How to Make a Great Ceramic Pitcher Handle Simon Levin gives a great tutorial on how to make a pitcher handle that functions well and looks fantastic! Simon Levin

Ceramic pitchers are a challenging form for potters to master because in order to function well they have to be lightweight enough to carry a large amount of liquid. Not only do they have to be large yet lightweight, they have to be comfortable to hold. Pitcher handles are very important to the overall success of the pitcher. Nobody wants to use a pitcher that is awkward to hold and heavy to boot.

In today’s video clip, an excerpt from his download video, Making a Pitcher, Simon Levin gives his best advice for making great pitcher handles. As he points out in the video, making pitcher handles, or any handle for that matter, is like a handbuilding project and you should really take the time to sculpt your handles into what you want them to be. If you do that, you’ll definitely improve. - Jennifer Poellot Harnetty, editor

PS. See this post in the archives to learn how to make a pitcher using the pinch pot technique.

This post was excerpted from Making a Pitcher with Simon Levin, which is available as a download in the Ceramic Arts Network Shop, or for streaming on CLAYflicks!

More Advice on Pitcher Handles

In Clay: A Studio Handbook, Vince Pitelka gives some great advice that can be applied to any handle, not just pitcher handles.

Here’s the highlights:

• A handle should be no longer/larger than it needs to be
• A handle should be attached well and as soon as possible
• Avoid sharp edges
• Avoid handles with round cross-sections on cups and mugs
• Make sure your handle is not too thick and not too thin

This is great advice to tape up on your studio wall. If you want further explanation, see the full post here!

Simon Levin is a full time studio potter working exclusively with wood firing. To learn more about him or see more images of his work, please visit https://simonlevin.com/.