ChenowethArts Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 ...which of the following cups/mugs? Here is my dilemma: My personal preference is a nice, smooth, fat lip (no inference of mistreatment by my wife) like item number 2. Item number 1 is fine Haviland (Limoges) China with an amazingly smooth lip, almost sharp edged, but very comfortable to use. And finally, I have a whole bunch of freshly fired, number 3 mugs with a thin lip that feels 'just OK' to me but has a certain attraction due to the heavily textured surface on the barrel of the mug.I would really like to sell all of the number 3's...but (as I mentioned above) I am just not all that convinced that people will like the thin rim. Am I over-thinking this because of my personal preference? Should I find some lip testers to see what they say? Should these puppies be re-purposed as pencil holders for every member of the family this Christmas? Pucker-up and let me know what you think (about the mug lips ), -Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 A thin lip is more comfortable to drink from. It's easier to get your lips on, and the liquid jumps off the lip better than a thick lip. However, it should still be rounded and smooth- it's just a smaller radius than a thick lip. I find the thick lip on #2 to be uncomfortable, and our brains see that thickness as being the thickness of the entire pot, which makes it look heavy. The problem with #3 is that it is not smooth and rounded, and flares out too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Fireborn Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 I am in the same boat. I like a thin lip. Cup 1 would be the best for me. I like the mug on 3 better, but the lip is way to flared for me. I would spill my drink and tap my teeth constantly, but maybe that's just me. I prefer a straight lip, that is thin, with a rounded inside to out. Again just my preferences from drinking out of cups my entire life without flared rims. I like mug 3's surface the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rae Reich Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 I prefer thinner than #2 but thicker than #1 and I agree that the flared lip seems to invite spills and teeth-bumps. Did you drink out of the new ones yourself yet? With a hot beverage? In a car? I make mugs with a three-mile-island-tower profile, but I found that too much of a flare at the rim induced sloshing out of the mug when it's bumped, jostled or even filled too quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChenowethArts Posted July 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 @neilestrick,,@Rae Reich I am all out of likes for today, but I want you all to know that your feedback is right on point...and I appreciate the input/critique! -Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elaine clapper Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 Number 3 works for my lips and my customers too! I think the outward curve is even more important than the thickness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 I think Neil summed this well I think #2 is a commmercial looking cup so it holds no intrest for me. #2 is way to thick as mentioned and #3 is to thin and bet out and uneven.This lip will get chipped right away and unhappiness is soon to follow #4 is the perfect one that is just right-not not thick and not to thin and very FUNTIONAL-which is a key point in this discussion. wait I cannot find your photo of #4 mug? Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayaldridge Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 I think a thin but sufficiently strong lip is best. Too much flare, as others have said, is not as functional. Here's a picture of my preference in mug lips: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldUberGoober Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 I generally agree on the top part of rayaldrige's mug, thick enough to be strong but not too thick, and with a slight flare. I prefer a larger mug; I try to only have 3 a day, so if each one holds 16 oz, I get a lot more kick! That being said, I think the coffee mug is among the most personal of ceramic items, and the range of preferences is vast, so there's a person for nearly every mug, if you can just put the two together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 That being said, I think the coffee mug is among the most personal of ceramic items, and the range of preferences is vast, so there's a person for nearly every mug, if you can just put the two together. Bingo. I used to make a larger variety of mug forms, but I got tired of trying to please everyone. Now I just make two. Take 'em or leave 'em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benzine Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 That being said, I think the coffee mug is among the most personal of ceramic items, and the range of preferences is vast, so there's a person for nearly every mug, if you can just put the two together. Bingo. I used to make a larger variety of mug forms, but I got tired of trying to please everyone. Now I just make two. Take 'em or leave 'em. So is one the two types called "Take 'Em" and the other "Leave 'Em"?... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Fireborn Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 That being said, I think the coffee mug is among the most personal of ceramic items, and the range of preferences is vast, so there's a person for nearly every mug, if you can just put the two together. Bingo. I used to make a larger variety of mug forms, but I got tired of trying to please everyone. Now I just make two. Take 'em or leave 'em. So is one the two types called "Take 'Em" and the other "Leave 'Em"?... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chilly Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 +1 to the above, plus, as a night-time-prowler an insomniac, I need a mug that can be carried around in the dark, without spilling anything, so an inward curving lip is better than an outward curve. I have a "gardener's mug" the shape of a terracotta plant pot, and can't use it as with unsteady hands in daylight, I just spill it. My inward curve "Denby Memories - original design" is more spill-proof. Thick lips remind me of those really cheap water glasses we had at school - like jam-jars! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted July 8, 2015 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 That being said, I think the coffee mug is among the most personal of ceramic items, and the range of preferences is vast, so there's a person for nearly every mug, if you can just put the two together. Bingo. I used to make a larger variety of mug forms, but I got tired of trying to please everyone. Now I just make two. Take 'em or leave 'em. So is one the two types called "Take 'Em" and the other "Leave 'Em"?... Actually yes- one outsells the other 3 to 1! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alabama Posted July 8, 2015 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 There are cups you can sip from and those to drink from, and the difference is the rim. If you try drinking from an over extended flared rim the liquid might dribble down one or both sides of the mouth. My ceramic teacher was tough but she was good. When explaining how she wanted us to make our functional cups, she told us to think about certain traits concerning how the vessel was to be used. She had the class go home, take a ruler and measure all the cups in the cabinets to see that each opening was 3.5 to 4 inches wide. If the opening is too narrow, it may fill uncomfortable or awkward, and be difficult to washwash inside. If the opening was too wide, you can't see around the rim making it possible for people to sneak up on you while drinking. Our teacher also said to consider the rim, and that we should consider where the lower lip will be going...so every cup I make is trimmed with a slight indention that fits the lower lip, Ã nd the liquid flows a little easier over the rim. The instructor also said to consider how the handle will be attached, and to always pull more handles than we need to choose the best ones. Never attach a handle where its above the rim cause when you use that cup your thumb will poke out the right eye. We were to make cups, use them, and give ourselves a self critique on them. See ya, Alabama Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhPotter Posted July 8, 2015 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 Alabama: Robin Hopper suggests the size of the opening to be the distance between your pursed lips and the bridge of your nose, which just happens to be between 3 and 4 inches. Question - by putting the indent just below the rim, would this keep dribbles from happening? I have a pet peeve about mugs that dribble down the side of the mug after taking a drink. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Fireborn Posted July 8, 2015 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 To stop the dribble, you can trim a groove around your cup on the outside. Kim Keun Ae. If you google that name it comes right up and you can see how it works. Pretty neat idea. I am sure he/she isn't the first to come up with the idea of cutting a groove in a mug, but all over the internet he/she gets credit for it. I was looking into it, because my wife said to me one day, "make a mug that doesn't dribble." Found this, and thought it was pretty interesting. I assume this is what your talking about dhPotter. But just for others to see in case. The only issue is if your using fluid glazes it would be tricky to get this indent in there like that. Also I dunno how the mug is made. I am guessing the bottom portion is slightly thicker, because it looks like it goes in a decent amount. One would have to do a good bit of testing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denice Posted July 8, 2015 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 Alabama great tutorial on mugs. Mug 1 I would feel like I was at my mother in-laws house, Mug 3 I would buy just to look at, Mug 2 would be perfect with a slight flare and slightly thinner lip for drinking coffee. Denice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChenowethArts Posted July 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 Terrific discussion! There is enough here already for a nice article on mug construction...perhaps 10 Tips to Help You Sell More "Take em's" than Leave em's" (HT to @neilestrick ) -Paul Another day when I could use more likes to pass around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted July 8, 2015 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 A little late here, but I go with #2. I agree with Alabama's teacher. Over flared lips can dribble to the side of your mouth. Maybe the size of the mouth is equally important as the size of the cup diameter. I made some espresso cups for my husband who has a small mouth. He loves his cups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rae Reich Posted July 8, 2015 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 When my Granny chose one of my mugs to drink her Postum, she picked one with a heavy base and a flared, "plant pot" form (but no collar). Curious, I asked why she chose that one. "I can fit my hand in to wash it," she sez. To each his own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhPotter Posted July 8, 2015 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 Grype: Cool. It looks like the indent is at least 1/8 inch deep, if not a little more. I am thinking of putting this indent farther up the mug towards the rim but not where it will interfere with your lower lip. Thanks for the name to search on. Sure does pop up all over the place. Notice the year is 2013, and this was on 2 different websites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Fireborn Posted July 8, 2015 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 yea it is a neat idea to do, i haven't tried it yet because I have been focused on glazes, but I plan on trying it out soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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