Fancy, Schmancy Handles

Hello all, I'm sure you are all familiar with the beautiful, fancy handles some potters have on their pieces. I'm not talking about pitcher handles, but casserole dishes and the like. How in the world are they done? All I can figure out is they must come from a mold as they are too intricate to handbuild, throw or pull. If they are from a mold, does anyone know who sells these molds? I suspect these very talented potters probably make their own since I can't recall ever seeing two potters using the same handles. Thanks, Gaye

Reply to
GaSeku
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There are so many ways to make handles. Extruders are often used, then the extruded piece for a casserole curved and stuck on. Just by simply rolling a coil you can make literally hundreds of different handles. You can flatten them with a ruler, press them into something for texture, roll them over something for texture, press the sharp end of a ruler into it, turn and press again, then twist. Just sit and try it some time you will be amazed.

Reply to
annemarie

Another way to make handles for pots is to make a coil and roll it between two pieces of coragated cardboard at different angles or press two dowels into a coil. Then when you have attatched them to the pot, take an interesting stamp you have made from clay and bisqued and press it into the ends of the handles. Support the inside of the pot when you do this. It also helps to stick the handle tighter. Sandi

Reply to
sandi

Thank you both for your tips. I have used several of those techniques and like the results, but I was refering to handles that are very elaborate. Take a look at the platter by Cat Jarosz on this website.

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ahve written her and she has shared her technique. I would love to here howothers do it, if anyone knows.

Reply to
GaSeku

They are nice handles. Guessing technique, always difficult. Maybe extruded and then shaped and bits pressed onto dish?? :o)

Reply to
annemarie

That's basically how she does them. Of course, I'm sure it's more involved than that. I think they are just beautiful.

Reply to
GaSeku

What a wonderful website! I just loved looking at EVERYthing! Since I was kind of "handle-centered", given the topic at hand, I was actually surprised there were so few really innovative handles on most the pots. But the forms and glazes were phenomenal. Cat's handles struck me as just being 3 coils of equal length, probably set in a row on a surface and the central portions melded together, leaving 3 separate ends on each end. Then to join them to the pot, a round stamp was used to impress each of the total of 6 ends into the main pot. As someone pointed out, handles can be great fun... just take a handful of clay and try out anything you can think of, and see if it works on a given pot as something to comfortably grab onto. Cheers, Kira in NC (Hi Lois Sharpe, I saw your three pots on there!!!)

Reply to
Kira Dirlik

I'm glad you enjoyed the site. Chris has done, and is doing, a great job letting everyone have a chance to submit thier work. I'm so bad I would have to SEE someone make handles like that. Like my father used to say, "Some people couldn't pour water out of a boot with the directions written on the heel". That's me sometimes! Gaye, oh, and I cleaned it up, It's not really water.

Reply to
GaSeku

Can you repost the link please. I don't seem to find it in my favorites list (must have put it someplace safe).

Reply to
W_D_Great_Divider

Here's the link.

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Reply to
GaSeku

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