Handheld Clay Extruders — MORE Styles for Easy Accents

One of our favorite new products at DiamondCore® Tools is our Handheld Clay Extruders. We released nine shapes of these amazing pottery tools in Spring 2021, and we couldn’t be happier with the responses we’ve seen from customers, especially how easy they say it is to make uniform handles for mugs and feet for platters. No more pulling, just clean slices through clay!

But we didn’t stop with those original nine clay extruder designs. For the 2021 holiday season, we released nine ADDITIONAL new handheld extruders, giving you even more shapes to choose from! Learn even more about these unique pottery tools and order yours today!

What are these DiamondCore® Tools handheld clay extruders?

We designed our handheld clay extruders to make ceramic artists’ lives easier, it’s as simple as that. Instead of having to force clay through a die shape on an expensive, wall-mounted extruder to make handles and feet, now you can get great results with your own slab of clay and one of our 18 handheld tools. Just slice the tool through clay and get a consistent shape for mug after mug, platter after platter and more. 

The sharp, adjustable-depth extruder blades on these tools work on a variety of clay types and are ideal for both hand-builders and throwers. Are you a righty? Lefty? Doesn’t matter. These clay extruders are a perfect fit in either. Sure, some folks still enjoy the process of pulling their handles by hand. But with our handheld extruders, you can choose so many styles for your projects’ accents. Ruffles, ribbons, clouds and koalas are just a few of the inspirations that will help your designs take shape. With 18 tools now to choose from in the handheld clay extruders line, there’s so much more that you can do to add pizzazz to your pottery. 

Check out the introduction to our original extruders, tools R1 through R9, here.

How do they work — no, really, what’s the trick?

There’s no trick to creating quick accents from a slab of clay when you’re using our handheld clay extruders. Just slice it, trim to length and attach it to your piece! However, there are some basic techniques that can help you pull the best pieces possible. Keep these tips in mind when it’s time to add those amazing final touches:

• Start with fresh clay that isn’t too sticky; let it sit out for 10 to 20 minutes. Use a flat slab of clay deeper than the handle you want to make.

• Pull the extruder tool toward you with even, gentle pressure at about a 45-degree angle. (Pulling up at the very end may help create a “tab.”) 

• Guide the blade with a forefinger on the wood handle. Don’t use your thumb to pull the tool, which may push the extrusion back into the clay.

• Make sure the angle of the tool is low to the clay. Holding the tool at a higher angle to the clay will also make pulling the extrusion harder.

• If your extrusion is still sticking inside the slab, try lifting the slab and bending the sides back away from your extrusion, like folding back a hinge.

Want to see the handheld clay extruder techniques in action? Click the video below for a visual of the best practices.

Get the Exact Stats on the New Handheld Clay Extruders

Which handheld clay extruder is best for you? It’s entirely a personal choice! Below we’ve outlined the basic details of each of the newer R tools from DiamondCore® Tools. Visit the extruder collection page for more product details on the whole line of these pottery tools and images of the blades and the shapes they create. 

R10 Triple Round Handheld Clay Extruder — Slices through a slab of clay to make a shape with three hills and two valleys. Max approx. blade width 23 mm X height 11 mm. Min approx. blade width 22 mm X height 8 mm.

R11 Cloud Handheld Clay Extruder — Slices through a slab to make a strip with three rounded portions. Max approx. blade width 21 mm X height 16 mm. Min approx. blade width 20 mm X height 12 mm.

R12 Koala Handheld Clay Extruder — Slices through a clay slab to make a strip with one larger hump and two smaller humps on each side. Max approx. blade width 22 mm X height 11 mm. Min approx. blade width 21 mm X height 7 mm. 

R13 Narrow Trapezoid Handheld Clay Extruder — Slices through a slab of clay to make a narrow trapezoid shape. Max approx. blade width 15 mm X height 20 mm. Min approx. blade width 5 mm X height 14 mm. 

R14 Square Handheld Clay Extruder — Slices through a slab to make a square shape. Max approx. blade width 15 mm X height 16 mm. Min approx. blade width 13 mm X height 12 mm.

R15 Ribbon Handheld Clay Extruder — Slices through a clay slab to make a sleek, long, ribbon shape. Max approx. blade width 24 mm X height 9 mm. Min approx. blade width 23 mm X height 5 mm.

R16 Double Concave Handheld Clay Extruder — Slices through a slab to make a strip with a main ridge and a concave valley on each side. Max approx. blade width 23 mm X height 11 mm. Min approx. blade width 22 mm X height 7 mm.

R17 Chocolate Kiss Handheld Clay Extruder — Slices through a slab of clay to make a shape like a dome with a sweet, upswept point. Max approx. blade width 22 mm X height 16 mm. Min approx. blade width 20 mm X height 12 mm.

R18 Ruffle Handheld Clay Extruder — Slices through a clay slab to make a shape with three crisp ridges. Max approx. blade width 22 mm X height 10 mm. Min approx. blade width 20 mm X height 7 mm. 

Getting the hang of it — and helping us improve

We know there are DiamondCore fans who will always prefer hand-pulling their handles — no matter what. But the number of customers who say our handheld extruders make their life so much easier makes us proud of our newest products. We don’t want anyone to struggle, whether it’s making accents by hand or getting their extrusion out of clay. That’s why we’re always here to help with pottery tools and customer support you can count on. 

Do you have questions about how to use or how to buy these tools? Want to tell us what blade shapes we should consider for the future? Please let us know! Leave a comment below this blog, send us an email or get in touch with our team on social media — we’re on Facebook and Instagram!