It’s a well known fact that Welsh slate is the finest quality slate in the world.
It’s not a case of the the patriotic Welsh starting a rumour to help a dwindling sector in the Welsh economy – Welsh slate that has been quarried from North Wales from as early as the 12th century is the toughest slate known to man. It has very few impurities, a beautiful colour and grain structure and it doesn’t fade in the sun.
The slate itself is approximately 500 million years old and is made by the compression of clay over time, thanks to the movement of the tectonic plates – which helped form the Welsh Mountains. The high quality of the slate is the result of the combination of the high quality of the clay and the precise amount of pressure and heat that it was subjected to over time. The slate is still being quarried today using very similar methods to those that the slate workers used over a hundred years ago – each and every piece of slate is still being hand split by skilled slate workers using the same tools.
Due to the unique qualities of Welsh slate, it has become the best and only choice for many homeware products such as placemats, coasters, cheese boards, wine racks, clocks, house signs and many others. Indeed, slate home and tableware has become increasingly popular over the last decade. Interior designers, hotels, restaurants and of course, the everyday consumer who wants something a that little bit more stylish than faux leather or hard plastic to adorn their dining table, are now buying more slate than ever.
As with any product, there are alternatives to Welsh Slate when it comes to homeware products. At the lower end of the quality spectrum, Chinese slate is very hard and brittle, but even worse, is full of unsightly impurities – any products made from this slate will be sold cheaply. It will be pretty obvious what you are going to get for your money. It’s not a bad option however, if quality is no real concern and you have a tight budget.
Meanwhile, there is slate being quarried from all around the world in places such as Italy, Portugal, Germany, Brazil, New York and more – but you will rarely see slate from these countries being used in homes in the UK. The most widespread slate currently being used for homeware products is Spanish Slate, which is very nice to look at in comparison to the Chinese Slate as it has very few impurities, it’s very flat and you can easily cut quite complex shapes from it. When cut, Spanish Slate leaves you with a very evenly dressed edge, which looks almost machine-cut in quality. It is also cheaper than Welsh slate and much more readily available. However, it’s important to remember that the reason it cuts so well is down to the fact that it is actually quite a soft slate.
Another reason it is so widely used in the UK is because Spanish Slate is very often being passed off and sold as Scottish slate! Indeed, several Scottish companies use Spanish slate to manufacture their homeware products and therefore it is assumed that it is actually Scottish slate. However, the last Scottish slate quarry closed in the 1950s! The only Scottish slate still available is reclaimed slate from the old mines and quarries. With this in mind, if you see the phrase ‘Made in Scotland’ attached to slate homeware, it is highly unlikely that it is actually Scottish slate – that is unless it has come from someone’s old roof!!
Kevin Thomas
Slate House
