The Potter's Tool Belt Part 2: Why You Need A Giffin Grip
- Rachel Huss
- Aug 28
- 4 min read
Before there was writing, farming, or animal domestication, humans shaped clay into tools and vessels. Pottery has been a part of the human experience since the beginning. Pottery continues to intertwine utility and grounding into the fabric of creativity. For many potters today, it is an art that invites us to be present, hands in the earth, instead of lost in thought.
To understand why you need this tool, you need to know a few things about pottery. Pottery is divided into three stages: throwing, trimming, and glazing.
When a person throws a piece, that is when they sit at the pottery wheel and create a work. Throwing is what Demi Moore does in the movie Ghost. This is the first step in the pottery process.
Trimming, the second step, is the most unpredictable and often the least favorite part of the process for potters. To trim successfully, a piece needs to be leather-hard. As Beth Peterson explains, leather-hard clay is a stage where the piece has dried enough to be handled without losing its shape but is still slightly damp (Peterson, 2019). If the clay is too wet, it can collapse; if it’s too dry, you can’t trim it properly. For centuries, trimming required perfect timing and skill—until 1975 when Brian Giffin invented the Giffin Grip.
The Giffin Grip enables potters to securely fashion your piece and provide an even trim. This invention revolutionized the industry. I spoke with Brian's son and General Manager at Giffin Tec Inc. Zach Giffin to learn more about why you need a Giffin Grip.
Interview
1. What inspired your father to invent the Giffin Grip?
Well, my father was a production potter, and he was always looking for ways to streamline his process and make his work easier. He grew up in a town in Kentucky that was known for woodworking, so he was exposed to different techniques from an early age, one of them being wood turning. In wood turning, they use lathes with chucks to hold the wood securely.
His idea was to adapt the concept of a chuck from woodworking and apply it to pottery, specifically for use on a potter’s wheel in a vertical orientation. He called this tool a “centering chuck.” Essentially, he observed a time-consuming and tedious part of the pottery process and realized there was a better method. That was the inspiration behind the invention.
How have you seen your clientele and potters overal evolve over the years?
When the Giffin Grip was first invented, it was designed primarily for production potters, with efficiency as the primary focus. Over the years, the pottery industry has shifted as more people are doing pottery as a hobby rather than professionally. One of the most significant changes I’ve seen is that the tool is now embraced far beyond professional production potters. It’s widely used in classrooms to make trimming less stressful and more enjoyable, and it’s been adopted by a broad range of potters. That’s been a significant shift in our clientele.
How do you come up with new models and accessories for the Giffin Grip?
We take it really slowly. Although we appear to have a wide range of accessories now, the reality is that we’ve been selling essentially the same product for over 40 years. Since about 1982, the design has had only minor changes, and it still uses the same molds as the original Giffin Grip.
People think of us as innovative, but that’s really because the original Giffin Grip created an entirely new category of tool for pottery. Since then, we’ve focused on staying true to the original design. It’s a durable, long-lasting, utilitarian tool that can last for decades, which is partly luck, but also a reflection of my father’s perfectionism and artistic eye. Unlike many products, it wasn’t developed by a team or through focus groups—it was my father refining the tool to meet his own needs as a potter. The fact that it’s still used in its original form today is a testament to that thoughtful design.
How do you approach innovation while maintaining the brand’s reputation?
As I’ve taken over more operations, a lot of my focus is on legacy and maintaining the reputation our brand has within the pottery community. The Giffin Grip is beneficial and reliable, so any new products have to be few, carefully considered, and of high quality. Our goal is never to release something that could damage the brand—we’ve worked too hard to build such a strong reputation.
What’s the next chapter for your company?
My father hasn’t just invented the Giffin Grip. He’s created a whole slew of products over the years. Some became companies, some didn’t, but it’s always fun to watch him tinker and come out with new ideas. Our next focus is giving him the resources and freedom to continue doing what he loves: refining and creating products he’s passionate about.
Pottery is a very traditional industry, slow-moving and resistant to new technologies, which is part of its charm. We want to continue offering solutions that respect that tradition while making people’s lives as potters easier. There are still many opportunities to innovate thoughtfully, and that’s what we’re excited about for the future.
Conclusion
Pottery ties us back to our ancient roots. But pottery is not a stagnant art. It evolves through intentionality and ingenuity.
The Giffin Grip is more than just a tool. It’s the consequence of curiosity, careful refinement, and a potter’s eye for detail. From professional studios to hobbyist workshops, The Giffin Gip makes trimming smoother, faster, and more enjoyable.
Sources
Peterson, B. (2019, October 28). What is leather-hard pottery? The Spruce Crafts. Retrieved August 22, 2025, from https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/leather-hard-2746007
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