Tools of the Trade
/Having the right tools can make all the difference in your creative process in the studio!
Let's take a look at some essential clay tools that we recommend for our sessional students. This list is also a great place to start if you’re setting up your own clay space.
The Essentials
Here's a breakdown of must-have tools for the first day of a sessional class at Rain City Clay. Each student must have these basics:
Needle Tool: Essential for many different things in the studio. Checking the depth of your pots, cutting into the clay, and more.
Wooden Rib: Great for smoothing, shaping, and compressing the clay.
Wooden Knife: Versatile and reliable, the wooden knife is great for cutting, compressing, and adding texture.
Wire Tool: Essential for cutting clay and removing pieces from the wheel.
Sponge: Handy for keeping your clay moist, absorbing water, smoothing, and cleaning.
Trimming Tools: For refining the shape and surface of your pottery.
Water Container: For throwing, make sure to get a container big enough to fully dip your hands in. Having a container with a sharp lip (ex: paint mixing containers) is helpful for scraping clay off of your hands when throwing.
*Little Red Rubber Rib: A fan favorite versatile tool for smoothing and shaping. This little red wonder is perfect for refining curves and contours in your clay creations.
*Rasp: Useful for refining edges, removing a bulk of leather hard clay, and shaping.
Scoring Tool: Essential for joining clay pieces together.
Fettling Knife: A versatile tool for shaping your clay creations.
*Apron: Clay is messy! Bring an apron if you don’t want to get your clothes muddy. (clay will wash out of clothes)
Toolbox: Keep everything organized and portable.
Plastic Covering: Helps keep your work moist and prevents it from drying out too quickly. Trash bags and dry cleaner bags are good plastics to collect. Compost bags, and grocery bags are not great for covering clay.
Notebook: Keep a dedicated clay notebook for jotting down techniques, keeping track of glaze combos and inspirations!
*Tools marked with a star aren’t necessary for the first day but they’re highly recommended to have in your tool collection.
Beginning pottery tools are often sold in sets that feature many of the tool’s you’ll need on the first day. You can shop online or visit a nearby clay supply store! Seattle Pottery Supply and Clay Art Center in Tacoma both have a wide selection of tools to choose from. Staff there can help you find everything you could need.
Rain City Clay also has a collection of community tools that you can explore with in your sessional class. These tools include texture tools, cookie cutters, bisque molds, rolling pins and more! Once you find the tools that resonate with your style and technique, consider investing in them to add to your personal collection.
