Key takeaways
- A sharp edge, a hanger that pulls out, live insects or a misdescribed metal are critical findings. One critical defect fails the lot on its own.
- Tarnish, rust and mould usually start after production, in the store or the container. Packing and drying decide whether they appear.
- Hand-made variation is only a defect when it falls outside limits you set. Approve high and low limit samples before production.
- Lead in brass, solder or linings, and coating or plating thickness, are lab results. An inspector pulls and seals the samples.
How to use this defect library
Each table below lists a defect, where on the piece it usually shows, how an inspector finds it at the factory, the class it is usually given and how the factory can prevent it. The tables are grouped by material, because a cast brass bowl and a woven cane basket fail in different ways.
The classes follow common practice: a critical defect can injure someone or breaks a legal rule, a major defect is likely to cause a return, and a minor defect is visible but does not stop the sale. A common plan is zero critical, AQL 2.5 for major and AQL 4.0 for minor, at general level II under ISO 2859-1; see AQL sampling explained. Your own defect list decides the final class. If you have none, start from these tables and turn them into a checklist.
Brass, copper and aluminium décor
Most cast and sheet-metal décor is sand-cast or spun, then filed, polished, plated or patinated and lacquered. See brass and copper décor and aluminium décor.
| Defect | Where it shows | How it is found | Usual class | How to prevent it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharp rim, burr or casting flash | Rims, handles, pierced patterns | Fingertip run along every edge and handle | Critical | Deburr and tumble; edge check at final polish |
| Plated iron or aluminium sold as solid brass | Shows at scratches and on the base | Magnet on iron cores; weight against the approved sample | Major, and a contract issue | Name the base metal in the order; keep a weighed sample |
| Missing lacquer, tarnish spots, green verdigris | Polished faces, recesses, fingerprints | Visual in good light, piece turned through 360° | Major | Gloves after polishing, full lacquer cover, dry store |
| Porosity or pinhole cluster | Polished faces of castings | Visual against the limit sample | Major on a visible face, minor underneath | Agree pinhole limits per face; sort castings before polishing |
| Crack in a casting | Thin sections, handle roots | Close visual; handles flexed by hand | Major | Sort at fettling; do not fill cracks with putty |
| Plating peeling, lacquer blistered | Edges and recesses | Visual; tape test where agreed | Major | Clean before plating; cure lacquer fully |
| Buffing compound in recesses | Engraved and embossed areas | White cloth wiped over the piece | Major or minor | Final wash step before lacquer |
| Antique finish outside the range | Whole piece; pieces of a set side by side | Compared with limit samples in daylight | Major or minor | Approve light and dark limit samples |
Iron and coated metal: wall art, garden and lighting
Wrought and sheet iron is cut, bent, welded and then powder-coated, painted or waxed. Hanging and load points matter most. See iron décor, metal garden décor, wall décor and candle holders and lanterns.
| Defect | Where it shows | How it is found | Usual class | How to prevent it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharp wire end or cut edge | Rod ends, scrolls, pierced sheet | Hand run over every touchable edge | Critical | Ends turned in, ground or capped |
| Hanger or weld that fails a pull test | Wall hooks, hanging loops, arches | Pull by hand or with the agreed weight | Critical | Set a test load in the order; check welds at fabrication |
| Candle holder tips over; combustible part near the flame | Tall holders, lanterns | Stability check on a flat surface; burn test where agreed | Critical | Wider base; design review of the flame zone |
| Rust under the coating or at welds | Welds, inside scrolls, rod ends | Visual with a torch; tape test on the coating | Major | Clean and pre-treat before coating; pack dry |
| Wax finish rubbing off | Black and antique iron | White cloth rubbed on the surface | Major | Cure the wax before packing |
| Assembly holes that do not line up | Knock-down garden pieces | Trial assembly from the carton | Major | Drilling jigs; trial assembly during production |
| Scratches from nesting | Nested sets, planters | Visual after unpacking | Minor, major if bare metal shows | Separators between nested pieces |
Kitchen and table metalware
When metal touches food, some defects become safety issues. See copper and brass kitchenware, cutlery, silver-plated tableware, cast iron cookware and enamelware.
| Defect | Where it shows | How it is found | Usual class | How to prevent it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unlined copper or brass where a lining was ordered | Inside mugs, pots, bottles | Visual inside every sampled piece | Critical | State the lining in the order; check the first batch |
| Lead in brass, solder or tin lining | Food-contact surfaces | Lab test on sealed samples only | Critical | Declared lead-free alloy and solder; test before bulk |
| Stamp implying solid silver on a plated piece | Base and handle marks | Marks checked against approved artwork | Critical | Approve stamp artwork before production |
| Knife blade loose in a hollow handle | Table knives | Blade twisted by hand | Critical | Enough cement or solder; full curing time |
| Crack or hole in cast iron; enamel flaking on a food surface | Handle root, body, rim | Visual inside and out; held to the light for holes | Critical | Controlled cooling; good ground-coat bond |
| Leak at a seam or spout | Jugs, teapots, bottles | Water fill test | Major | Full brazing or soldering; leak test at the line |
| Sticky seasoning, rust spots | Cast iron surfaces | Touch and visual | Major | Correct oil coat and bake; pack dry |
| Cutlery grade not as marked | Stamp on the back of the handle | Stamp checked; grade confirmed by a lab | Critical for the order | Mill certificate for the strip; approved sample |
US buyers should note that the FDA warned in August 2025 about certain imported brass and aluminium cookware that leached lead. See FDA food contact and EU food contact rules.
Wood, stone, bone and natural fibre
Organic materials bring moisture, insects and cracks. See wooden décor, marble and stone décor, bone, horn and shell, baskets and figurines.
| Defect | Where it shows | How it is found | Usual class | How to prevent it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Live insects or larvae | Wood, cane, bamboo, bone, horn | Fresh powder and exit holes; cartons opened | Critical | Treated raw material; stored off the floor |
| Species that is protected or not declared | Bone, horn, shell | Declarations checked; a visual check cannot confirm species | Critical, stop the shipment | Written species declaration before the order |
| Mould | Wood, baskets, jute, inside cartons | Visual and smell; moisture meter | Major, critical if active or widespread | Dry before packing; agreed moisture limit |
| Open or badly filled crack | Wood and stone, often at ends and bases | Visual in raking light; filler colour | Major, critical on a load-bearing base | Moisture control; approved filler colour |
| Wire end or cane strip that can cut | Basket rims and handles | Hand run | Critical | Ends tucked or capped |
| Loose inlay or attached part | Bone inlay, fingers and horns on figurines | Edges pressed; gentle pull | Major | Pin and glue small parts; full curing |
| Sticky or strong-smelling lacquer | Lacquered wood and baskets | Touch and smell | Major | Cure before packing |
Cracked stone is a finding we have recorded. In Sample 04, a furniture inspection in Jodhpur, two black marble tops had cracks, were classed major and had to be replaced. Thin décor pieces are at greater risk than table tops. For wooden furniture, see common defects in wooden furniture.
Hand-made variation, storage and packing
Two groups of findings cause most arguments after an inspection.
- Variation. Hammer marks, patina, carving and natural vein or fibre colour vary on every hand-made piece. They are not defects unless the order says where the limit is. Approve a light and a dark limit sample, or a set of photos, before production. See golden samples and approved samples.
- Damage after production. Fingerprints on bare brass become tarnish spots weeks later. Iron packed warm or damp rusts in a closed container, and damp wood and baskets grow mould. The inspector opens cartons, checks the store, and looks at what is packed with the goods: anti-tarnish paper, desiccant and dividers.
Breakage is the third risk. A carton drop test shows whether the packing protects glass, stone and thin castings. Wooden crates and pallets need the ISPM 15 mark.
What the inspector finds and what needs a lab
An inspector finds what can be seen, felt, weighed and measured: edges, cracks, finish, function, labels and packing. Lead content, plating or coating thickness to a figure, food-contact migration and species identity are lab or document questions. Clear To Load has no partner laboratories; we pull and seal samples for an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited lab you choose or we suggest, and check the report against the goods. See lab testing coordination and lab testing for goods made in India.
Much of India's export metalware comes from Moradabad, a Town of Export Excellence for handicrafts, where we have an inspector based. Book an inspection in Moradabad or anywhere in India.
Sources
- ISO 2859-1, Sampling procedures for inspection by attributes, Part 1 (iso.org)
- FDA: warning about imported cookware that may leach lead (August 2025)
- ISPM 15, Regulation of wood packaging material in international trade (IPPC)
- CITES Appendices
- EPCH press release: Moradabad and Varanasi declared Towns of Export Excellence (2023)
- Clear To Load sample inspection reports (six anonymised furniture inspections)