Our Process

At Shaws we make each sink by hand, using time honoured techniques that have been passed down from master craftsman to apprentice for well over a century.

It takes three to four weeks of mixing, moulding, hand-finishing, drying, glazing and firing to produce a Shaws sink. It cannot be rushed. The completed sink will be rejected if even the smallest imperfection is found in either of the two extensive inspections. We pack every sink ourselves before it is delivered to its new home, where it will last for generations to come.

Week 1

Skilled Master Mould Makers use a unique plaster mix to make each mould by hand. At the same time, heavy duty fireclay is carefully blended and slowly mixed before being rested. Fireclay is a natural material that requires skillful handling. The blend must be right if the sinks are to achieve their trademark durability.

Week 2

Molten fireclay is poured by hand into the mould before being rested. The mould is then removed and the rough sink is hand-finished to perfection by a Master Craftsman with over 10 years’ experience.

Then the maker stamps their name, and the year of production, and the sink is then dried at 110°C for two days.

Week 3

The sink is glazed by hand and then rested before a second glaze is applied. Once the finish is dry the sink is inspected. Only if the inspection team are happy is the Shaws’ blue diamond applied.

Week 4

The sink is prepared and fired at 1200 °C for 32 hours to fuse the heavy duty fireclay and the glaze. It then cools for 24 hours and is carefully inspected – twice. Only if it passes these two rigorous inspections will it be carefully packed for delivery.

This meticulous process produces a sink that is impact resistant, heat resistant, stain and scratch resistant, safe from chemicals - we make sinks for laboratories too! - and naturally anti-bacterial. That’s why we say that a Shaws sink has been handcrafted for life.

Built for endurance, designed for reassurance.

All Shaws products hold a number of independent industry accreditations for quality, durability and resistance against chemicals and staining.

The hard-wearing glaze applied to every Shaws sink has been proven to reduce bacterial colonies of E-Coli and MRSA by 99.99% over a 24 hour period and were classified as Excellent in this area, which makes our sinks ideal for healthcare and school installations.

Each sink in our domestic and professional collections is produced using heavy fireclay material; cast, finished and glazed by hand, ensuring the products are resilient to cracking, chipping and staining.

Durability & Craftsmanship

Learn more about the durability of our products by downloading our durability and craftmanship guide.

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WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY

“Altogether excellent. Fantastic products and fantastic customer service. Thank you Shaws.”

Claire L, England, UK

WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY

“Just what I wanted, beautifully crafted quality sinks. Perfect.”

Ruth J, England, UK

WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY

“Very impressed with the customer service department and the company's goodwill attitude. Over the years I have installed many Belfast sinks and Shaws are always my go to brand.”

Andrew N, England, UK