What is the difference between first and second quality product?Updated a year ago

What makes a second?

The heat of the room, the hum of the furnace, the weight of the tools...a glassblowing studio is itself a living, breathing thing, in which even the world’s most masterful craftspeople can expect variations in the work they create.

Unlike mass-produced design, handmade pieces yield divergent outcomes, owing to even the smallest differences in conditions. A change in breath, a flick of the wrist or a shift of foot can and will affect the final product.

Unique beauty lives in imperfection. Each Seconds piece captures a moment of the human hand at work, where unique conditions lead to slight variations and differences preserved in glass. These imperfections include small bubbles, fine lines, or a faint hue in the product. The quality and functionality aren’t inferior to Firsts, but rather, they are a thoughtful option for those who value character and an organic quality in their household objects.

All Simon Pearce glass and pottery must meet specific quality control standards for size, weight, height, and shape. It is then qualified to be sold as a first- or second-quality item. Second-quality items simply meet a slightly more relaxed standard but are as durable and functional as our first-quality items. Second-quality glass and second-quality pottery are available in our Quechee, Windsor, Hanover, and Mountain Lake Park Factory Stores, and on our website. All seconds purchases are final sale.

GLASS seconds:

Pieces are deemed seconds when unintended bubbles, excessive texture called cording, and/or size and hue variances occur. While glass seconds carry our trademark pontil mark, Simon's signature is reserved for first-quality glass only. 

POTTERY seconds:

Pieces are considered seconds when they contain air pockets in the glaze, cracked clay, and/or discolored glaze called bleeders.