seal on some rice paper SEVERAL TIMES, until you can consistently create a clean, clear print off your chop. You don't want to place your seal on a piece of artwork, or calligraphy, and ruin your artwork with a sloppy chop mark, or a chop mark that didn't print correctly.

USE the internet, to discover the information you need, including looking for videos posted on Utoob. (sic) If you enjoy making your own chop, AMAZON sells LARGER pieces of soapstone, and larger sized blank chops, in case you wish to perfect your technic, or put your WHOLE name on the chop, or carve it so you print red characters on a white back round. (VERY difficult to do.) Once you master this, you can make a chop for a friend. In China, creating your own chop (seal), is an art form. Along with writing poetry, painting, calligraphy, creating a chop is much revered in the artist-scholar's game. The chop artists spend a lot of time carving a creature for the top of the chop, too. (this chop in this kit, has a "dragon" on it, but it mostly looks like holes drilled into the soapstone, with lines carved around the bore holes.) Sometimes they carve(or scratch) a few characters on the side of the chop, too.

BEST OF LUCK! Protect your chop, when you are done. In China, your chop, or seal, is used the way our signature is used in the west. Your personal seal is placed on official documents TO THIS DAY! Having your chop stolen in China, is like losing your wallet with credit card numbers here. If this CHOP kit opens the door to Chinese culture, especially their calligraphy, poetry and paintings, then it will have done its REAL job.

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The chop and ink paste arrived in an attractive little box just as shown. Arrived ahead of estimated date. Good service.