Wow this whole issue makes me feel a little messed up. So, this topic really does interest me, and I'd love to see the opinion of some others as well. I am like many others where it has been drilled into my head that crazing is not considered food safe, so I have always avoided using something that crazed, and have thrown our mass produced items after they have started to show signs of wear/use from the dishwasher, microwave, etc. I really like this piece, the shape, color, and the overall way it looks and turned out, however, since it is a pitcher, I would like to be able to put it to use. I just found it a little odd that the crazing is where the glaze seems to be on the thinner side. I understand that the crazing is caused by the clay and the glaze not being a good fit. I used Laguna's B-mix with Archie's Base by Coyote Clay, which tends to run. Now for a question, is it possible to re-fire a piece that has crazing in order to correct the issue? The pot that I have, only has crazing where the glaze is thinner, and no crazing is visible where the glaze 'pooled' and is thicker. We all are entitled to our opinion and professional practice.įollowing the topic I found it very interesting the difference of opinions. If I have a glaze that is crazing and not fitting my clay body, I try to adjust it to get rid of the crazing. It will also have a better resistance to thermal shock." The comparative strength after the firing is in the proportions 40:100:160, indicating that vitreous ware with a non-crazing glaze may be three or four times stronger than the ware which is crazed. Small rods of porcelain, all made by the same process from the same body, are divided into three groups some are dipped in a crazing glaze, some are left unglazed, others are dipped in a sound glaze all are given the same firing treatment. But it has been proven that glaze fit has a major effect on strength. "A stoneware potter sometimes tends to think that since the body of his ware is vitreous and non-porous, crazing is only a skin-deep and therefore a venial fault and if he has ever suffered from a body which shatters, he may even be prepared to tolerate crazing as by far the lesser of two evils. Some health departments will not let restaurants serve food on crazed dinnerware.įrom Michael Cardew, Pioneer Pottery pp. There are many who preach that including Michael Cardew and others. That is true that tea and coffee stains will probably not harm you. I think their concerns for glaze defects and remedies is relevant to all temperatures used for functional ware. I respect their opinions because they have been professional Ceramic technicians and /or chemical engineers with access to scientific evaluation. I do follow his leaching and safe glazes advice as he and Ron Roy wrote the mastering ^6 Glazes book. And everyone should decide for themselves.Īre the crackles black?If you can see the crackles, is it because they are darker? I don't think washing will remove bacteria. And neither one has a stronghold of proof. And the "bacteria in the crackle" is another opinion. To me it is just a myth.Īgain to repeat my earlier point, this is just my opinion. And in all the debate about the food safety of crackled glazes, I've never seen any proof linking health problems to crackled glazes. ![]() ![]() I drink coffee out of crackle glazed mugs all the time, and it doesn't make me sick. If food or bacteria gets into a crackle or pinhole, it will be removed when you wash the pot. ![]() Marcia, I hear people say this all the time, but it doesn't make sense to me. "bacteria grows in crackle glazes as well as pin holes"
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