It startedwith adulltool
We're potters who got tired of replacing steel trimming tools regularly. So we made the ones we wished we owned: a tungsten carbide edge that stays sharp, a tip you can replace, and a handle in a color you actually want.
owned
Made with potters
Most of our tools graduate from the Tuga Lab, where thousands of potters try them and give feedback before release.
Then the tip snapped
We were tired of replacing steel trimming tools, so we finally splurged on a premium tungsten carbide one. It changed trimming for us. Then, a couple of weeks in, someone in the studio dropped it and the tip snapped. We were left with a beautiful handle and no way to use it.
There was no going back to steel, so there had to be a better way. We designed a handle that feels balanced and comfortable, won't rust, and keeps working when a tip breaks: put in a replacement tip and keep going.
And since every potter is different, we made them in colors you'd actually want to reach for. Why not?
I wanted a tool that held an edge and could be repaired instead of replaced.
Founder
How a toolgets made
Every tool goes through the same steps. We keep production small on purpose.
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Idea
It starts with a problem, one we hit in our own studio or one you tell us about.
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Define
We decide what it needs to do, how it should feel, and what it should be made of.
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Sample
We sketch it, model it, and order samples we can hold.
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Refine
Printed or sampled, again and again, until we get it right.
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Lab test
Lab members use it on real work and tell us what to change. We keep iterating until it's ready.
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Release
Assembled and checked in California, then it joins the catalog.
Who we are
Woman-owned, family-run, based in California. A small team, plus a community of Lab testers who keep us honest.
Kelsey
Founder
Mom of 3 who likes to make things but never has enough time. Someday...
Conor
General Manager
Keeps everything moving, from sourcing parts to packing your order. The reason your tools show up on time.
Caitlin
Operations and Support
Answers your emails and reads every piece of Lab feedback. Probably the person you've already met.
How weOperate
Three ideas behind most of what we decide, from the materials we use to how the Lab runs.
Buy less, better
One tool with a swappable tip, kept for a decade, beats five steel ones in the trash. We try to do our best to reduce waste.
Tools should feel like you
Your studio is personal. Fourteen colors, mixed and matched however you like. Your tools, your style.
Made with potters
Everything we ship has been tested by real potters at home and the studio. The Lab is how that works at scale.
Made withMonkey Stuff
Our tool bags, rolls and aprons are a collaboration with Monkey Stuff, built to carry a full kit to the studio and back.
ContactCome say hi
Questions about a tool, a color, or the Lab? Or just want to talk pottery? We read every message and usually reply within 1–2 business days.
