offcntr | Rack of Ribs (Reply)

Back when I first began making pottery, rubber ribs came in two types, blue and black, soft and firm. They were kidney-shaped, flat on one face and curved on the other, perfect for compressing (black) or smoothing (blue) clay, right up until the latex edge of the rib dried up and started to crack. Nothing we tried could fix it: cutting back to fresh rubber, sanding away, melting. The only real solution was to throw them away and buy a new set. We always assumed it was a marketing strategy, like planned obsolescence in the auto industry.

Now days we have silicone ribs. They come in more colors and stiffnesses: Red is soft, yellow medium, green very firm. They're evenly curved on both faces, have a wide variety of shapes, and don't seem to ever wear out. The red ones get translucent with prolonged use, but I've seen no signs or drying and cracking. I've only ever had to replace one, and that was because I took it to do a demonstration at Clayfolk, and another potter stole it.

I love the quality of these tools, but I have to wonder: What will Mud Tools do when every potter in the world has a set? They can't count on replacement sales, because they don't wear out. Will they hire pottery tool thieves to keep us needing more?

For now, it seems they've abandoned Detroit-style marking in favor of the fashion industry--new colors, new shapes, new styles every year. Long may they continue.