| Toya's B-item market can be found here |
Please read before purchasing.
[About Toya's B-products]
All our products are manufactured and sold by Toya or Otowa (Otowa Kiln), so we inspect them strictly with professional eyes. As a result, 5-6% of our products are defective (B-grade) and we hold a sale of B-grade products once or twice a year.
Regarding the purchase of B-grade products, please read the following and make sure you understand the terms before making your purchase.
[Inspection standards]
Below are some of the inspection standards we use.
⚫︎Pinhole
When bisque firing, air or organic matter (dust, etc.) remaining in the base material can leave small holes after firing; these small holes are called pinholes.
Generally, these are considered to be good quality items, but in our store, we classify any that have noticeable defects as B-grade items.
⚫︎Iron powder
When pottery is fired, the iron originally contained in the clay oxidizes during firing in the kiln, and these black spots appear on the surface of the pottery, known as iron powder.
There are many artists and kilns that allow iron particles to appear to add character to their pottery, and these are generally treated as quality items, but in our store we classify any that are noticeable as B-grade.
⚫︎Color unevenness/glaze unevenness
The glaze is applied carefully by hand one by one, so the application may not be uniform.
These traces of runny glaze and glaze pools have long been appreciated as part of the dish's "scenery," so they are generally treated as good quality items; however, in our store, any that are noticeable are deemed a B-grade item.
⚫︎Molding distortion
The pottery is made on a potter's wheel, by hand, or by molding using a mold. All of these methods are traditional and involve the use of human hands, so each piece is different, with some not being perfectly round and some having slightly different heights and sizes.
A certain degree of variation is considered to be the individual character of the dish and is judged to be of good quality, but dishes with excessive individual variation are classified as B quality.
[Returns and exchanges of B-grade products]
B-grade products are priced lower for the reasons mentioned above, so they may have some defects that can be seen beyond what is described in the individual photos.
Therefore, we will only accept returns or exchanges for reasons related to our company (damage during shipping, incorrect product, etc.).
Unfortunately, we do not accept returns or exchanges for reasons of customer convenience.
Additionally, we are unable to provide gift wrapping or gift tags.
The item will be packaged simply (without a box). It will be safely wrapped in cushioning material.
Please be aware of this before placing your order.
If you would like to purchase multiple B-grade items listed on our website, we may be able to accommodate your request if we have them in stock. In that case, please write this in the comments section when placing your order. We will contact you shortly.
(*If you wish to add an item, we will select the best item, but we will basically leave it up to you. Thank you for your understanding.)