Studio · Aug 22, 2026

Seconds, thirds, and shard pile

The August seconds sale is done for another year, and the table emptied faster than ever. Thank you to everyone who brought a box. A few people asked how we decide what ends up on that table, so here is the whole grading system.

Firsts are pieces that came out as intended. They go in the shop at full price.

Seconds work perfectly but have a cosmetic flaw: a pinhole in the glaze, a kiln kiss, a slight lean, a speckle pattern that looks off. They sell at the August sale at a discount and occasionally online, marked clearly.

Thirds have a flaw that could matter in use but isn't dangerous, like a glaze run that left a sharp edge on the foot or a handle that feels awkward. We don't sell these. They become studio mugs, glaze test pots or planters for the garden.

The shard pile gets anything that could fail. A hairline crack, however small, means a pot could split with hot liquid in it. Glaze that crawled on a food surface can leave bare clay where food would sit. Those pieces get broken on purpose so they never end up on anyone's table. The shards become drainage in plant pots and edging along the studio path.

A normal run of twelve has ten or eleven firsts. The honest grading is part of why the firsts can be trusted.