Overheard a ceramicist say something about microchips that made me grab my mug collection

I was at a local craft fair in Tulsa last Saturday and overheard this potter talking to another vendor. She said 'a chip in a mug is a stress relief point, not a flaw' and it got me thinking... she explained that the crack or chip actually releases tension in the clay body so it won't shatter later. I never thought of my chipped mug that way, it always just felt like a mistake. Has anyone else heard this theory or know if there's truth to it?

2 comments

2 Comments

martinez.karen17d ago

Guess my whole personality is a stress relief point then.

the_wren17d ago

@martinez.karen girl, big same. lmao. I swear my friends just keep me around to laugh at my latest disaster. At this point I'm practically a walking stress ball with a little personality hat on top.