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My wife does pottery, and makes her own glazes. This is a major concern for potters, and you usually won't see a professional or semi-professional potter use le

My wife does pottery, and makes her own glazes. This is a major concern for potters, and you usually won't see a professional or semi-professional potter use lead in their glazes... Of course, if you're buying on Amazon, who knows.. but you are very, very unlikely to have this problem with people who make pottery for a living (like local artists, or reputable Etsy shops)..

stiray 5y ago
This is exactly what my wife said (also doing the pottery). Lead glazes are never used unless you use it for some "special effects" or you are playing it cheap.
- pengaru 5y ago
  > or you are playing it cheap Shouldn't we assume all this mass-produced pottery found on the shelves of Walmart and Bed Bath & Beyond is being made as cheaply as possible? I don't know about you, but the only time I see non-MADE IN CHINA pottery these days is used, at the thrift store. New stuff isn't generally coming from some domestic artisan who cares about poisoning their neighbors more than a bigger profit.
krisoft 5y ago
> but you are very, very unlikely to have this problem with people who make pottery for a living Amazon clearly doesn't use a mater compiler either. They buy their mugs from people who make pottery for a living. Perhaps the distinction is different? Maybe people who make pottery for a living in the developed world? Or perhaps people who make pottery for a living at smaller scales?
- CuriousCosmic 5y ago
  There's a bit of a distinction between people who make pottery for a living and people who run factories that churn out pottery. When the focus is mass production it stops being a craftsman's job and rather becomes a calculated process designed to extract as much profit as possible with little regard for anything else.
- ldoughty 5y ago
  At least my view is that if someone is selling pottery on Amazon, it's about quantity... And at scale, the cost savings might be worth something.... It's not even a thing you usually find in stores as a hobbiest in the states.. if someone is using lead, it's going to be most commonly a cost cutting measure... Or for a specialist purpose
washadjeffmad 5y ago
I do some work with a national ceramics circle, and you're right, use of leaded glazes is uncommon and explicitly reserved for non-food-contact pieces. Unless they do restoration or period-work, it's about as common to see as leaded aviation fuel in a regular car owner's garage or someone reusing acid from a battery. ASTM D-4236 conforming glazes will contain warning labels that clearly indicate that they are "non-toxic" or "dinnerware safe".
- hamburglar 5y ago
  I’m sure this is an ignorant question, but what’s the incentive for using leaded glazes at all? Do they perform better?
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - stephencanon 5y ago
    It performs extremely well; lead glazes can be fired at lower temperatures, produce smoother and glossier finishes with fewer flaws, and prevents crystallization (that's desirable in some glazes, but you don't want it all the time). I'm probably forgetting a few other benefits. Of course, toxicity means that it pretty much isn't used any more, so alternatives have been developed. They're just harder to work with.
    - mattchamb 5y ago
      It also allows you to produce some colors of glaze that are hard otherwise.
- kevin_thibedeau 5y ago
  I have some old dinnerware from ca 1950. One plate has a crack halfway through and when used in the microwave the plate gets blazing hot while food stays frozen. It has some form of metallic glaze that makes it act as a slotted disc absorbing all energy. I never use them now on the off chance they're lead glazed.
throwaway82931 5y ago
This safety risk applies to anything else you buy on Amazon. Not just pottery, but all dinnerware. Not just dinnerware, but also items like children's toys. If you can't trust the origins of pottery on Amazon, why can you trust the origins of anything on Amazon? And if you can't trust the origins of anything, you can't count on safety regulations and standards that you take for granted.
- derefr 5y ago
  > If you can't trust the origins of pottery on Amazon, why can you trust the origins of anything on Amazon? Because many (most?) categories of goods are consolidated into an effective oligopoly of reputable brands, where these brands push competitors out of the market in basically every respect — in brand-recognition, in advertising payments, in number of reviews, in review score, in "link juice", etc. So even when there are garbage Shenzhen e-waste products being marketed on the same website, in the same category as the thing you're looking for, you won't see them if there are real products to be had, because the first five pages are all the real products. (Unless you're doing very specific searches, using very unusual keywords that the well-known brands would never think to buy.) This is why the experience of shopping on Amazon is a different experience than shopping on a site like Wish or AliExpress: Amazon has both the e-waste and the stuff from well-known brands, and if you stay "on the happy path" of using the site, you'll end up mostly seeing stuff from well-known brands. The only time this falls down is when there are no reputable brands in a category. Such as in the category of kitsch stoneware. For those categories, Amazon and Wish/AliExpress become effectively the same site. > And if you can't trust the origins of anything, you can't count on safety regulations and standards that you take for granted. I mean... most of the things I buy on Amazon, I'm not putting in my mouth. What's the worst a christmas ornament is going to do to me? Get glitter on the floor? I do understand the cases you're referring to — electronics and such — but in those cases, there are import regulations that actually prevent things like "burns your house down" electronics from coming into the country, with actively-maintained blacklists of products. Some few dangerous items might slip through the cracks and get imported anyway (especially at first, in unusual+novel categories like "negative-ion wellness products"), but one email to US Customs is usually enough to get these things sorted out, and the whole category will disappear from the store the next day. (See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7TwBUxxIC0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7TwBUxxIC0)
someuser54541 5y ago
> Of course, if you're buying on Amazon, who knows.. but you are very, very unlikely to have this problem with people who make pottery for a living (like local artists, or reputable Etsy shops).. Purchasing decisions by buyers are probably not based on whether or not the seller produces pottery for a living. I'd wager price, convenience (fast shipping, etc.), size, and design matter far more to a buyer. Here's how the mugs were selected: > The five mugs chosen for this study were selected because they were found to contain lead in a screening-level assessment. Specifically, 24 mugs from the authors’ office were tested using an Olympus Innov-X Delta handheld X-Ray fluorescent (XRF) analyzer. Each mug was measured once with the XRF gun at its highest sensitivity setting, which required the tester to hold the analyzer over the mug for 45 s. The three mugs with the highest resulting lead concentrations (1,223 to 7,034 mg/kg) were selected for the present study. These mugs each had decorative elements and will be referred to by their predominant colors: Green Decorative, Yellow Decorative, and Red Decorative. In addition, two representative mugs were selected from the batch of office mugs baring the authors' company’s logo. These will be referred to as Black Logo1 and Black Logo2. All five mugs selected were in active use in the authors’ San Francisco, California, office environment, and were typically washed daily in an automatic dish washer. Four of the five mugs were purchased in the U.S., and one was purchased in Europe (Red Decorative). The mugs all appeared to be in good condition, with no obvious signs of damage or wear. The types of mugs found in a standard office probably match the types of mugs many people have in their homes. Regardless, lots of coffee is regularly consumed in an office environment. I believe the results of this study are a little more relevant than your comment suggests.
- yread 5y ago
  > Olympus Innov-X Delta handheld X-Ray fluorescent (XRF) analyzer That sounds like an interesting toy. Pity it costs about $15.000. But checkout the video in this listing: https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Xrf-Analyzer-Price-Handheld-XRF-Analyzer_1600350239191.html https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Xrf-Analyzer-Price-Ha... You just point it at things and it says what are they made of. Magic!
  - Obi_Juan_Kenobi 5y ago
7thaccount 5y ago
I bought a tagine (Moroccan clay pot that you cook stews with that is enclosed except for a spout at the top) for cooking and I found out it had lead in the glazing. A lot of the decorative ones do of course, but this one was specifically for cooking and came with instructions for "seasoning" it where you soak it over night and then slowly heat it up so it gets broken in without cracking.
sizzle 5y ago
I took a ceramics class and no one could tell be what the glaze was made of and if it was non toxic. I was making some fun bowls and mugs. You just reminded me, are the store bought glaze mixes toxic? Please share how your wife finds or makes non toxic glaze. Also does firing ceramics in a kiln release even more toxic chemicals in the finished ceramic?? I’ve always suspected this was inherently creating some toxic byproduct from the intense heat. Thanks!

stiray 5y ago

This is exactly what my wife said (also doing the pottery). Lead glazes are never used unless you use it for some "special effects" or you are playing it cheap.

pengaru 5y ago
> or you are playing it cheap Shouldn't we assume all this mass-produced pottery found on the shelves of Walmart and Bed Bath & Beyond is being made as cheaply as possible? I don't know about you, but the only time I see non-MADE IN CHINA pottery these days is used, at the thrift store. New stuff isn't generally coming from some domestic artisan who cares about poisoning their neighbors more than a bigger profit.

krisoft 5y ago

> but you are very, very unlikely to have this problem with people who make pottery for a living Amazon clearly doesn't use a mater compiler either. They buy their mugs from people who make pottery for a living. Perhaps the distinction is different? Maybe people who make pottery for a living in the developed world? Or perhaps people who make pottery for a living at smaller scales?

CuriousCosmic 5y ago
There's a bit of a distinction between people who make pottery for a living and people who run factories that churn out pottery. When the focus is mass production it stops being a craftsman's job and rather becomes a calculated process designed to extract as much profit as possible with little regard for anything else.
ldoughty 5y ago
At least my view is that if someone is selling pottery on Amazon, it's about quantity... And at scale, the cost savings might be worth something.... It's not even a thing you usually find in stores as a hobbiest in the states.. if someone is using lead, it's going to be most commonly a cost cutting measure... Or for a specialist purpose

washadjeffmad 5y ago

I do some work with a national ceramics circle, and you're right, use of leaded glazes is uncommon and explicitly reserved for non-food-contact pieces. Unless they do restoration or period-work, it's about as common to see as leaded aviation fuel in a regular car owner's garage or someone reusing acid from a battery. ASTM D-4236 conforming glazes will contain warning labels that clearly indicate that they are "non-toxic" or "dinnerware safe".

hamburglar 5y ago
I’m sure this is an ignorant question, but what’s the incentive for using leaded glazes at all? Do they perform better?
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- stephencanon 5y ago
  It performs extremely well; lead glazes can be fired at lower temperatures, produce smoother and glossier finishes with fewer flaws, and prevents crystallization (that's desirable in some glazes, but you don't want it all the time). I'm probably forgetting a few other benefits. Of course, toxicity means that it pretty much isn't used any more, so alternatives have been developed. They're just harder to work with.
  - mattchamb 5y ago
    It also allows you to produce some colors of glaze that are hard otherwise.
kevin_thibedeau 5y ago
I have some old dinnerware from ca 1950. One plate has a crack halfway through and when used in the microwave the plate gets blazing hot while food stays frozen. It has some form of metallic glaze that makes it act as a slotted disc absorbing all energy. I never use them now on the off chance they're lead glazed.

throwaway82931 5y ago

This safety risk applies to anything else you buy on Amazon. Not just pottery, but all dinnerware. Not just dinnerware, but also items like children's toys. If you can't trust the origins of pottery on Amazon, why can you trust the origins of anything on Amazon? And if you can't trust the origins of anything, you can't count on safety regulations and standards that you take for granted.

derefr 5y ago
> If you can't trust the origins of pottery on Amazon, why can you trust the origins of anything on Amazon? Because many (most?) categories of goods are consolidated into an effective oligopoly of reputable brands, where these brands push competitors out of the market in basically every respect — in brand-recognition, in advertising payments, in number of reviews, in review score, in "link juice", etc. So even when there are garbage Shenzhen e-waste products being marketed on the same website, in the same category as the thing you're looking for, you won't see them if there are real products to be had, because the first five pages are all the real products. (Unless you're doing very specific searches, using very unusual keywords that the well-known brands would never think to buy.) This is why the experience of shopping on Amazon is a different experience than shopping on a site like Wish or AliExpress: Amazon has both the e-waste and the stuff from well-known brands, and if you stay "on the happy path" of using the site, you'll end up mostly seeing stuff from well-known brands. The only time this falls down is when there are no reputable brands in a category. Such as in the category of kitsch stoneware. For those categories, Amazon and Wish/AliExpress become effectively the same site. > And if you can't trust the origins of anything, you can't count on safety regulations and standards that you take for granted. I mean... most of the things I buy on Amazon, I'm not putting in my mouth. What's the worst a christmas ornament is going to do to me? Get glitter on the floor? I do understand the cases you're referring to — electronics and such — but in those cases, there are import regulations that actually prevent things like "burns your house down" electronics from coming into the country, with actively-maintained blacklists of products. Some few dangerous items might slip through the cracks and get imported anyway (especially at first, in unusual+novel categories like "negative-ion wellness products"), but one email to US Customs is usually enough to get these things sorted out, and the whole category will disappear from the store the next day. (See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7TwBUxxIC0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7TwBUxxIC0)

someuser54541 5y ago

> Of course, if you're buying on Amazon, who knows.. but you are very, very unlikely to have this problem with people who make pottery for a living (like local artists, or reputable Etsy shops).. Purchasing decisions by buyers are probably not based on whether or not the seller produces pottery for a living. I'd wager price, convenience (fast shipping, etc.), size, and design matter far more to a buyer. Here's how the mugs were selected: > The five mugs chosen for this study were selected because they were found to contain lead in a screening-level assessment. Specifically, 24 mugs from the authors’ office were tested using an Olympus Innov-X Delta handheld X-Ray fluorescent (XRF) analyzer. Each mug was measured once with the XRF gun at its highest sensitivity setting, which required the tester to hold the analyzer over the mug for 45 s. The three mugs with the highest resulting lead concentrations (1,223 to 7,034 mg/kg) were selected for the present study. These mugs each had decorative elements and will be referred to by their predominant colors: Green Decorative, Yellow Decorative, and Red Decorative. In addition, two representative mugs were selected from the batch of office mugs baring the authors' company’s logo. These will be referred to as Black Logo1 and Black Logo2. All five mugs selected were in active use in the authors’ San Francisco, California, office environment, and were typically washed daily in an automatic dish washer. Four of the five mugs were purchased in the U.S., and one was purchased in Europe (Red Decorative). The mugs all appeared to be in good condition, with no obvious signs of damage or wear. The types of mugs found in a standard office probably match the types of mugs many people have in their homes. Regardless, lots of coffee is regularly consumed in an office environment. I believe the results of this study are a little more relevant than your comment suggests.

yread 5y ago
> Olympus Innov-X Delta handheld X-Ray fluorescent (XRF) analyzer That sounds like an interesting toy. Pity it costs about $15.000. But checkout the video in this listing: https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Xrf-Analyzer-Price-Handheld-XRF-Analyzer_1600350239191.html https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Xrf-Analyzer-Price-Ha... You just point it at things and it says what are they made of. Magic!
- Obi_Juan_Kenobi 5y ago

7thaccount 5y ago

I bought a tagine (Moroccan clay pot that you cook stews with that is enclosed except for a spout at the top) for cooking and I found out it had lead in the glazing. A lot of the decorative ones do of course, but this one was specifically for cooking and came with instructions for "seasoning" it where you soak it over night and then slowly heat it up so it gets broken in without cracking.

sizzle 5y ago

I took a ceramics class and no one could tell be what the glaze was made of and if it was non toxic. I was making some fun bowls and mugs. You just reminded me, are the store bought glaze mixes toxic? Please share how your wife finds or makes non toxic glaze. Also does firing ceramics in a kiln release even more toxic chemicals in the finished ceramic?? I’ve always suspected this was inherently creating some toxic byproduct from the intense heat. Thanks!