On our recent visit to the factory, there are always so many small reminders of the art of manufacturing that we sometimes forget.

Our factory, the small details never cease to wonder...

Drummonds design and make their own bathroom products in their own factories, in Europe. Uniquely, they still use artisan techniques dating back hundreds, sometimes thousands, of years, combining them with modern quality control.  From casting raw iron to precision enameling and casting brassware using the ancient lost wax process, these undertakings are the province of highly-skilled craftsmen. Working with both their hands and their senses, they are alchemists, transforming natural materials into the most luxurious of products, made to last a lifetime and beyond.

From the chinaware, where the mold has a short life-span of 60 odd pieces and then gets broken down and remade to the fact that we have to sit and patiently wait for the chinaware to dry out before casting – this image of our pan shows the size difference, it is about 12% of shrinkage and moisture evaporation before we fire.

English china clay is constantly being mixed in small batches, to achieve exactly the right consistency for slip casting. Once set, each piece is unmolded, hand-finished and then fired, before being set aside for up to two weeks whilst a natural shrinkage occurs before the final glazing.  Nothing can be rushed in the art of ceramics and the finished results show all the individuality of luxury, craftsman-made items.

We actually fire for 72 hours and then glaze again and fire again...

Time lost for this art form!

Pans and tanks are made from a vitreous china, The clays are hardened firstly by air drying, the dried clay models will then be fired in a kiln.

After a second time of firing, a shiny waterproof glaze coat is applied and the glaze coat turns the clay glassy and it is due to this process that the pan and cistern are stain and waterproof through its entire thickness.

Even the pouring of each mold can’t be rushed… so much patience needed.

A Commitment To Quality

Many of our team have been with Drummonds from its early years.
Our Creative Director, James Lentaigne shared a few thoughts about his time with the company and why he is still driven and focused after 15 years in the business! Watch the video.