OJ - I'm just not sure because it's Wednesday and not Thursday! :-)

But I did go looking at my husband's coffee mugs and one or two of them also has marks on them.

Nice to see you!

That happens to me too. It may be because of the texture that the mug has developed.

I'm wondering whether it depends largely on the glazing - material? or procedure?

o j

Try a little comet or similar product on a cloth and rub stains. Could be just metal marks.

I agree with you, I think it's a sign of crappy glazing, whether material or procedure but likely material.

Given all the nasty stuff that's been found in ceramic glazes from some countries, I would toss anything like that. It's not normal or to be expected with ceramic products, cleaning it off doesn't change the problem (if there is one) . Why take a chance?

I had some pretty ceramic loaf pans, and after using them a few times, they developed grey hairline marks in the interior. It was in the glazing, and the heat caused them. I got rid of the pans. I haven't noticed any in my mugs though.

My coffee mugs have a brown interior, and yesterday I accidentally tossed my coffee down the sink. I thought I still had the hot water in the mug heating the mug, but because the interior is brown......out went the coffee.

I don't add anything to my coffee. I would advocate that you stir with your finger, but that might hurt. Consider using a simple swizzle stick to stir and this might not be a problem in the future.

I have those marks in all of my white mugs. Stirring with the spoon causes it, but I just put a little baking soda on the tip of my dishcloth and rub them out.

Pfalzgraph (sp?) is noted for that sort of problem....even to knife and fork marks on the plates. no harm....and Bon ami will clean it off....or baking soda....It has nothing to do with "crappy glazing" and is perfectly normal with many matte glazes.

Pfaltzgraff has been made in China for the past 10+ years and the brand is no longer owned or operated by the original company.

But no matter. Just a few years ago we bought a set of dinnerware - not from East Asia - and on the first use it showed knife and fork marks as you describe. I don't consider that either normal or acceptable, does anyone else? We returned it and instead got a nice European-made porcelain set. Contact with tableware or other metal leaves no marks on any of it. I think that's a reasonable expectation for any ceramic ware that's in contact with food. Anyone is welcome to have a different opinion about it. .

The pfaltzgraff I am thinking about was not made in China....and the dinner ware is well more than 30 years old. It was brand new and trendy when a young lady I know chose it for her every day dishes.
It was known for having to be periodically "scoured". I don't like that....but many prized that matte finish and didn't mind.

I think that my major concern was whether there may be lead in the glazing material and that the stirring may have been an indicator of its presence.

Remember how lead was of much lower levels of concern some years ago - when they put lead in the gas ... so the engine would "ping" less under heavy load?

It's not the presence of a mark or so on the interior of the mug that concerns me that much ... but whether it may be an indicator of the presence of some undesirable material, process, etc.

As for the stirring ... using the finger would require me to let the freshly-brewed coffee sit for a bit to cool, while I contemplated it (opportunity for meditation, I suppose, which would be difficult if one were eager for action), then for the stirring, then for carrying to the microwave, following the stirrings ... more undesirable delay!

Would you recommend that it be with one of the fingers that are twisted a bit?

ole joyfuelled ... with a bit o' help from the contents of that mug

I'd recommend using your longest finger, but don't do it in public.

One of our political parties ... two, actually ... is looking for a new leader, and one who has been quite vocal against same gender marriage has a graphic showing two fingers, side by side, with a marking of a face drawn on each, the shorter being the female, and they're looking sideways at each another with a measure of rapture.

I thought that possibly I should contact their campaign office, with the suggestion that I'd like to give their claim that marriage should be confined to only couples of different gender ... the (central) finger.

On the other hand ... should I ask how can we be sure that the gender of the fingers is, apart from the external appearances, as advertised?

ole joyful

Those marks are from metal transfer. Very likely, those areas are thinly glazed if at all. A rough, hard ceramic surface is abrasive. Another factor is the metal of the stir utensil. Soft metals transfer more easily than hard ones. Aluminum is notorious for marking dinner ware and its mark is more or less permanent. We hobbyists who cut and polish stones use aluminum to apply guide lines that will not disappear during the various operations of wet grinding, etc. We have to plan accordingly not to mark any part of the stone that will be left on the finished product. If all goes well, the aluminum marks will be ground away.

certain well glazed ceramic plates will be left with knife marks....and the knives in question are not aluminum.....and there is a good coating of glaze on the plate.

lindac92, are you suggesting that this is typical and is to be expected with good quality ceramic items? I don't think so.