The Glaze Book

Rating:
Summary: Do not buy this book if you fire at low temperature!!!
Review: Although the book is nicely presented with durable material/cover/binding, it was a major dissapointment. I would have returned it back to Amazon, but unfortunately I have opened the shrink wrap packaging! Almost all the earthenware formulas have Lead Bisilicate in them!!! The remaining few are made up of colourants/stains and ready made mixtures! The stoneware and porcelain parts look good, but hey.. most of the hobbyists and amateurs like me fire at low temperatures! I don't recommend it at all.

Rating:
Summary: Not as good as I thought it would be.
Review: While doing research for some new earthenware glazes I came upon this book which has a large section dedicated to that subject (as well as raku, majolica, stoneware and porcelain).

The test tile examples are beutiful and it is laid out in a different fashion than normal; by color not colorant. I found that to be helpful.

Then I started reading the glaze recipes.... a MAJOR percentage of the earthenware recipes use lead bisilicate. I was sceptical, but since some of the glazes were marked for "Domestic" use I decided to try them out.

That ended up being a colosal waste of time, energy and money. All eight glazes that I tested for "Domestic" use leached lead in testing at home. I don't know how one would begin to use or sell glazes that leach lead. From a practical view I don't think I would ever be able to tell a customer that it's a lead glaze, but not to worry '""cause this book I got the recipe from said it was okay to eat off of."

I'm quite disappointed. For people who do low-fire ceramics (which would be about every grade school , junior high, hobby-ist...I know of) this is most definately NOT the book for you. The author needs to be a little more up front about what's in the recipes and exactly what kind of lead leach test those recipes passed to be considered for "Domestic" use.

Someone out there needs to write a very comprehensive book in the same style for just low-fire ceramics that may include these glazes (along with alkaline glazes etc....), but be more realistic about usages.