Mug Making – Pulling the Handle by Hand

Mug Making – Pulling the Handle by Hand

Pulling the handle by hand is a technique used in mug making to compete the production of the handle. The process invloves holding clay in one hand and with the other hand (which is wet) stroking the clay into a strip. This strip is then cut into desired lentghts (apporx four inches). One end of the strip is then attached to the top of the mug. The strip is then stroked through a pulling process and looped round to form a handle. The other end is then fixed towards the base end of the mug.

scotlandobjects

iain

English

Intangible

532

11/08/2025

Leach Pottery What is Pulling Hands . (2025 , July 29 ). Retrieved from You Tube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I_JVtf__e8

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https://culturality.museum/wiki/index.php/Mug_Making_–_Pulling_the_Handle_by_Hand_

1070

None Known

Netty Sopata

Extensive skill and ability to handle the clay by shaping and pulling it into the desired form and thickness. AAS_PR_001 uses thi technique for her mugs and durig her interview reflected on how each mug made using this technique means that it will sit comfortable in a persons hand. Many of her customers come into her shop and test out mugs to make sure the handle is correct for them.

This technique can be taught but it very much trial and error and practice that perfects it. There are alternative and faster methods of making the handles for mugs but thes edo not produce the level of quality that hand pulling does.

Potters who currently practise the technique.

AAS_PR_001 takes pride that her mugs and other items of an extremly high quality. Over the decades she has perfected a balance of design and production speeds that generate feasable products for retail driectly to consumers. This has bee done without comprimising on the bespoke, specilaist techniques that add cultural value to hand made products. A handle made by hand and pulled by hand fits the hand.

This technique is one of the oldest used for making handles in pottery and dates back to medieval times.

Scottish Potters Association. Heritage Craft Association.

Borgh Pottery; Leach Pottery St.Ives

Industrial production

Modern production of pottery is always a threat to maintaining skills that do not fit with fast production times.

Aged practitioners

The practice of Pulling a Handle by hand is one that requires demonstration and practice. Although many 'YouTube' videos exist for people to learn from, this does not replace the experence of being taght in a tangible way with intangible knowledge being passed on from a master practitioner to a learner.

Educational standardisation

Access to the level of education AAS_PR_001 received has reduced significantly.

Loss of knowledge

The practice of Pulling a Handle by hand is one that requires demonstration and practice. Although many 'YouTube' videos exist for people to learn from, this does not replace the experence of being taght in a tangible way with intangible knowledge being passed on from a master practitioner to a learner.

Borgh is a vilage that sits within Galson Estate which consists of 56,000 acres of coast, agricultural land and moor in the North West of the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The estate comprises of 22 villages running from Upper Barvas to Port of Ness with a population of nearly 2,000 people. The estate passed into community ownership on 12 January 2007, to be managed on their behalf by Urras Oighreachd Ghabhsainn (https://www.galsontrust.com) The area is rural, with a strong cultural heritage centered around the gaelic language, traditional music and crofting.

AAS_AR_01 - 05 are all related to the process of pulling a handle by hand. The clay is needed to make the product, the Pugmill to process the clay and the potter's wheel to throw the body of the mug. The kilns are then needed to fire the finished mugs and turn them into pottery. The only tools needed to pull a handle by hand (once the clay has been prepped) are the makers hands.

No

No

The technique is a USP (unique selling point). It is a good point of conversation with customers when they examining the mugs.

stable

AAS_CP_001