Anyone who’s ever spoken to me at a craft fair or arts trail will know that I am passionate about beautiful, functional handles. I am extremely fussy about them in fact! Some very well known potters I wouldn’t buy from because I think their handle choices are unattractive, but I’m probably in the minority there as they’re obviously successful.

Handles don’t have to be ‘pulled’ in the traditional way, there are lots of ways to make them: from flattening coils or cutting strips from slabs, to using an extruder with a profile designed for handles. I prefer to pull mine, because I feel they end up stronger and they have a unique shape then that comes from my hands - but I do sometimes use an extruder if I feel that the form calls for it.

In my opinion, most handles should have a nice arch, flow nicely from both attachment points and have no sharp corners or angles. A nicely arched handle is also stronger - just think of arched bridges. Curves that are too sharp can create a weak spot, or a problem in attachment. There are exceptions of course, but usually only in cases where items are more decorative than functional so you need to match a geometric form with a geometric handle. But even then the edges of the handle and the corners can be rounded so that they aren’t sharp to the touch. Slab built handles can be particularly prone to sharp edges so it’s very important to spend the time softening them up and rounding them off.

The size of a handle is a very important consideration when designing your form. Mugs for example: your mugs will look ridiculous if your handle is as wide as the mug is. It also makes the mug less comfortable to drink from - imagine trying to drink from a mug on the end of a stick! An overly long/wide handle will act a little like that. It’s a lot about personal preference: think about your favourite mug at home. How many fingers do you use in the handle? I’m a two-finger handle person myself, regardless of the size of the handle, I have two fingers inside the handle and the rest on the outside. The best handles allow for multiple finger preferences, with the right curve at the bottom to allow your fingers to be on the outside of the handle as well.

Some people want or need a really large handle to fit their whole hand in - I have spoken to quite a lot of older people and people with arthritis that say it’s easier to slip your hand inside a handle than to grasp it, and the heat of the mug helps with the pain. Some others prefer no handle at all and just cup the form in their hand. There’s no right or wrong here!

If you have handmade pottery at home, why not have a look at the forms and see if you can guess how the handles were made? If you love the shape, try to figure out why - it will help you when you are thinking about buying something new as you’ll know what your preference is (and maybe save you money if it doesn’t measure up)!

You’ll learn the different way of making handles on my Introduction to Wheel Throwing course - new availability coming soon! Click here to go to the class booking page, or here to sign up to be notified when new classes are released.