The Norpro Ceramic Pie Bird is a useful and whimsical item to have in any baker's kitchen. The pie bird works very effectively at venting double crusted pies. To use, simply place the bird in the center of a double crusted pie before baking - you simply cut a small hole on the top of the crust then place the bird in. The accumulated steam will vent out of the bird's open mouth while the pie bakes. I like adding additional decorative cuts on the top of my pies along with the bird - this ensures that no pie filling will leak out and be lost to the bottom of the oven. When not in use, the bird makes a cute little shelf decoration. The little black bird is very well made and feels quite durable. The bird I received had no chips or cracks, and his color was consistent all over. I've received many compliments on this silly little bird - he's both a useful and adorable little tool to use when baking filled pies.