Why two handmade pieces never quite match

We get asked this most about ceramics and wood, and the answer is the same for both: the material was not identical to begin with, and the person making it was not a machine.

Clay and glaze

A reactive glaze does not sit evenly. It runs thicker where the pot curves and thinner where it does not, and it pools darker in the thick places. Two bowls thrown on the same day, glazed from the same bucket, fired in the same kiln, will still come out different, because they were not standing in exactly the same spot in the kiln.

Wood

Grain is a record of how a tree grew. A shelf cut from near the outside of a trunk looks different from one cut near the centre. Colour varies within a single board.

Leather

Full-grain leather keeps the marks the animal had. Scars, insect bites, stretch marks near the belly. A tannery that sands those off is selling you corrected-grain leather, which is more uniform and less durable.

What we do about it

We photograph a representative piece, not the best one we could find. If a variation is large enough that we think you would be surprised, we email you before shipping and let you decide.

And if it arrives and you do not like it, send it back. Handmade is not an excuse for something you are not happy with.