How to Use Yixing Clay Tools

Yixing clay tools are used by Chinese artisans and are often made from bamboo and water buffalo horns. Water buffalo horn tools are smooth and don't stick to the clay material while tools made of bamboo are durable. The buffalo horns are used as clay scrapers to create a curved clay surface. Yixing clay tools are often used to make teapots, however, they can be used to make a variety of clay items.

Decide What You Want To Make

• 1

  Decide on what you want to make out of a clay slab. There are many kinds of Yixing tools which are used on clay items so it really depends on how you want to manipulate the clay to create the look you want. A wood mallet, usually made of rosewood or maple is used to pound clay into slabs. To change the shape of a chunk of clay, you can use a rosewood paddle to "paddle" the clay. You can utilize a circle cutter which is adjustable to cut out circle pieces.

• 2

  To make sculpting details, Yixing artisans use a mini sculpting knife. An adjustable parallel cutter is used to cut out parallel pieces with straight edges like rectangle or square pieces. An arrow head knife is good for cutting out precise straight lines.

• 3

  To make hollowed spout tubes out of clay, use a spout making knife. Water buffalo horns are used for burnishing. Soak horn scraping sheets overnight until it is soft and pliable, then cut into any shape you wish. In order to cut small holes in clay, a brass hole cutter should be used. Then a hole smoother will smooth out the holes.

• 4

  Yixing artisans use a brass dragon scale to decorate the surface of clay and create texture. They use what is called a "wood egg" to smooth circle edges out like on the body of a teapot. A wood hammer is used for stamping the clay. Wood stamp supporters are used to support the opposite side when they stamp on a clay piece.

• 5

  Once you have created a clay piece, you need to fire it at a temperature between 1,125 and 1,175 degrees Centigrade.