Hmmm... guess I don't know. I purchased one (b/c I love it - the style, the size, etc.) but it's not installed yet, so am anxious to hear replies from others. I know Sayde did certainly have a problem, but I think that has been taken care of.

We've had our 30" Shaw apron front sink installed and in use now for about 5 months. We love it! No problems at all!

Ours is 3 years old and still LOVE it!

Mine is also 3 years old and, like jayjay_teacher, I still love it. Very much, in fact!

Yes, I did have a problem -- and it was not the sink's fault, but Rohl stood behind it and gave me a new one. It's been in about two months now and I do really like it.

There were some posts where people were concerned about pouring hot water into it. I wrote to Rohl to ask about this and they said it was fine to pour hot water into it.

The only reservation I have is, it is so flat that water does not move to the drain as quickly as my old sink. I got the sink grid which is sometimes a pain because it catches stuff, but on balance is well worth having. Just makes it less worrisome to put heavy pans down into the sink.

There were some posts where people were concerned about pouring hot water into it. I wrote to Rohl to ask about this and they said it was fine to pour hot water into it.

I think someone needs to do more research on this forum.

If you buy a fireclay sink, it might be fine. It might crack in an insane web of hairline cracks when you cook your first bowl of pasta. Or when your disposal is installed. Or you could be fine. Or not.

Anyone who disagrees with the above statement is dishonest.

If I owned a porcelain object that cost that much, it would be on my mantle with a spotlight on it. Not somewhere I was emptying boiled broccoli into it.

Well just telling you what Victor Serrato at Rohl wrote to me.

My Shaw's sink is 7-1/2 years old. It has one tiny ding because I refused to buy a proper sink grid for 6 years. It has endured dozens of pots of boiling water poured directly into it -- draining pasta is a kitchen basic around here and we're not giving it up.

Scores of us bought Shaws sinks for 5-6 years before reports on the cracking and other issues arose. There weren't any complaints -- it was a universally loved sink.

But they are here now, nothing to cause terror, just some caution.

The sink is lovely to live with. Mine is pulled forward and it's very comfortable to work in. Because it's upmounted I do need to watch the rims, sort of. It cleans easily and it's far more durable than it looks.

We've all seen posts where someone would say: "I've got 3 boys who hang from the cabinet doors and x,y,z, would never work for me." Or "there are just 2 of us and marble won't be a problem."

Two years ago I did a reno in our apartment. I didn't do a Shaw's, I did a single-bowl (30") very deep stainless steel sink mounted under marble. I love my Shaw's and wasn't sure how I'd like a different, even deeper sink that wasn't raised. But that ss sink grew on me -- it hid everything and I loved the depth. If the two were switched, I'd be fine with it as well.

It's hard when you don't know exactly what you will love and hear disaster stories. And all these fixtures are spendy. But in this case, the longevity and popularity probably will out.

Well said, Roc. Your experience has been mine. I pour hot, boiling water into my Shaw's sink all the time and without worry as to consequences. Like you, after several years of doing so, nearly on a daily basis, I've had no issues with my sink cracking, hairline or otherwise. I had no issues with staining or even dinging either. The only issue I've had with my sink was when I had to replace it due to damage caused by contractor error upon countertop install. Because Shaw's sinks are handmade, the manufacturer explicitly advises that the variance from one unit to another can be as much as + or - 2". As luck would have it, the new sink did not match the size of the sink it replaced and, therefore, the previous scribing for the sink base cabinet was also off. However, that was a contractor/construction problem, not a defective fireclay sink problem.

A thought occurred to me about the cracking issue. It seems that those who have had their sink a while did not have this problem and the newer ones were where this was an issue. Perhaps they are made differently somehow now....

I have had issues with our Marmoleum floors, yet people who have had them for years don't have the same problems. I have seen others with the same problem as I have, so it could be either bad batches or some difference in the new stuff. I wish I had been with the ones with no problems, but the fact that it happened to me makes it possible. I think the same may be true for the Shaw sink.

I think that like anything, a fireclay sink can be damaged by an incorrect install or some inherent flaw. I don't think porcelain should crack due to hot water in general...otherwise it would make a poor material to use for tea pots and coffee cups. But it can happen which is why Rohl probably replaces them so readily if it does happen. I did get nervous when I saw the posts by people who had problems before my sink was installed. But I think bad news travels further and longer than good news.

Dianalo: I'm putting marmoleum floors in my laundry area...would be interested to hear more of that problem. Maybe I need to post something on that here! Was avoiding that on the kitchen forum since it wasn't a "kitchen" issue but seems like some on this forum have experience with marmoleum.

Thanks all for the information! I think you are right, itsallaboutthefood, bad news always sticks with me! So I think I just wanted some confirmation that those with Shaw do love theirs and do not regret it. Keep it coming :)

I believe itsallaboutthefood is correct: there's some small predictable risk that a fireclay risk will crack if there's a flaw in it, and the manufacturer has likely built replacements costs into every sink they sell. Seems likely to me that if this were going to happen, it would happen early on, when the sink is under warranty. How much of a problem that would be depends on how and where you've installed the sink and what's involved if it had to be replaced. If you love the look and feel of those sinks (I love them too but their "biscuit" didn't work in our reno -- it is very rosy), then go for it, so long as your new kitchen doesn't have to be torn apart to replace a sink. You have to be prepared to deal with the Englishness of these sinks, the variability in their production, probably not much altered since the days of elderly Oliver Twist. You'll never see the signature of the person who made it after it's installed, but you'll know it's there.

We installed a biscuit Porcher sink, turned around so the drain would be on the right-hand side. It has a very good pitch to the drain, isn't quite as ...romantic?...as the Shaw's Original, but is very pretty, and we enjoy it as our prep sink. Unlike steel, it feels pleasant when you're using your hands to scoop up food scraps to put in the composter. Porcher had it's own adventures: the first couple of sinks they shipped -- with, it seems, minimal protection -- were cracked on arrival at the plumbing supply house. They rapidly replaced them and were very nice about it. As they darn well should be. Our cabinetmaker found it much easier to fit the cabinet to the more standardized Porcher. But some of that handmade quality is lost.

In re: fireclay tea pots and coffee cups -- Wedgwood and others will warn you to warm a tea pot before pouring in boiling water, and I did crack a brand new black basalt teapot I had saved up to buy as a souvenir when I was a student in London. They replaced that, too, but clearly felt only an American would fail to warm a teapot.
Lynn

mine will be installed shortly, is waiting patiently in the corner as the cab install is onoging. i decided on the sink and finalized the design before learning about all the issues with the sink. am nervous about it but love the sink, think it is worth the risk.

Always good to refer to theresse's sink:

Since this thread centers on a specific sink it seems useful to link to a video that explains and shows how they are made. The company's been in business since 1897 -- there are waranties on the sinks -- take a look.

Having said that there are other manufacturers of fireclay and vitreous china sinks -- porcelain is another material -- including Herbeau, Villeroy & Boch, Whitehaus and Franke to name only a few. Kohler may have one again. So no one "must" buy a Shaws.

For clarity, here's some information on the differences between the various sink materials -- always good to have on hand when shopping or for reference.

With due respect, let's not equate pouring hot water into a Wedgwood teapot and a fireclay sink. Material wise, it's like pouring hot water into a teapot and a bathtub.

Here is a link that might be useful: sink video

The two posts that I recall seeing lately had cracks from install related issues(overtightening the disposal and a jack%^& marble installer). Both times Rohl replaced the sink without any sort of fight and that is alot more than can be said for most companies. I've had mine installed for about 3 months and am very happy with it but I do agree with the comments Sayde made about it draining and the grid getting cruddy.

Incorrect. Bathtubs are not made of porcelain. Toilets and bathroom sinks are, but bathroom sinks are not subjected to water above scalding temperature due to code.

Perplexed by the way you always dismiss the idea that a fireclay sink can crack from hot water, when you were present on other threads that have discussed this before? The problem is not only explicitly noted by Rohl but by other GWebbers. "My daughter's fireclay farm sink cracked when she drained pasta in it. I also have a fireclay sink (not farm style) and am ultra careful to aim for the drain when I pour off boiling water."

Here is a link that might be useful: Another thread discussing cracking sinks

I remember those threads too Marcolo. But apparently had allowed myself to completely forget about them-yikes!

We shopped the Shaws but in the end purchased the Barclay farm sink, however we're not using it yet so I can't make any comments as to durability, etc.

We also considered the Porcher mentioned above, I liked both the Porcher and the Barclay because the drain is far offset to the side (rather than just barely off center in the Rohl, which I always thought a bit odd...) At the time I could not find a compatible sink grid for use with the Porcher, but there is one for the Barclay so we went with that one. The Barclay is cheaper (and thinner) than the Rohl, and I am a bit nervous for the disposal install. Now I'm nervous about draining pasta water...

Rococogurl is right that fireclay and china are not the same thing. The Barclay sink is fireclay as is the Duravit. The Rohl is much heavier than either of these. The risk of cracking a sink by pouring hot water in it is very small, and I think would be caused by a flaw in the fireclay, so to me the message would be: pour boiling water in your sink while it's still under warranty!
Lynn

I didn't mean to equate porcelain and fireclay...I believe fireclay is much more durable. I also frequently make tea in porcelain tea pots. I believe you warm the pot so that you won't lose heat when you do pour the hot water over the tea leaves. Not to prevent the pot from cracking. (You usually warm the pot by pouring boiling water in it in the first place.)

I have a Shaw fireclay sink - single bowl, 30", white. I've been using it for several months now, and have had no problems whatsoever. I was worried when I had the garbage disposal installed, but I told him that he should hand-tighten it (that's what Rohl says) and it worked fine. I think you can find scary posts about any product; maybe it's human nature to speak up more often when there is a problem than when things are going fine.

I don't think that the company would have survived over a hundred years if you couldn't pour hot water into the sink! I'm sure there are some flawed sinks that make it out of the factory - that would be the case with any product. The warranty should cover those instances.

Theresse's thread was the one that terrified me!

Sorry, up above I had an ischemic episode and wrote "Duravit" when I should have typed "Porcher".
Lynn