Welcome to our new site. We hope you enjoy it. We are in our final testing to make sure everything is ready for you to come and SHOP. Look around all you like, we'll be officially open over here 12/26/24!
We stock moist clay from Kansas Clay (manufactured by our sister company, right here in our building!), Aardvark, Kentucky Mudworks, Laguna (we order from both California and Ohio plants) & Standard. We have dry blends of many of these clays available as well, and we also carry Standard Casting Slips. Use our convenient combinations of common groupings coupled with filters to drill down to find your perfect clay, or feel free to contact us for suggestions!
You may also want to check out this Youtube Playlist introducing and comparing many of our clay bodies.
Late October 2022, we replaced the 35 mesh fireclay with 40 mesh fireclay, resulting in fewer impurities and a slightly smoother texture
A medium range light stoneware body which fires off-white to buff in oxidation and slightly darker in reduction.
Flint Hills clays have been evaluated by a nationally certified toxicologist, and have been found to be in compliance with ASTM C-1023 and D-4236, and to not contain any material in sufficient quantity to be toxic or to constitute a chronic health hazard when used responsibly.
RECOMMENDED VIDEO: Buff by Bracker's
Replacement for White Earthenware. For best glaze results, bisque fire to Cone 01
Talc is a material used in clay bodies that helps to prevent moisture absorption. Its presence in low fire white clays especially prevents crazing of the glazes, this is also true to a lesser degree in mid-fire clays, especially porcelains. The Texas talc mines are no longer selling their talc commercially...
DalTile OWNS and OPERATES the Talc mines in Texas [as they have since 2017. Technically, they have owned them for much longer, but there is a very LONG story on which-company-bought-which-one-in-what-year. (C-95, C-98, TDM-95, Pioneer, AmTal.) It is the only remaining, white-burning vein of talc in North America that is being mined. They last sold it to market through the company name Natural Minerals.
in 2020, DalTile's parent company (MOHAWK) decided to shut down Natural Minerals, and cease selling talc to EVERYONE. Distributors, manufacturers, and the rest of the industry were informed at that time, and given the opportunity to place final orders. The last shipments went out in Q1 of 2021.
The talc mines are still in operation, but DalTile is keeping the talc for its own manufacturing uses.
There are other talc mines in the US (Montana), but their talc fires with a noticeable yellow-ish cast. Currently, you cannot make a white clay or slip out of them. There has been *some* testing in glazes, but we do not have any information regarding suitability for a particular glaze.
YES this is a struggle...for everyone involved.
From the time the announcement was made, Kansas Clay went to work on reformulating all of clay bodies that contain talc. Earthenware white was the biggest struggle because 42% of the clay body was talc.
We believe that the Kansas Clay chalk rock clay will work well in most applications where Earthenware White was previously used. They also found that for the BEST glaze fit, increasing your bisque temperature from Cone 04 to Cone 01 was extremely beneficial with minimal increase in time or cost of that firing. In some cases this is not necessary, for instance if you use underglazes and a clear glaze (we found Spectrum 700 to work the best with Mayco clears as a close second) the increased bisque temperature is not necessary. Most Mayco Stroke and coats also seemed to perform well with no crazing observed on 04 bisque.
Kansas Clay is continuing to test this body and relies on customer feedback to make any necessary tweaks for better performance.
Feel free to use their feedback from to share your experiences (click here)!
Flint Hills clays have been evaluated by a nationally certified toxicologist, and have been found to be in compliance with ASTM C-1023 and D-4236, and to not contain any material in sufficient quantity to be toxic or to constitute a chronic health hazard when used responsibly.
A non-talc based low-fire white clay that is easier to throw than talc-based bodies, especially for beginners. Fires to a creamy white at Cone 04. Low shrinkage and great glaze fit.
During the summer of 2020, we completed a comprehensive test of our clay bodies. For each clay body, we tested 6 flat bars, which were rolled out on a slabroller. We ALSO tested vertical shrinkage of a thrown cylinder (6 sections, each with their own test)
beginning weights in grams were recorded
the lines and weights were measured & recorded when bone dry
The samples were fired to Cone 04
lines and weights were measured & recorded again
The flat tiles were then soaked in hot water for 1 1/2 hours, then weighed again
Math magic was then done to calculate the average shrinkage wet-dry and average shrinkage overall for both flat and thrown tests, and the average water absorption was calculated based on the flat bars.
We also figured the "LOI" (Loss on Ignition) by computing the fired weight against the bone dry weight. This tells us what percent of organics burn off in the firing.
Flint Hills clays have been evaluated by a nationally certified toxicologist, and have been found to be in compliance with ASTM C-1023 and D-4236, and to not contain any material in sufficient quantity to be toxic or to constitute a chronic health hazard when used responsibly.
RECOMMENDED VIDEO: Terra Blanc by Bracker's
A low fire red clay that fires to a light red-orange color at cone 06 to 05, and a richer, deeper red color when fired hotter, up to about a cone 2. Red Earthenware has been tested up to Cone 5/6 with good results, however, testing continues to be recommended as your results may vary.
As of October 2022, Buff Plus now uses only 40mesh fireclay and 35 mesh grog.
A medium-range light stoneware body with about 9% fine grog which fires off-white to buff in oxidation and slightly darker in reduction.
Flint Hills clays have been evaluated by a nationally certified toxicologist, and have been found to be in compliance with ASTM C-1023 and D-4236, and to not contain any material in sufficient quantity to be toxic or to constitute a chronic health hazard when used responsibly.
RECOMMENDED VIDEO: White Stoneware Comparison by Bracker's
Winter Wind is a reformulation of the Flint Hills Cone 5/6 Porcelain. You should not notice a difference in workability or glaze fit. The body is almost identical, but the original included a bag of talc. We removed the talc and added a small percentage of 120mesh molochite to maintain the average shrinkage percentage in the original version. As a bonus, that addition also increases the green strength and reduces warpage a bit as well!
Average Shrinkage at Cone 5: 11.53% Average Absorption at Cone 5: 4.2%
Average Shrinkage at cone 04 bisque: 6.38%
Average Wet to dry shrinkage 5.5%
A low fire red clay with about 18% grog (30 mesh flint grog) that fires to a light red-orange color at cone 06 to 05, and a richer, deeper red color when fired hotter, up to about a cone 2.
Flint Hills clays have been evaluated by a nationally certified toxicologist, and have been found to be in compliance with ASTM C-1023 and D-4236, and to not contain any material in sufficient quantity to be toxic or to constitute a chronic health hazard when used responsibly.
Creamy semi-porcelanious clay body with black flecks throughout, Similar to speckled bmix in appearance and workability.
Background of this clay body:
During the fall of 2021, we were working on some new clay bodies to share for our annual New Year's Clay.
You may or may not be aware that September 18th is talk like a pirate day. Somehow that ended up being the inspiration for the name of one of the bodies we were developing. It's now ready for release and we are proud to share our new Pyrate Freckle clay body with you.
The name also references the greek origin for the lovely little flecks that provide the freckle: IRON.
Our initial release of this is a limited run, and we make no guarantees that these Pyrates won't walk the plank or end up hanging from the Gallows, or just sail away to an island in the Carribbean to drink rum. (Read here: there may be some supply chain issues that delay further production)
UPDATE: Lucky for you, me hearties, this clay is sticking around for a while and is now available in full fifty pound boxes!
A low fire red clay with approximately 10% fine mesh silica sand and approximately 5% fine mesh grog that fires to a light red-orange color at cone 06 to 05, and a richer, deeper red color when fired hotter, up to about a cone 2.
During the summer of 2020, we completed a comprehensive test of our clay bodies. For each clay body, we tested 6 flat bars, which were rolled out on a slabroller. We ALSO tested vertical shrinkage of a thrown cylinder (6 sections, each with their own test)
beginning weights in grams were recorded
the lines and weights were measured & recorded when bone dry
The samples were fired to Cone 04
lines and weights were measured & recorded again
The flat tiles were then soaked in hot water for 1 1/2 hours, then weighed again
Math magic was then done to calculate the average shrinkage wet-dry and average shrinkage overall for both flat and thrown tests, and the average water absorption was calculated based on the flat bars.
We also figured the "LOI" (Loss on Ignition) by computing the fired weight against the bone dry weight. This tells us what percent of organics burn off in the firing.
Flint Hills clays have been evaluated by a nationally certified toxicologist, and have been found to be in compliance with ASTM C-1023 and D-4236, and to not contain any material in sufficient quantity to be toxic or to constitute a chronic health hazard when used responsibly.
RECOMMENDED VIDEO: Red Clay Comparison by Bracker's
A non-iron based high-fire stoneware body with about 18% grog (30 mesh flint grog). Fires to a buff color and provides a good background for glazes. Suitable for high-fire throwing, sculpture, and handbuilding as well as raku and primitive firing methods.
Flint Hills clays have been evaluated by a nationally certified toxicologist, and have been found to be in compliance with ASTM C-1023 and D-4236, and to not contain any material in sufficient quantity to be toxic or to constitute a chronic health hazard when used responsibly.
RECOMMENDED VIDEO: Stoneware White with Grog by Bracker's
A high-fire throwing body with iron-based fireclays which produce warm browns in reduction. Contains no grog but has a fair amount of fine tooth due to the high fireclay content.
A high-fire, high iron red stoneware throwing body which fires to a rich red in reduction.
Flint Hills clays have been evaluated by a nationally certified toxicologist, and have been found to be in compliance with ASTM C-1023 and D-4236, and to not contain any material in sufficient quantity to be toxic or to constitute a chronic health hazard when used responsibly.
A high-fire, carefully blended porcelain made from English Grolleg Kaolin. Fires to a warm white with Yellowish undertones as opposed to the domestic porcelain which has more of the blue-gray undertones. Great for all methods of firing and suitable for celadon and copper red glazes in reduction.
Flint Hills clays have been evaluated by a nationally certified toxicologist, and have been found to be in compliance with ASTM C-1023 and D-4236, and to not contain any material in sufficient quantity to be toxic or to constitute a chronic health hazard when used responsibly.
A high-fire, inexpensive porcelain made from domestic kaolins. Fires to a cool white with blue-gray undertones as opposed to the yellowish undertones in English Porcelain. This body is especially nice when woodfired.
Flint Hills clays have been evaluated by a nationally certified toxicologist, and have been found to be in compliance with ASTM C-1023 and D-4236, and to not contain any material in sufficient quantity to be toxic or to constitute a chronic health hazard when used responsibly.
Wald's Royal Icing is an extremely plastic, high quality English Porcelain Clay made popular by Kansas City potter, Deb Wald (featured images are some of her work!)
Check out more of Deb Wald's work on her Facebook (click here)!
Flint Hills clays have been evaluated by a nationally certified toxicologist, and have been found to be in compliance with ASTM C-1023 and D-4236, and to not contain any material in sufficient quantity to be toxic or to constitute a chronic health hazard when used responsibly.
White, Low Fire, Talc-Free Sculpture clay body.
We developed this body as a replacement for our Earthenware White Plus. We also recommend this as an alternative to the Flint Hills Raku clay (when used for sculpture or handbuilding purposes). It contains both fine grog and sand, so it's ideal for handbuilding, but can be thrown also. It's just a tad off-white in color at 04.
For best glaze results and a whiter color, bisque fire a bit hotter, to Cone 01. The body is still porous enough to accept low-fire glazes and the increase in bisque temperature will not be noticeable in energy costs or element life.
Flint Hills clays have been evaluated by a nationally certified toxicologist, and have been found to be in compliance with ASTM C-1023 and D-4236, and to not contain any material in sufficient quantity to be toxic or to constitute a chronic health hazard when used responsibly.
For years, Flint Hills has been making this special blend of Domestic Porcelain for production potter, Steve Coburn. The addition of both 30 and 120 mesh Molochite gives this clay additional strength without compromising whiteness, while the addition of 100 mesh kyanite reduces shrinkage.
This is a dark clay body with mild speckling. It's kind of like a cross between our Peppered Wheat and our Bison. Not as heavily speckled as Peppered Wheat and a much darker base body.
Flint Hills clays have been evaluated by a nationally certified toxicologist, and have been found to be in compliance with ASTM C-1023 and D-4236, and to not contain any material in sufficient quantity to be toxic or to constitute a chronic health hazard when used responsibly.
This is the Raku body that was developed with and for Eric Stearns and his intricately detailed and pierced pieces. When we discussed making this body available to all of our customers, he enthusiastically agreed, and then the naming process began. After many text messages back and forth that almost resembled new parents trying to agree on a name for their baby, we both agreed that we liked Unshockable! Its name is not supposed to inspire a "challenge accepted!" mindset, it's more designed to reference its resistance to thermal shock, making it a great body for raku. This is NOT a flameware body.
To learn more about Eric and his work, click here!
This is a reformulation of the original Flint Hills 5/6 Black. Kansas Clay intensified the color and switched to a slightly finer mesh fireclay to reduce the light speckling in the previous version....and then renamed it with a Kansas-themed name, of course. :)
***Please note we recommend firing to cone 5. There are mixed results when fired to cone 6. Some potters report bloating, others have no issues*****
Flint Hills clays have been evaluated by a nationally certified toxicologist, and have been found to be in compliance with ASTM C-1023 and D-4236, and to not contain any material in sufficient quantity to be toxic or to constitute a chronic health hazard when used responsibly.
New mid-fire speckled buff colored clay - the same formula as the new WHEAT clay with added specks that make it look like someone sprinkled pepper on it.
Bracker's never really stocked or sold the Flint Hills Clay works body, "Missouri Gold" so we had no idea how popular or how lovely it was until we bought Flint Hills Clay Works. We'd resisted stocking the clay because of the Kansas-Missouri, um, conflicts over the years. There's a rivalry between Kansas and Missouri going back before the civil war and the Missouri Ruffians rode across the border into Kansas and tried to burn down Lawrence THREE TIMES in the 1860s. They never really got over their loss and we still harbor some hard feelings about their repeated arsonistic tendencies. In the more recent past it's translated to sports team rivalries, especially between the Kansas Jayhawks teams and the University of Missouri teams when they were in the same conference. Obviously some of us are more successful about moving past it than others...
However, we quickly fell in love with the warm golden color of the fired clay and then tragedy struck. The producer of the one of the primary components of the clay recipe (that gave "Missouri Gold" the golden color) announced that it was no longer available. After much mad scientist-type moments and a LOT of testing, Cindy Bracker developed a new mid-fire stoneware clay body we're calling Kansas Wheat. It's a little warmer color than the Flint Hills 5/6 Buff. After getting rave reviews from the select group of customers who have been test-driving the clay, we're going to add it to our production cycle. Customers have told us it's great for throwing as well as handbuilding (there's no grog in this body, but it's a toothy mid-fired stoneware clay). Customers have tested it with a wide variety of glazes from different manufacturers with no unusual glaze fit issues.
Standard's Low Fire White casting slip. Please note this slip has been discontinued by the manufacturer and is being sold while supplies last
Cone 04 Shrinkage 5% Absorption 17%
Resources:
Tips and tricks on low fire white slip
Glaze Recommendations for Low Fire White Slip and 105 White Clay
Safety Data Sheet
CAN NOT SHIP VIA UPS OR USPS. MUST SHIP VIA LTL FREIGHT, BRACKER'S DELIVERY, OR PICKED UP AT OUR STORE.
**We recommend bisque firing SLOW speed between ^06 and ^04 and always SLOW speed glaze firing. If you are having trouble getting some brands of commercial glazes to not pinhole you can always try bisque firing to ^03. If you are using Mudworks glazes exclusively you only need to bisque to ^06 unless you prefer a higher bisque.
A nice super smooth, plastic body that fires a dark chocolate brown at cones 5-6. Matures cone 5-6. Won't bloat at soft cone 7 if fired slow through the last 300-400F. Contains no grog. Gives nice warmth to glazes, giving that reduction look to them in oxidation.
*Our tests with our Super clear glaze gave us little to no bubbles or green tint to the clear glaze.
Contains less than 2% Manganese.
Shrinkage 15% Abs at cone 6 less than 0.5%
Super smooth and plastic clay body. The whitest midrange stoneware known to man, and bears. A perfect match for those who prefer a porcelain style clay for throwing, not recommended for hand building. Fires cone 5-7.
Shrinkage 11% Absorption at ^6 less than 1.0%
KyMudworks premium white clay body. A cool white stoneware that is the durable and a pleasure to throw. Does not get too soupy if you throw with a lot of water. Super plastic, throws and handbills well. Matures cone 5-6. Can be pushed to cone 7 slow fired.
Shrinkage 11.0% Absorption at ^6 less than 0.5%
Roo is a peachy, lightly speckled mid-range clay body. It is very smooth and throws excellently. Handbuilds very well. No Grog.
Our favorite thing about this clay is how the limited specks are random among the fired pieces.
Shrinkage ^6 11%, absorption cone 6 less than 1.0%
Big Stuff ^9-11 Toothy Stoneware clay with grog. Plastic, good for large pieces, handbuilding and throwing. Good atmospheric clay body. One of our most popular bodies.
Darkest chip image is of reduction cooled wood fire. Right chip is oxidation cone 10 and medium brown chip is light reduction cone 10. SODA firing brings out the very bright orange tones in this clay body.
Shrinkage 11% Absorption ^10 1.8%, ^6 3.1%
Ranger is possibly the best all-around throwing clay. It is also a true range clay, hence its name, in that it has acceptable vitrification at cone 6 and also performs extremely well as a cone 10 reduction body. Contains some fine grog and sand. If you want flexibility in your studio for ^6 functional ware and the occasional ^10 firing out of one clay, this is the best clay for you.
Fired Shrinkage 13%
Absorption ^6 1.3% ^10 0.3%
Super smooth, tight, and plastic body that fires a deep red at cone 5 and dark red brown at cone 6. Throws and hand builds well. Matures cone 5-7. Won't warp or bloat at cone 7 if slow fired through the last 300-400F.
Gorgeous in soda and wood firings too!
Shrinkage 11.5% Absorption at cone 6 less than 0.5%
Super smooth, tight, and plastic body that fires a true orange red at cone 6. Throws and hand builds well. Matures cone 5-7. Can be pushed to cone 7 if slow fired through last 300F.
Link's favorite mid-range throwing clay!
Shrinkage 11.5% Absorption at ^6 2%
A nice toothy, plastic stoneware body that fires a reddish brown at cone 6. Throws and hand builds well. Matures cone 5-7. Won't warp or bloat at cone 7 if slow fired through last 300F. Gives nice warmth to glazes, giving that reduction look to them in oxidation. Fine grog for tooth.
Gorgeous in soda and wood firings too up to cone 8.
Shrinkage 11.5% Abs at cone 6 less than 0.5%
Smooth white stoneware, good for throwing and production of functional whiteware.
CharacteristicsCone: 6Wet Color: Light GrayFiring Color: Oxidation: Off-White - Reduction: N/ATexture: SmoothConsistency: StandardAvg. Shrinkage 2±%: 13%Avg. Water Absorption 1±%: 1%
