Christmas Gift Ideas for Potters - 2020
It's always hard to know what to get someone for Christmas, but the good news is there's no shortage of options when buying for a potter.
This is an updated version of last year’s post, the ideas were taken partly from suggestions on Instagram and partly from the list of things I want or would immediately replace if broken. I've tried to find a UK and US price and link to purchase where applicable, but I haven't hunted for the best price. I have checked the links but please let me know if you find any that are broken.
Top 5 from Instagram
Firstly, these are the tools I designed myself! These were tools I originally made because I wanted them and couldn’t find anyone else selling them. It was only after months of people asking me where the could buy them that I made extras for sale. I use mine all the time, I would replace them immediately if lost, and I’m as proud to sell them as any of my ceramics.
Foot Trimming Tool (£25)
Handle Extruder Dies (From £10)
Hole Cutting Guides (From £7.5)
Throwing
Sponges - You can't beat a good sponge for throwing. I personally love the Xiem sponges (£4.32/$3.95) as they're a bit firmer, but the Mudtools sponges (£7/$5) are very popular too.
Ribs - Ribs make a great present as there are an infinite number of shapes and materials, each with it's own merit. The brands that came up most on the poll were Mudtools (~£6/$7) and GarrityTools ($10-30). If buying for a potter who already has a couple of the more traditional shapes and sizes, consider some of the stranger looking ones!
Wire - Having a wire the right length with a comfortable handle makes a big difference. I find the shortest Xiem wire (£6.12/$5.95) perfect for almost everything I throw. The standard Mudtools wire (£6.22/$7) is 5" longer, and might be more suited to people throwing larger pots.
Needle Tool - The cheap ones can be a little flimsy, so it's nice to have a more robust needle tool. I use the Xiem (£6.71/$5.95) and Mudtools also make one (£7.71/$8)
Batt System - I use the Hartley & Noble Russian Doll batt system (£100). The nesting inserts are perfect for studios with limited space as the smaller inserts takes up so much less surface space per piece. Check which wheel the recipient has though, as there are a few different pin spacing options and it’s important to select the correct one.
Forms - Not necessarily for throwing (but round ones can be used on the wheel), forms are a great way to make identical plates from slabs of clay. I recently worked with Hartley & Noble here in the UK to produce a set of round forms that attach to the wheel with the Giffin Grip for a very easy plate making process. You can also get a free gift with any Hartley & Noble order if you give my name at checkout.
Books - My personal recommendation is Ben Carter’s Mastering the Potters Wheel (£14*/$20*)
Trimming
Trim Tool - There are a wide range of trimming tools at different price ranges. The most wished for was the Mudtools Do-All (£17.08/$20), but you could splash out and get a Bison ($80+)
Giffin Grip - The best trimming aid I've ever used. It centres and holds pieces with very minimal effort, allowing for much faster and more controlled trimming. (£223/$259*)
Foam/Sticky Batt - A lower tech and priced way of holding pieces while trimming. Xiem do a Foam Batt (£10.20/$9.95) and DiamondCore Tools do the Sticky Batt (£104.95/$76) as well as a few other variations.
Carving tool - DiamondCore Tools have a range of top quality carving tools (£46/$36)
Stamping Tools - Most ceramic suppliers offer a range of cheap premade stamps, but if the potter you're buying for has a logo then you could buy them a custom pottery stamp. I don’t know who to suggest in other countries, but here in the UK I’d highly recommend Dave and Jo at Lasercutz. They’ve made all the stamps I’ve used in the last year, and the quality is outstanding.
Finishing
Extruder and/or Dies - There are a wide range of extruders, and each one will have a selection of dies available for it. I use this handheld one (£33/$52) which seemed like the most cost effective way to do it (larger ones are wall mounted and cost £200+). There weren’t any handle extruding dies available for it so I made my own (£10).
Smoothing Tools - These are cheap silicon tipped tools that do a fantastic job of smoothing leather hard clay. I use them on all my handles (£8*/$8.99*)
Slip Trailer - There are a range of different styles and sizes for these. I use both the larger bulb style (£13) and smaller precision bottle style (£8/$19.50*) and either are useful for different purposes.
Glazing
Brushes - Most ceramic suppliers will offer a selection, and it's useful to have a choice when glazing. I’m a big fan of the mop and Hake style brushes. If you want a really nice brush, check out Troy Bungart (CA$60+).
Banding Wheel - You get what you pay for here. Most ceramic suppliers have a range, the more expensive ones will be heavier, more stable, and with better bearings (£30-300+/$40+)
Applicator - You can get nozzle applicators for precise work or cheap spray atomisers (£6.5*/$16*). They won't match proper spraying equipment for the quality of the result, but they are a cheap and fun way to change things up a bit.
Glaze - A very broad category. If buying for someone else, I'd suggest looking at the brand and type of glaze they currently use (the firing temperature is the important thing here) and getting them something new from that range.
Stain - Stains can be used in many different way. They can be added to clay, slip, and glaze, or applied afterwards in the form of a wash to produce a huge range of effects. The most reliable brand I've found is Mason (£3.50+/$5+), you could get a small amount of a few colours and be pretty confident the recipient would find a fun use for them.
Lustre - These are precious metals that get applied to glazed work and fired to a lower temperature. They are very expensive (£10 per gram!) which can put a lot of people off buying them for themselves, making them a good option for a gift.
Car Dent Puller - Can be really useful as a tool to hold pieces for dipping. Read more about it here (£9*/$16*).
Books - John Britt’s books (£25*+/$16+*+ (there’s one for high fire and one for mid range, check which temperature the recipient will fire to!)) and Linda Bloomfield (£14*+/$28+*+)
Online Glaze Class - I did a Ceramic Materials Workshop class this year, and I honestly think it’s been the single best thing I’ve done for understanding glazes. I highly recommend them, and they’re a very worthwhile investment. They’ve recently released a shorter, cheaper, Cone 6 specific course which would be ideal for anyone interested in making and understanding glazes at that temperature.
Other
Other Potters Work - There are so many fantastic potters out there creating inspirational work, having more of it in your life can only be a good thing!
Books - I highly recommend Clary Illian's A Potter's Workbook for improving the quality of your work. Harry Fraser's Ceramic Faults and their Remedies is a very useful reference too.
Hand Cream - Dry skin is one of the main drawbacks to working with clay, so anything that helps with that would be good. The top suggestions from Instagram were The Body Shop's Hemp Hand Cream, O'Keeffe's Working Hands Hand Cream, Potter's Skin Butter, and Neutrogena Norwegian Formula.
Massage - Pottery is physical, so a deep massage can do the world of good.
Sanding Pads - DiamondCore Tools do a variety of grade (£19/$15+), and they're very useful for finishing the bottoms of pots.
Harry the Potter Shirt - $12! There are other, non-Harry-Potter themed pottery tees here ($27*)
For Beginners
Tool Sets - These are a good way to get all the basics at a very reasonable price (£10*/$15) or a big box of everything ($99*)
Books - The Potter's Complete Studio Handbook: The Essential, Start-to-Finish Guide for Ceramic Artists (£14.20*/$9.11)
* All links that have an asterisk next to them are referral links. It doesn’t change the price you pay at all, but helps support the blog.
If you have any suggestions for things I missed, please contact me through this site or via Instagram, or leave a comment below!
