Clay Tools

One walk past the tools section at Armadillo Clay may leave your head spinning. There are hundreds of options, all shapes and sizes of every tool type imaginable. While there may be no end to the variety of clay tools on the market (and more are being invented every day), there are some basics that appear fairly consistently in any studio.

Cutoff Wires

This is probably the first clay tool you ever used. Cutoff wires allow you to cut chunks of clay from the block with ease. When throwing on the wheel, this is the tool you use to separate the finished pot from the bat or wheel head. With a steady hand, they can also be used to cut facets in the outside of a soft piece.

Needle Tools

A toolkit staple, needle tools can be used for all sorts of applications, especially when throwing on the wheel. The sharp point can remove an uneven rim, score a guide line, pierce air bubbles, draw surface designs, and even be used as a scoring tool in a pinch.

Ribs

This term refers to any broad, flat pottery tool. Ribs can come in many different shapes and sizes, and be made from a number of materials including wood, metal, polymer, rubber, and plastic. Even chunks of coconut shells can be used as ribs! Ribs can be rigid or flexible, with smooth or serrated edges.
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Most often, ribs are used to shape pieces being thrown on the wheel, but they also have many uses in hand building. Ribs can be used to smooth slabs, compress seams, and even stretch and form pieces just like on the wheel.

Loop Tools

Loop tools are just what they sound like: a tool made from a loop of wire. This wire can vary in thickness and be bent into an endless variety of shapes. Loop tools are typically used for removing clay during decorating and sculpting, but can also be used as trimming tools on the wheel.

Ribbon Tools

Ribbon tools look a lot like loop tools, with one major difference. Instead of wire, the tool end is made from a flat piece of metal. Usually the edges of this metal are beveled and sharpened, but not always. Ribbon tools cut through clay more easily than loop tools, and are more often used for trimming on the wheel.

Calipers

Calipers come in two main styles: single-ended and double-ended. They are used to measure and compare things like rim sizes. Double-ended calipers can be used to convert interior measurements to exterior ones, which is useful when making lidded forms. Calipers can be made from wood, metal, or plastic.

Wood Tools

Wood tools are probably the most varied of all clay tools when it comes to shape. The different styles are endless, from rounded sculpting balls and pencil-like points to tapered blades and flat wedges.

​(Right) One common shape of wood tool is called a potter's wood knife. This is a blade-like end that comes to a sharp point, and is a core tool in many ceramists' kits, especially those who throw. The wood knife can be used to bevel the bottom edge of a pot on the wheel, cut slabs for hand building, or to scratch designs into the clay surface.

Finishing Tools

These rubber-tipped tools are great for cleaning up seams after attachments are made. They can also be used in sculpting or as a stylus for decorative marks or signing pieces.

Scoring Tools

Scoring tools come in many different styles. They are used for scoring the clay prior to making attachments. The only prerequisite for a scoring tool is that it has some sort of coarse edge that can make scratches in the clay surface. Most students start out using a serrated metal rib as their scoring tool, but other options exist that are smaller and more precise. Kemper offers several that are made from groups of wires crimped onto a handle. Other companies make retractable versions that keep you from accidentally poking yourself.

Sponge Sticks

(Left) Also called 'sponge-on-a-stick', these are used to remove excess water from the inside of a pot when throwing on the wheel.

Throwing Sticks

(Right) These extra-long tools are used to belly out pots from the inside when the neck of the pot is too narrow to fit your hand or the pot is too tall to reach easily.

Fluting Tools

These are a style of cutting tool that is specifically designed for a decorative technique called fluting. Fluting is basically carving repetitive sections of clay out of the surface of a piece. Fluting tools are designed to help you cut consistently without digging too deep into the clay. Different blade shapes can provide a variety of looks.

Paddles

Paddles have a number of uses. They can be used by hand builders to compress seams or flatten areas. When throwing on the wheel, they can be used to form the finished pot into a more geometric shape. Textured paddles can be used to apply surface design quickly to a soft pot.

How many tools do I really need?

A common tendency, especially with beginner-to-intermediate clay hobbyists, is to accumulate dozens upon dozens of tools. The idea behind this trend is the thought (conscious or otherwise) that if only we could find just the right tool, our pots would be so much better! In reality, the only way to make better work is through practice. Lots and lots of practice. While having the right tool for the job is important, there comes a point in time where we must pause and remember that age-old saying: It's a poor craftsman who blames his tools.

Challenge yourself. Pick a limited number of tools to work with and stick to them. By forcing yourself to make do with only 8 or 10 tools in your kit, you'll find yourself innovating new ways to use them and identifying exactly what it is you need in a particular tool.

This is by no means a comprehensive list. There are countless tools out there in the clay world. In the end, a tool's uses are limited only by your imagination, and just about anything can be a tool.
​Don't be afraid to experiment!