Verdict: Garrity pottery tools are well-designed wooden ribs with one clear strength: many of them shape a specific profile, foot or texture the same way every time, which helps both new throwers and production potters. The basic ribs cost about the same as other premium wood ribs, the kits save a few dollars, and the maker publishes the wood and size of almost every tool. The trade-offs are the ones every wooden tool has: wood warps if you leave it soaking, and a wooden edge is softer than a steel or polymer one. This review is research-based: we compared Garrity's own product, about and tool care pages with Sheffield Pottery's listing. We did not use the tools ourselves.
Is Garrity Tools in business, and what does it sell now?
Yes. Garrity's store was live and shipping in October 2026. Across about 119 listings, only a handful were marked out of stock: the Finger Bone, the Mini Ghost Tools, a hat and a sticker. Nothing core to the range was discontinued. Some items are seasonal: the October "Spooky Shop" tools (Skull, Bat, Plague Mask, Witch's Broom and others) and the Tool-of-the-Month pieces are limited editions, so buy those when you see them.
The current range falls into eight groups: numbered ribs (A4, B2, B3, C1, C3, C4, D3, F4, I1, I2, I5, K1, N1, N3, O6, R1, S2, T1, T5, T6), Foot tools (Foot 2, 4, 5, 6, 8), Unfoot tools (1 to 4), Profile ribs (1 to 5), Texture tools (1 to 9 and Micro), throwing sticks and bones, Mushroom Anvils, and kits. Care products, merch and a monthly tool club fill out the store.
Garrity pottery tools at a glance
| Tool | Wood (maker) | Size (maker) | What it does | Maker price band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T1 Knife | Maple | 8.75 x 1.5 in | Trims, scrapes and shapes on and off the wheel | About $14 |
| C1 | Cherry | 2.5 in circle | Rounds bowl interiors, concave profiles | About $12 |
| K1 | Cherry | 3 x 2 in | Kidney shape for insides, rims and outsides | About $12 |
| S2 | Cherry | 4 x 2.5 in | Rounded forms and small refinements | About $12 |
| N3 | Maple | 3.5 x 3 in | Clean angles and plumb walls (two 90 degree corners, one 70 degree edge) | About $12 |
| I1 | Cherry | 6.75 x 2.75 in | General shaping on the wheel or by hand | About $14 |
| Unfoot 1 | Maple | 3.75 x 3.25 in | Undercuts and lifts the base to cut trimming time | About $18 |
| Profile 1 | Maple | 7.75 x 1.75 in | Flat side trues a cylinder; wavy side adds a bubble profile | About $18 |
| Throwing Bone | Cherry | 12 x 2 5/8 x 1/2 in | Shapes the inside of tall or narrow-necked forms | About $26 |
Woods, sizes and uses come from Garrity's product pages; prices are Garrity's list prices in October 2026, and dealers may differ. Check the live price.
Sheffield Pottery says Garrity makes its tools from domestic cherry heartwood. Garrity's own product pages list cherry, maple and walnut depending on the tool, so go by the maker's page for the tool you want.
The numbered ribs and the Starter Kit
The numbered ribs are Garrity's everyday shaping tools. Each code is a different outline: C tools are circles (the C1 is the smallest), K1 is a small kidney, N3 is a palm-sized square-cornered rib for straight walls, and the T1 is a long knife with points, angled edges and flat edges. Most are 3 to 7 in long and made of cherry or maple, which Garrity calls water-resistant hardwoods.
The Starter Kit bundles five of these "work-horse tools": the T1 Knife, S2, N3, K1 and I1. Garrity says the kit costs $8 less than buying the five separately, and you can add a small Rib Rub sample. It does not include a wire, sponge, needle or trimming tool, so it adds to a basic kit rather than replacing one. Our best pottery tools guide lists those basics.
Pros
- Five shapes that cover walls, curves and bases
- Wood and size published for each
- Saves a little over single tools
Cons
- No cutting or trimming steel in the set
- Costs more than a basic Kemper wood tool set
Who should skip it: potters who already own a kidney rib and a wood knife, who will get more from one Profile or Unfoot tool.
If you buy only one Garrity tool, the T1 is the one the maker puts in both the Starter Kit and the All-Star Kit, and calls a staple. At 8.75 in long it reaches into taller pieces and trims a clean bevel at the base.
Unfoot, Foot and Profile tools
These are what set Garrity apart. An Unfoot tool has a point on one corner and a curve on the other; you run it under the base while the pot is still on the wheel, and Garrity says it "will save you tons of time" you might spend trimming later. Foot tools (2, 4, 5, 6 and 8) form a foot ring at the throwing stage. Profile ribs are long (Profile 1 is 7.75 in) so they carry one shape up the full height of a mug, vase or bowl: the flat side straightens a cylinder, the wavy side adds a repeat bubble profile.
The All-Star Kit groups five best sellers: T1, Texture 7, Unfoot 3, Profile 1 and a Foot tool, at $10 less than buying them singly. Garrity's description names the Foot 4 but its included list names the Foot 8, so check the listing before you order. These tools do not replace trimming on every pot, but they cut it down on pots with simple feet. For trimming itself you still need a loop tool from our pottery trimming tools guide.
Pros
- Repeatable profiles and feet
- Cuts trimming time
- Texture tools leave ridges that catch glaze
Cons
- Each profile tool does one shape
- Foot tool naming conflict on the listing
Who should skip it: beginners still learning to center and pull walls, who need plain ribs first.
Classroom Set, Mushroom Anvils and hand-building tools
The Classroom Set is four cherry tools with plain names: a Square Tool (4.5 x 2 in), Round Tool (3.5 x 2.5 in), Foot Tool (4.5 x 1.5 in) and Knife Tool (6.5 x 0.75 in). Each matches a throwing step: straightening a cylinder, clearing clay near the bat, rounding a bowl interior and forming a foot. It is the cheapest way into the brand, and Garrity applies bulk discounts from four sets up, which suits teachers.
Mushroom Anvils are domed wooden tops on a handle, heavy enough to press a flat slab into a dish. The set has one handle and 3, 4, 5 and 6 in tops (a 7 in top sells separately), and Garrity suggests its anvil foam to press into. You can also lay a top flat and drape a slab over it. This is the priciest item in the range, so buy one top first if you are new to hand building pottery.
Who makes Garrity tools and where
Garrity Tools started with woodworker Collin Garrity, who began making wooden rib shapes after talking with ceramicist friends, sold at ceramic conferences, and made every tool himself through 2017 and 2018. In 2019 he hired local makers to help with production, and in 2022 he sold the company to its workers. The three first worker-owners were Jenny Murphy, Brie Cella and Collin Garrity. The cooperative designs and makes the tools in St. Louis, Missouri.
The about page gives two start dates: its intro says "founded in 2018," while its timeline begins in 2012 to 2016. We report both. Garrity sells direct and through retailers listed on its site; Sheffield Pottery and Krueger Pottery Supply are two US dealers that list Garrity tools.
What Garrity does well
- Published specs: nearly every product page gives the wood and the size, which many tool brands skip.
- Repeatable shapes: Profile, Foot and Unfoot tools help you make matching sets.
- Range: about 20 numbered ribs plus specialty tools for drinkware, plates, slabs and textures.
- Stock: almost everything was in stock in October 2026.
- Warp policy: if a tool keeps warping after you dry it flat, Garrity says to email them and it will send a new one.
Weak points
- Wood is soft: a wooden edge rounds over sooner than steel or polymer; Garrity tells you to sand a dull T1 point or Unfoot edge on sandpaper, following the bevel.
- Water care: leaving tools in the water bowl or slip bucket is a common cause of warping, per Garrity.
- Smoothness: wood leaves more texture than a polymer or silicone rib on the final pass.
- Cost per shape: specialty tools at $14 to $26 add up if you want several profiles.
- Listing slips: conflicting founding dates and a foot tool mix-up in one kit.
- No Amazon listing found: buy direct or from a pottery dealer.
Who should buy Garrity tools
Buy Garrity if you throw mugs, cups and bowls and want them to match, if you sell sets, or if you teach and want named, durable wood ribs for a class. Hand builders who make slab dishes will get the most from the anvils.
Who should skip Garrity: potters who want one flexible rib for everything (a polymer rib is cheaper), and anyone who leaves tools wet overnight.
Caring for Garrity wooden tools
Garrity's tool care page is the guide: clean the tool after each use, wipe it with a dry towel and let it dry overnight on a flat surface open to the air, not in an airtight box. Tools ship coated in mineral oil; recondition them when the wood looks dry, lighter or rough, with any food-grade wood finish or Garrity's Rib Rub (mineral oil, beeswax and lavender oil). If a tool warps, lay it flat to dry for a few days.
Rib work makes slurry, and dried slurry is silica dust. Wipe your wheel and table wet instead of sweeping, and wear a NIOSH-approved respirator when you handle dry clay or glaze materials. Our clay dust safety guide covers the details.
Alternatives to Garrity
- Mudtools: polymer ribs in several flexes that give a smoother final surface; see our Mudtools review.
- Xiem: silicone and stainless ribs that do not warp; see our Xiem pottery tools review.
- Kemper: plain hardwood ribs and modeling tools at a few dollars each; see our Kemper pottery tools review.
- Dirty Girls: another small maker with specialty ribs and wires; see our Dirty Girls pottery tools review.
To compare ribs across every material, see our pottery ribs guide.
Sources: Garrity Tools home page, all-products collection (pages 1 to 3), product feed, About page and Tool Care page; Garrity product pages for the Starter Kit, All-Star Kit, Classroom Set, C1, K1, S2, N3, I1, T1, Unfoot 1, Profile 1, Mushroom Anvil Set and Rib Rub; Sheffield Pottery Garrity collection page. Research-based review, no hands-on testing. Specs checked October 2026.