Collection: Shaws

Shaws fireclay is denser than the china clay most ceramic sinks use, so it has to be fired longer and hotter. That is harder to do, and it is the whole point — it produces an unusually durable material with a deep, lustrous glaze rather than a thin bright one.

Each sink is shaped by hand after it comes out of the mould, and the master craftsman who made it stamps his name and the year of manufacture on the base. Shaws sinks are documented still in daily use after more than a hundred years. This is not a fixture you replace.

• Single bowl apron-front sinks — the classic, and the reason to buy the brand.
• Double bowl variants for kitchens that separate washing and rinsing.
• Bar sinks for islands and butler's pantries.
• Sink grids — the largest group here, and worth buying with the sink rather than later. Fireclay is hard, and a grid is what stops a dropped pan chipping it.

• They are heavy. A full-size apron sink needs a reinforced base cabinet or a purpose-built support cradle. Budget for the carpentry, not just the sink.
• Every one is slightly different. Because each is hand-finished, dimensions vary marginally between units. Template the cabinet to the actual sink you receive, not to the published spec.
• It resists stains and heat better than almost anything else in a kitchen, and will not dent — but it will chip if something heavy lands on it edge-on.

Authorized dealer, full warranty. Over 3,000 of our products ship free anywhere in Canada; look for the free-shipping badge. Everything ships free within Ontario, and any order over $3,000 ships free Canada-wide. Fireclay sinks are heavy and vulnerable in transit — if you are ordering one, talk to us about timing so it is not sitting on a site for weeks before installation.

Also see: Farmhouse Kitchen Sinks · Kitchen Faucets · House of Rohl · ROHL

What is a fireclay sink?
A ceramic sink fired at very high temperature. Shaws uses a clay denser than standard china clay, fired longer and hotter, which produces a harder surface and a deeper glaze that resists staining, scratching and heat.

Where are Shaws sinks made?
In Darwen, North West England, where the company has produced them since 1897. Each sink is hand-shaped and stamped on the base with the craftsman's name and the year it was made.

Do I need special cabinetry for a Shaws sink?
Usually yes. Fireclay apron sinks are heavy and need a reinforced base cabinet or support cradle. Because each is hand-finished, fit the cabinet to the actual sink rather than to the published measurements.

Will a fireclay sink chip?
It can, if something heavy is dropped into it. A sink grid sitting on the base absorbs that risk and is worth buying at the same time as the sink.