I'm finding that I like the handle-less design that some are coming out with. Part of the swag bag at SCAA this year for the press folk contained one espresso cup from NotNeutral without a handle and it's been my favorite espresso cup since I got it home.

Not worthy of its own thread, but this really is the perfect place to share such an odd little thing to obsess about. But here is my Heath Ceramic Mug, that sat idle for about 2 months since I bought it at the Ferry Building here in San Francisco earlier this spring. Because I loved the shape and color, but hated the rough unglazed rim I quickly stopped using it. So tonight I fixed it.

Heath has a fascinating history dating back to 1948 in Sausalito, California. Having changed ownership over the years, innovating a few new designs occasionally, while sticking to some simple classics as well; to get this level of evenness and precision of the complete piece in only a single kiln firing takes a great deal of skill. Their glazes and color choices really come alive and to me seem almost meditative in appreciating their beauty. Cappuccinos just pop the contrast of creamy white, deep sienna brown and the contrasting blue.

But since getting this little guy I found myself rather off put by the unfinished rim of the mug, their only Achille's Heel in the design IMO. They don't offer this shade of blue with a clean, glazed rim (at least not currently, old things pop up on eBay but can be quite pricey). After feeling the rough, nearly sandstone abrasiveness of the cup against the lips, I was quick to just park the mug and stare at it ( a big waste of $40). It really ruined the experience of drinking from it, the feel like I was drinking my beverage thru a mouthful of sand and dirt. Not pleasant at all.

Someone had told me that these cups will very gradually over the years of daily use, washing, etc. wear their edge into a slightly smoother, more pleasing finish. I figured why the hell wait for that? I wasn't going to use it until that day rolled around sometime in my late 60's. Grabbing my MX-90 Polishing Pads (used also to smooth out the Hausgrind machining marks in the crank arm) I set aside a brief 30 minutes and minimal elbow grease while watching a ball game, I took the rim through 9 or 10 levels of grit down to a 1200 pad that is somewhere near a 1 micron grit, capable of polishing steel to a mirror finish. What I was left with was a wonderful feeling glassy smooth rim that now begs to be used. So I had to break out the macro lens and tripod and snap a few shots of the results and share them here with the only obsessive espresso nerds that could actually appreciate it as much as I do.

The rim was literally like rough sandstone originally, compared to this now.




Close up crop of the glassy smooth rim that looked almost saw-toothed at this magnification originally.