Try lighter fluid and a toothbrush, that stuff cuts right through old grease.

Yeah, it's one of those things that seems obvious after you mess it up. I was reading this old field report where the dig lead talked about how they'd lay out all the rim pieces flat on a table first, just to see the curve, before even touching the body sherds. @ben138's story about the lamp handle is a perfect example of why that step matters so much. It saves so much time and glue. My brain wants to jump straight to the pretty designs, but forcing myself to slow down and find the top edge changed everything.

So they'll only replace it if I wear it out perfectly?