Which material? They come in stainless, fireclay and enameled cast iron.

Sorry, fireclay vs enameled cast iron. i have looked at the large Shaw with a full size divider and the Kohler with the low divide. I have read the pros and cons of both on this forum but many posts are old. I am struggling with the old remarks about cracks in the porcelain on the Shaw around the drain due to over tightening of the disposal and the durability of the cast iron enamel. I know I want a 2 bowl sink but not sure about the low divide.

The old rap on cast iron was chipping but Kohler now claims more durability. The rap on Shaws was the crazing though those complaints seem to have stopped. The looks are similar so it's really material or if you wanted a color, Kohler has that. The Kohler Whitehaven line is ideal for retrofitting. I believe is has the low divide. I'm not a fan of double sinks but if you are, I think the low divide is less likely to create things hitting against it. Less ideal if you like to fill up one side. That's the only downside of the low divide I can think of offhand.

The other factor is how deep you would want the sink to be. From experience, I really like having a sink grid though it's not something I ever would have thought I'd like. Prevents chipping, marking and lets me put hot pots right into the sink. So I like a deeper sink since the grid raises the bottom by about 1-inch. Something to check. Also check the drain positions to be sure they are not quirky somehow and cause an issue in the cabinet.

The Shaws sinks have been made for more than a century. There's a video that explains how they are made which I find fascinating. They are slightly off round since they are handmade so that can be an issue depending how the sink is installed. The Kohlers have more precise measurements. Both good choices. With a disposal, Kohler may be the surest bet.

rococogurl, Thanks so much. I have been reading a wide variety of appliance forums and always enjoy your perspective, I appreciate the advice. I went to a showroom yesterday with large LeCreuset and cookie sheets in tow to check sink depth. Unfortunately the Kohler was mounted in a cabinet at chest height which made it impossible to tell how standing at it doing dishes would feel. They did not have a sample of the low divided sink. The Shaw double bowl was there with a 60/40 split in a 36 inch sink. Seemed huge, the depth was good as was the width of the large bowl, easily fit the large cookie sheet. The smaller bowl though looked a little odd with its full size divider.

I am gutting the kitchen so all new cabs and I am not sure about the art of fitting the cab around the rounded shaw shape. I don't want to see a lot of caulking. I have not picked cabs yet so that will be a discussion point with the KD prior to ordering cabs and sink.

I could consider a single bowl as I like the look. I have visited the forum that discusses single vs double. I can't see the advantage of a single bowl when i would have to use bowls in the sink to divide work. I don't want to have to use a bucket every time I wash the floor and find a place to store it under the sink. I also thaw meat in one side and use the other for washing up baking or cooking utensils. I don't fill my sinks with soapy water to wash dishes except at holidays, so the low divider could work. Yes, I need to look closer at the drain position and I definitely would do a rack!

Soo much to think about. I have been looking forward to this for 11 years but just now getting to the nitty gritty!

Sounds like you want a double sink. My only suggestion before you decide for sure is to look at the spec sheet for the sink you like and check the depth overall, then subtract 1" for the grid, then see how high the top of the divider is after that. Then you can tell if it's say 4" or 5" high and if that basin depth is high enough to serve.

The rim and outside of the Shaw's will not be as perfect as a machine made sink. Many undermount so the edge of the counter sits about midway back on top of the rim. The caulk (if done right) doesn't show and it still maximizes the look. Some also pull it forward slightly so the front edge of the sink shows. There are lots of pics of that and they will find close ups for you on the kitchen forum. Here's a basic tutorial for a Shaw's to give you the idea. Basic Farm Sink Tutorial. Many of the variations are also shown on the link under Kitchen>Sinks>Farm Sinks

Mine is upmounted -- the rim is highter than the cabinet slightly and its sort of slid in. It's an unusual and the hardest to fit but even with a stainless counter it was done perfectly. No worries with that -- just to know so you get the right sink base. Every cabinet brand has a slight variation. There's a lot of info around to check when you decide how you want the sink to look.