Unpack My Kiln With Me (Cone 10 Reduction Firing)

I should explain what “firsts”, “seconds” and “thirds” are here as I speak about those quite a lot in this video.   Essentially, it’s a way of classifying the quality of the work. Firsts are saleable, meaning they fired perfectly, to the craftsperson’s liking.   Seconds are pieces with slight defects. Perhaps the rim warped just slightly too much, or there’s a spot of damage on the foot-ring, or excessive unwelcome discolouration. Typically, they’re issues that don’t tamper with the functionality of the vessel but results in the pot not meeting the makers standards.   Lastly, there are thirds. These are pots that aren’t salvageable or saleable, cracks, extreme warping, excessive glaze crawling, or broken, jagged glaze around an area meant for hands or mouth. Essentially, it’s anything that makes the pot unusable, unsafe. If it’s a decorative object and the issue is manageable or correctable, then there’s some room for error, but if it’s a jar, mug or a teapot, then normally I’ll just immediately smash them.   I hope that sheds some light on what these terms mean. Ultimately, it’s down to the maker who creating the objects to assess their work and it’s an important part of the making process, it’s the quality control and at the end of the day, if something doesn’t meet the makers standards, well, it’s normally destined for the smash bucket. Otherwise, seconds are gradually stored up and sold at “seconds” sales, or they’re given away to family and friends or even taken come to be used.   The firsts though are what keep the business going and I tend to never really keep any of mine for myself. I’d rather collect other potters’ firsts than hang onto the pieces I make.   #asmr #pottery #satisfying #studiopottery #smallbusiness