Ray Aldridge on wed 1 dec 99
How many Clayarters make mug handles with thumbstops? I began to wonder
about this after an old customer (the kind that calls you up every year and
asks if you've made any good pots lately) bought several mugs from me and
then asked me why I didn't put thumbstops on my mugs anymore. "My favorite
mug's got one of those doohickeys," she said. Then someone on Clayart (I'm
thinking Tom Wirt, maybe) said something about the undeniable superiority
of mug handles with stops.
I've gone through alternating phases, mostly leaving the stop off my mugs,
but sometimes putting it on. One or the other is bound to be superior.
Visually, I like the uncluttered look of a simple pulled handle. If it's
well-done, I think it can't be beat, esthetically, and it functions pretty
well too. But I think it's also undeniably true that when you're lifting a
mug full of liquid, a thumbstop helps to lighten the perceived weight of
the mug. For folks with arthritis, this might be decisive.
Anyway, to get to the point of this, I've set up another poll to register
opinion on this subject:
http://www.goodpots.com/pollpage.html
If you get a moment and you have an opinion, drop by, please. After the
poll's been running for a while, I'll report back to the list.
It's my opinion that there's an optimum form for every function, and that
the closer we get to that optimum form, the more our pots will be used.
I'm going to explore this idea in the new millenium, and I'll try to
approach it in ways that make my results more than just my unsupported
opinion. I should add that just because I believe this, that does not
automatically mark me as the AntiChrist. And I'm not a disciple of the
Demon Bauhaus either. Ornament is good.
Thanks,
Ray
Aldridge Porcelain and Stoneware
http://www.goodpots.com
RoseHawke on thu 2 dec 99
Ray,
I don't think, in looking at the photos on your poll, that you've made your
query in quite the right way. I had to pause and think about it before I
answered, because I could really pick both. For *using* there's no doubt that I
want the thumbstop; it seems like without it, no matter the form, my upper
fingers get jammed up against the mug/jug/whatever, which is uncomfortable for
me. The thumbstop stops this from happening, at least for me and the way in
which I hold the mug :^). Wasn't it a Robin Hopper video (I think, been a while
since I saw it) that said something about no matter how many ways you design
the piece to be held, *some*body's going to find a new way? Aesthetically I'm
with you, I think many pieces (though not necessarily all) seem to look better
without it.
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> How many Clayarters make mug handles with thumbstops? I began to wonder
> about this after an old customer (the kind that calls you up every year and
> asks if you've made any good pots lately) bought several mugs from me and
> then asked me why I didn't put thumbstops on my mugs anymore. "My favorite
> mug's got one of those doohickeys," she said. Then someone on Clayart (I'm
> thinking Tom Wirt, maybe) said something about the undeniable superiority
> of mug handles with stops.
> Ray
--
Sl`inte,
Cindy
***********************************************************
Cindy T. Riley (RoseHawke)
hawke@rosehawke.com
http://www.rosehawke.com
***********************************************************
CNW on fri 3 dec 99
Ray - I really like your work. The cats look caught in motion.
The mugs are nice as they are. The thumb stop would look right to me on
these mugs. But I don't use handles that way, especially if it's a good big
mug. I slip the first three fingers in the handle as if I were gripping a
regular cup, thumb around and pinky sticking out below. Keeps my hand warmer
and supports the weight better. (And I don't drop the mug when I inevitably
trip over something)
Celia
Ray Aldridge on sat 4 dec 99
At 09:12 AM 12/3/99 EST, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Ray - I really like your work. The cats look caught in motion.
Thanks, Celia.
> The mugs are nice as they are. The thumb stop would look right to me on
>these mugs. But I don't use handles that way, especially if it's a good big
>mug. I slip the first three fingers in the handle as if I were gripping a
>regular cup, thumb around and pinky sticking out below. Keeps my hand warmer
>and supports the weight better. (And I don't drop the mug when I inevitably
>trip over something)
>
Very interesting point. I do that too sometimes, if the mug isn't too hot
to touch, though I can only get a couple fingers through the handle. I
just went and got the thumbstopped mug out of the dishwasher, and it does
work, if held in that manner, and the thumb still fits on top of the stop.
As for the poll, there's still no winner; the votes are running 50/50 for
and against the thumbstop.
Ray
Aldridge Porcelain and Stoneware
http://www.goodpots.com
Marian Morris on mon 6 dec 99
Regarding ideal forms. I have ideals for the things I use, and they change
from time to time, so maybe there are ideals for particular times, places,
circumstances. Take bowls. I am 52, and have been through several iterations
of the ideal bowlin my life, but met the ultimate in Japan in the common
soup bowl which can be found in any supermarket there. It flares out around
45 degrees (maybe) with non-curved sides from a 2 /12 inch flat floor.
Stands maybe 4" tall. Utterly functional, the starchy stuff (rice or
noodles) sits in the narrower bottom, and the widely flaring top leaves room
for you to pile up accompaniments around the edges of the starchy stuff. The
foot is a rim about 1/2" deep standing straight up, which allows you to
stack the bowls upside down right out of the dishpan, and the foot separates
the bowl about 1/2" from the next one, so that they dry themselves, and
stack with only 1/2" clearance. The typical Japanese kitchen has only small
drying space, and the storage is where you dry them, above the sink. So
space, and ergonomically efficient (unlike us where we dry them and then
move them to storage). I worked on this form, and took it one step further,
by rounding the bottom just slightly to accomodate our spoon (not used in
Japan in favor of more practical slurping of liquid contents). Now the bowl
is used for most of my meals, including morning cereal, salad at lunch and
rice or pasta at dinner. It is a joy to have in the hand, under the fork or
spoon, and in the washing.
Same for the little thummy place on mugs. Love it, and have recently found
that the tall, latte kind of cups are my favorites, as I now start the day
with two of those big things full of green tea. There is something wonderful
about the balance of a tall slender mug in the hand, with a nice place to
rest the thumb and use it to move the mug about. Don't know how I ever lived
without it before.
These ideal are idiosyncratic to me, but give me daily joy in the use.
>From: Ray Aldridge
>Reply-To: Ceramic Arts Discussion List
>To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
>Subject: Mug handle death match
>Date: Wed, 1 Dec 1999 15:18:30 EST
>
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>How many Clayarters make mug handles with thumbstops? I began to wonder
>about this after an old customer (the kind that calls you up every year and
>asks if you've made any good pots lately) bought several mugs from me and
>then asked me why I didn't put thumbstops on my mugs anymore. "My favorite
>mug's got one of those doohickeys," she said. Then someone on Clayart (I'm
>thinking Tom Wirt, maybe) said something about the undeniable superiority
>of mug handles with stops.
>
>I've gone through alternating phases, mostly leaving the stop off my mugs,
>but sometimes putting it on. One or the other is bound to be superior.
>Visually, I like the uncluttered look of a simple pulled handle. If it's
>well-done, I think it can't be beat, esthetically, and it functions pretty
>well too. But I think it's also undeniably true that when you're lifting a
>mug full of liquid, a thumbstop helps to lighten the perceived weight of
>the mug. For folks with arthritis, this might be decisive.
>
>Anyway, to get to the point of this, I've set up another poll to register
>opinion on this subject:
>
>http://www.goodpots.com/pollpage.html
>
>If you get a moment and you have an opinion, drop by, please. After the
>poll's been running for a while, I'll report back to the list.
>
>It's my opinion that there's an optimum form for every function, and that
>the closer we get to that optimum form, the more our pots will be used.
>I'm going to explore this idea in the new millenium, and I'll try to
>approach it in ways that make my results more than just my unsupported
>opinion. I should add that just because I believe this, that does not
>automatically mark me as the AntiChrist. And I'm not a disciple of the
>Demon Bauhaus either. Ornament is good.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Ray
>
>
>Aldridge Porcelain and Stoneware
>http://www.goodpots.com
Marian, breathing clean but cold air in Northern Michigan.
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