Mayco Crystal Clear Brushing Glaze, Pint, S-2101 Review (2026)

Who this glaze fits

Crystal Clear Brushing, sold under Mayco's S-2101 code, is built for potters and studios working in low fire cone 06 to 04, especially anyone painting bisque with Mayco underglaze colors and needing a clear top coat that keeps the artwork visible and glossy. It is a natural pick for classroom and studio settings where students hand paint mugs, plates, or figurines and need a dependable brushing clear rather than a dipping or spraying glaze. Potters working exclusively in stoneware or porcelain at mid or high fire will not get any use from this, since it is formulated and fired specifically for the low fire range, not for cone 5 or 6 work.

What the formula is built to do

The manufacturer describes S-2101 as a thick, brushable clear that fires to a clean, glossy finish at shelf cone 06, applied in one to two coats over bisque that has already been decorated with low fire underglaze or left plain. It is described as luster compatible, meaning it can sit under or work alongside metallic luster finishes, and Mayco lists it as non toxic and safe for dinnerware use once properly fired. One caution from the manufacturer is worth knowing before you commit a piece to it, since S-2101 may not be fully compatible with all red clay bodies, where a bluish haze can appear after firing.

Applying and firing it in practice

Because this is a brushing formula rather than a dipping glaze, even coverage depends on brush technique more than it would with a dip or pour glaze, and thin spots or drips are the most common issue potters run into with any brushed clear. The standard approach is to apply to bisque fired to cone 04, let the glaze dry fully between coats, and fire to cone 06 or 05 depending on the studio's kiln schedule. A pint is a reasonable size for a solo potter working through a batch of smaller decorated pieces, though a busy classroom glazing dozens of pieces a term will go through it faster than a studio doing occasional work.

How it compares with other clears in the lineup

Within Potterynest's clear glaze guide this brushing formula ranks just behind AMACO's LG-10 gloss glaze and ahead of Penguin Pottery's low fire clear and Speedball's stoneware clear, reflecting how well it performs specifically as a brushing product over underglaze work. If your studio glazes by dipping batches of pieces rather than hand brushing each one, Mayco's own Crystal Clear Dipping Glaze in the gallon size is the more efficient match, since it is formulated for that application method instead. Potters firing stoneware should look at AMACO's Celadon C-11 or a comparable cone 5 to 6 clear rather than this low fire brushing product.

Verdict and who should pick something else

Pick this glaze if you paint bisque with underglaze colors and fire low fire on a brush application schedule, matching our score of 8.1 out of 10 for a solid, dependable low fire brushing clear. Skip it if you dip or pour glaze in batches, where a dipping formula will go further and apply more evenly, or if you work with red clay bodies, where the haze risk noted by the manufacturer is worth testing on a small piece first. Stoneware and porcelain potters should look at a mid or high fire clear instead, since this one is not rated for those temperatures.

Frequently asked questions