("comb" in Japanese) is used to score multiple lines on a
clay surface.
Kushi L ($10):
Kushi S ($9):
The Yumi
The Yumi is designed to level uneven rims, and create
special design effects like flat sides on round objects.
Yumi ($5):
The Tobikanna
Tobikanna, a jumping kanna in Japanese, is a chattering tool. It is
also the name of pattern created by the tool. This traditional,
simple pattern is still used in Onta and Koishiwara wares in Kyushu,
Japan. The potters usually apply a slip over greenware and then use a
tobikanna to carve the top layer so the clay underneath shows up.
This tool is best used when you trim your piece when it is leather
hard. If the clay is too soft, the tool just trims rather than
creates a pattern. If the clay is too hard, the tool will not carve
deeply enough, and will only create a very faint pattern.
First, turn your wheel turning. Then, hold the tobikanna just like in
the picture. Touch the piece with the tip of a tobikanna. When you
feel a vibration, it is doing the job. You can create a complicated
pattern by: moving the tool up and down, changing the angle of the
tip, changing the speed of wheel, or changing the amount of pressure
you apply on the tip of the tool. Since you cannot see the pattern
you are creating when it is jumping, you may want to stop the wheel
once in a while to check its progress.
These are samples of the end result. One is a bisqued piece. The two
with glazes were fired at a cone 10 reduction. You can also put
oxides or different glazes in the grooves and apply a covering glaze
to get special effects.
