The 6 Pottery Hand Tools Every Beginner Needs (and How to Use Each One)
Walk into any pottery studio and you'll see the same thing beside every wheel: a bucket of water with a tangle of wire, wood, sponge and steel in it. It looks like a junk drawer. But a potter reaches into it without looking, because each tool there has one job.
The good news for beginners is that you don't need the whole bucket. Six simple hand tools cover almost everything you'll do in your first months at the wheel. Here they are in the order you'll pick them up, with how to use each one and the mistake almost every beginner makes with it.
Quick answer: the six pottery tools every beginner needs
- Wire clay cutter: cuts clay off the block and the finished pot off the wheel.
- Sponge: adds water, soaks up water, and smooths rims.
- Needle tool: levels uneven rims and checks how thick the base is.
- Rib: shapes and smooths the walls, and presses the base firm.
- Trimming tool (loop or ribbon): carves away extra clay and shapes the foot.
- Wood modeling tool: shapes, smooths and cleans up edges.
1. Wire clay cutter
What it is: a length of wire stretched between two wooden handles, called toggles.
What it does: it's the first tool you use and the last. Before you throw, it slices a piece off the block of clay. When the pot is finished, it cuts the pot free from the wheel.
How to use it: hold one toggle in each hand and pull the wire tight. To cut a block, draw it through the clay toward you in one steady stroke, like a cheese slicer. To cut a pot off the wheel, press the wire flat against the wheel head behind the pot and pull it under the base. Some potters do this with the wheel turning slowly, which leaves a swirl on the bottom of the pot.
Common mistake: a slack wire. A loose wire wanders up into the base and leaves a ragged cut. Keep it tight and flat against the wheel the whole way through.
Shop it: Kemper K35 Wire Clay Cutter, 18 Inch
2. Sponge
What it is: a small, soft sponge. Potters love a natural sea sponge, which is soft and holds a lot of water.
What it does: throwing is all about water. Too little and the clay grabs your hands and tears; too much and it turns soft and collapses. The sponge is how you control it. It drips water onto the clay while it spins, soaks up the puddle that collects inside the pot, and smooths the rim when you're done.
How to use it: dip it, then squeeze a little water over the clay as you work. Between pulls, sweep it around the inside floor to lift out the standing water. To finish a rim, fold a thin wet edge of sponge over it while the wheel turns slowly.
Common mistake: leaving water sitting in the bottom of the pot. That puddle softens the floor and is one of the most common reasons a pot cracks later. Sponge it out every time.
Shop it: Kemper WSPG Wool Sea Pottery Sponge, 3 Inch
3. Needle tool
What it is: a thin steel point on a handle, like a sturdy darning needle.
What it does: two jobs beginners use constantly. It checks how thick the base of your pot is, and it cuts off an uneven rim.
How to use it:
- To check the base: stop the wheel, then push the needle straight down through the floor of the pot until it touches the wheel head. Pinch the needle where it comes out of the clay and pull it out. The distance between your fingers and the tip is your base thickness. Aim for about a quarter inch if you won't trim the pot, and about half an inch if you will, so there's clay to carve.
- To level a rim: with the wheel turning slowly, rest your hand on the pot for support and push the needle gently through the wall just below the lowest dip in the rim. It cuts a clean ring off the top, and you lift it away.
Common mistake: stabbing at the rim with a fast wheel and an unsupported hand. Slow the wheel down, brace your hand, and let the wheel do the cutting.
Shop it: Kemper PNH Heavy Duty Potter's Needle Tool
4. Rib
What it is: a flat, hand-sized tool with curved edges, made of wood, rubber or steel.
What it does: the rib is how a pot gets its final shape. Pressed against the outside while your fingers push from inside, it smooths out the finger ridges, firms up the wall and sets the curve. It also scrapes off the wet slurry that builds up as you throw.
How to use it: hold the rib against the outside wall, tilted slightly so the trailing edge does the work. Push out gently from inside with your other hand, and move both up the wall together while the wheel turns at a medium speed. Then run it across the floor of the pot, pressing down firmly. That presses the clay together and, along with sponging out water, helps protect the base from cracking as it dries.
Which kind to start with: wood ribs are firm and hold a shape. Rubber ribs are soft and good for smoothing. Steel ribs are thin and used later to scrape leather-hard surfaces. One firm rib is plenty to start.
Common mistake: pressing too hard from one side. The rib supports and smooths; your inside hand still shapes the pot. Push too hard from outside and the wall buckles.
Shop it: Kemper RB2 Wooden Pottery Rib, 4-1/4 Inch
5. Trimming tool (loop or ribbon)
What it is: a handle with a loop of metal on the end. Loop tools use round wire; ribbon tools use a flat metal band bent into a shape.
What it does: once your pot has firmed up to leather hard (firm enough to handle, still damp enough to carve), you turn it upside down on the wheel and trim it. The trimming tool shaves away the extra clay you left in the base and carves the foot, the ring the pot stands on. Trimming is what makes a pot light and gives it a finished look.
How to use it: with the pot centered upside down and the wheel turning, hold the tool firmly with your hand braced, and let the edge peel the clay away. If the clay comes off in long, curling ribbons, your timing is right.
Common mistake: trimming too soon or too late. If the clay smears and sticks to the tool, the pot is still too wet. If it chips off as dust, it's too dry. (Trimming has a lot more to it; it gets its own guide in this series.)
Shop it: Kemper 8R2 Ribbon Tool, 8 Inch
6. Wood modeling tool
What it is: a smooth wooden tool, usually with a different shaped tip at each end.
What it does: it's the all-rounder. On the wheel, it cleans up clay at the very bottom of the pot where your fingers can't get a sharp line, and it bevels the base so the wire cuts cleanly. Off the wheel, it shapes, smooths and blends clay, which makes it the tool hand-builders reach for most.
How to use it: with the wheel turning slowly, hold the pointed edge at the base of the pot and trim away the little lip of clay where the pot meets the wheel head. Off the wheel, use the flat or rounded end like a tiny spatula to smooth and press clay into place.
Common mistake: letting it soak. Wood tools left in the water bucket swell and crack over time. Rinse them and let them dry flat.
Shop it: Kemper WT6 Wood Modeling Tool, 8 Inch
A kit or one at a time?
If you're just starting, a kit is the simple choice. You get the basics in one pack for less than buying each tool separately, and after a few weeks you'll know which ones you reach for most. Later you'll add single tools as your work asks for them: a bigger ribbon tool for wide bowls, a soft rubber rib for smoothing, a caliper once you start making lids.
Shop it: Kemper PTK Pottery Tool Kit, 8 Tools
Browse all our pottery tools, and pick a clay to go with them in our pottery clay collection. Not sure which clay to start with? Our guide to types of clay walks through it, and if you're still choosing a wheel, start with pottery wheels for beginners.