Question:
I was given a salt glaze 4 gallon crock that I was told is Northstar. It is in super condition. It has some very minor roughness on one handle. I was told that the color variation in the salt glaze is typical of the Northstar Stoneware Co. & I was told that the albany slip glaze used on the interior of the Northstar crocks were inferior to that used by the Minnesota Stoneware Co. or the Red Wing Stoneware Co.thus causing this variation in color. Crock is in perfect condition, there are NO lines in this crock to cause these color variations. It has a great multi colored interior. NO base chips,NO rim chips,NO hairlines. It just has typical manufacturing flaws. Photos of the handle, interior and front are attached.

Answer: Yes, your piece is North-star. However, the color is usually the same of all pieces that came out of Red Wing. What can change the color on the outside depends on what was put on the inside. Grease was the main enemy. If there were any pits on the inside Albany slip, grease would work into the clay and after time it would begin showing a stain on the outside of the crock. Also, the brown inside is Albany slip and came from Albany, New York, You will usually find two shades of Albany slip. A dull brown or a shiny darker brown. With all this being said, all the pieces of stoneware produced in Red Wing did not variate in color to much as the clay and Albany slip all came out of basically the same pits. Your piece will carry a value between $250 & $300. Al Kohlman