Tools

The Story & Making

Where did this obsession begin?

In March 2024 I was living in Stoke-on-Trent, studying at Clay College and as a way of taking a break from throwing pots on the wheel, I started making some ribs and undercut tools using offcuts of teak, a jigsaw and disk sander.

There must be something about working with centrifugal force that I find captivating, because before long I became very curious about what it would feel like to work on a lathe.

Being a potter, I didn’t have much desire to turn wooden cups or bowls as I already make them with clay, however I knew I wanted to make wooden handles for trimming tools.

Some of the first tools I ever made whilst in Stoke-on-Trent which I still use to this day

I was used to working with a soft material like clay, with the potter’s wheel spinning away from me. So you can imagine the anticipation I felt at the thought of working with a hard material like wood, on a lathe spinning towards me, all while using sharp tools.

Thankfully, when I got down to it, it was a lot gentler than I had built up in my head. I started out using whatever materials I could get my hands on - taking spring prunings from the apple tree, as well as using walnut and cherry.

As with any skill, there is a learning curve. I spent a lot of time practising quietly in my studio, documenting just glimpses whilst I improved. I experimented with lots of different shapes, proportions and details, gradually figuring out what felt right in my hand and, more importantly, what felt right to use. Eventually, I landed on a few handle designs that felt really special.

Those designs are the result of all that experimenting, making and refining, and I’m really happy to finally bring them to you. I hope they transform your making experience in some small way — just as making them transformed mine.

Do I make all the tools myself?

As the demand for tungsten carbide trimming tools continue to grow, I realised I didn't want my time to be spent entirely turning handles on a lathe. I still want to be a potter, after all.

That’s what led me to the decision to spend my time where I can add the most value: developing and refining the designs myself, working on the lathe, testing the tools and making sure I’m happy with them before sending the designs off for production.

So while I don’t handmake every tool myself, every design begins with me in the studio — making, testing and refining until I’m happy with it.

I’ll still be turning handles when I can, though — so perhaps you’ll get lucky and nab one of my own turned handles one day.

Created by a potter, for potters.

I’ve been potting for coming up to 10 years, and I only create tools I would use myself. They are designed to be useful, functional and genuinely enjoyable to work with.

Every design is tested in my own studio, giving me the chance to refine the shape, sharpness and feel before it becomes part of the collection.

Whether you’re looking for optimum sharpness, a tool that will stand up to years of use, or simply that missing undercut or smoothing tool, I hope this small but carefully considered collection has something for you.

You deserve to take pride in the tools you use — and with that comes joy.