Pottery Tools Beginner’s Guide

Starting pottery can seem a bit daunting when considering all the tools potters use. Luckily, there are only eight basic tools that are most often used and pretty much all you need to get started! 

Tool’s Name

A: sponge 

B: wooden rib

C: metal rib

D: needle tool

E: wooden knife

F: loop tool

G: ribbon tool

H: wire tool

Commonly used for:

Sponge tool is used to hydrate the clay, help pull the clay walls, get rid of excess water, and smooth surfaces of the clay.

Wooden rib tool is used for compressing the clay and shaping the clay wall.

Metal rib tool is used for shaping the clay’s walls. 

Needle tool is used for measuring the thickness of the clay base and cutting an uneven clay rim.

Wooden knife tool is used for trimming the outer bottom of the clay wall.

Ribbon tool is used to trim your piece after it has dried a bit.

Loop tool is used to trim your piece after it has dried a bit. 

Wire tool is used to cut off a block of clay to wedge and cut your piece off the wheel.

And that’s it! That’s all you need to start throwing your first ceramic piece. Good luck!