The Elegant Way to Make a Handle

There are several ways to make a handle: rolling a coil, extruding through a die, cutting from a slab. But the pulled handle is the technique most admired by potters and most satisfying to execute. When done well, a pulled handle is tapered, lively, and perfectly suited to the hand.

Why Pull Instead of Roll?

A rolled coil handle is uniform in cross-section from top to bottom. A pulled handle naturally tapers: wider and thicker at the top where it bears the weight and stress, narrowing toward the lower attachment point. This taper is both functional and beautiful.

Pulling also aligns the clay particles along the length of the handle, giving it greater tensile strength. A pulled handle is less likely to crack at the attachment points than a rolled one.

The "Carrot of Clay"

You begin with a lump of clay shaped into a thick carrot: wide and rounded at the top, tapering to a blunt point. This is your "carrot." The carrot is roughly 150–200g for a standard mug handle, around 10–12cm long before pulling.

• Wedge the clay well; any air bubbles will cause the handle to crack or tear during pulling.
• Keep the carrot slightly wetter than throwing clay. A drier carrot tears.
• The top of the carrot (the wide end) is where you hold it.

Handle Prep Checklist

Before first pull:

• Confirm carrot has no visible cracks
• Keep water bowl within easy reach
• Pre-plan target length and taper

Clear prep prevents over-pulling and weak handles.

The Bigger Picture

The pulled handle is a hallmark of the studio pottery tradition, where handmade details distinguish craft from industrial production. Pulling aligns clay particles along the handle's length in much the same way that drawing wire aligns metal grains, increasing tensile strength. Bernard Leach considered the pulled handle an essential skill and devoted considerable attention to it in his influential writings on pottery.