Batten down the galley boys, the ship’s about to roll!

We were on the hunt for an American manufacturer, by that we mean a “genuine manufacturer” one that owns the process, from clay to the galley...not an “importer and marketer of goods” from far away places. We found what we were after in W. Virginia. The Homer Laughlin Company, a family-run, multi-generational family employer that’s been at their craft since 1871 and is today, the last standing American pottery. Our man at the helm was Bill Pickin, himself a 30 yr. veteran at HLC. With Bill's guidance, we built from scratch a darn nice replica of the authentic US Navy coffee cup, which the Navy commissioned in the 1940’s to withstand a ship’s roll in the open oceans. Thus the thick-walled body and girthy profile.

The process starts with what Bill calls “the batter” a concoction of clay, fleldspar, alpha alumina and a few secret ingredients. Each piece is jiggered. The handles are cast and attached by hand, our inscriptions are hand placed in the assigned location, and into the fire they go. After a 12 hour cycle in the kiln, they are ready for inspection...one that rivals that of the US NAvy Sailor’s Uniform Inspection. Mission readiness?...yup, we’re sure of it.