Our tools are more durable than most wood typically used for pottery tools, and you don’t have to keep them clean and dry. (Although, they do look prettier not covered in mud)

Plastics vs. wood is a really complex issue with a multitude of factors, but here’s a whistle-stop tour of our position on it. 

Wood

There certainly is a time and a place for wood, but we don’t believe that pottery tools, especially mass produced, low-quality tools, are the answer. 

Firstly, unless you’re investing in high-quality wooden tools sourced from FSC forests (https://fsc.org/en), then chances are the wood used is not from a sustainably managed forest. This means it could be contributing to deforestation, and the whole host of environmental, social, and economical issues that come with this. 

Secondly, wood doesn't tend to enjoy being in wet environments such as, say, a pottery studio. It’s porous and rots over time. Varnishes and oils used to protect wood from water also don’t enjoy the acidity and harshness of clay, so unless you’re the most diligent of potters who regularly oils or varnishes your tools, they’re not going to last, which is a waste. 

We’d rather wood be used in projects where it does last, trapping the carbon the tree has worked so hard to collect within itself. 

Plastics

Yes, creating plastic isn’t good. In the 50’s we were told of a wonderful new material called ‘plastic’. It was cheap to produce from oil, with thousands of uses, and could simply be thrown away when no longer needed.  

Unfortunately, since then the World has generated 8.3 billion tons of plastic - around 6.3 billion tons of which is trash. We continue to produce around 300 million tons of plastic each year worldwide, half of which is for single-use items. That's nearly equivalent to the weight of the entire human population. 

However, plastic does not degrade easily like organic matter. It takes around 450 years for HDPE (the type of plastic we’re using) to degrade. In the process of degrading, it sits in landfill or enters the environment as environmental waste, polluting our World. 

Although not all plastics are recyclable, HDPE is. This means we have an opportunity to capture this waste and turn it into new products with a useful life, rather than creating from other resources. Plastic is there, and the only way to keep it out of landfills or the environment is to reimagine how we use it. 

Each tool comes with a whole host of videos on its product page with helpful hints and tips to using them.

You can also head over to the how to's and helpful tips page, for - you've guessed it - how to's and helpful tips!

Orders are processed within one business day.

Within Australia, delivery is usually within 2-7 business days. 

Internationally, delivery is usually within 14 business days. Occasionally orders take their sweet time about it, but do let us know if you’ve not received your order within 6 weeks and we’ll follow up. 

We use Sendle for dispatches.

We do not, and cannot, guarantee any delivery times. Once the package leaves us, there’s not much we can do to speed it up, although we love that you’re super excited for some clay-tool-goodness.

The purchaser is responsible for any import tax that may be due. 

Absolutely. We know every potter works differently, so we have lots in the works.

Our first release includes three tools.  Stay tuned to our instagram and our newsletter (in the footer) for all the hot gossip.

Of course. Tools are returnable within 30 days of purchase. Please email hello@claysydney.com

You sure can. The Clay Sydney supply store is located in Enmore, NSW, Australia.

Yes. Simply email hello@claysydney.com

Nothing special. Just give it a rinse. We're not sure why you would, but don't put it in a dishwasher. HDPE doesn't love heat.

Yes.

Eventually, like all good things, your tool will come to an end. We’re not talking weeks or months, but after many years of use. Maybe the dog will chew it.

Because we don’t want these tools to ever end up in the wrong place, if you send your tool back to us, we’ll give you a 10% discount on another tool. Your old tool will be popped back into the factory to be recycled into new tools. 

Alternatively, as this is HDPE, your local are should have a HDPE Recycling service.

If we're honest, it's rare that we find a cake we don't like, but we're quite partial to a fruity number. Maybe an apple or a plum cake.