Handles

By definition, a Ramekin without a functional handle is just a bowl.  A handle makes contact with the body of the ramekin at one or sometimes two places on the same side of the body.  The handle of a ramekin creates its point of difference and can be unique to a studio or maker.  The bowl of a ramekin is sometimes quite plain so the handle creates an opportunity for the potter to give visual balance or distinctive design to their work. 

A handle must be comfortable to use because a ramekin is, first and foremost, a functional object.  The handle should also be strong enough to support the ramekin.  Some potters use other materials for their handles, ie wood, bamboo etc; ramekins do not.  Ramekin handles are made from the same material as the bowl.  Although a handle should be strong, it should not be seen as a method of holding the ramekin.  It is only a support for the thumb.  The ramekin should be cupped in the palm of your hand with your thumb resting over the handle.

Handles are of two main types, those moulded during the making of the bowl, flowing from the lip, or a lug (either a knob, tab, tube or a finger shape that is made separately then later attached to the bowl.  Moulded handles tend to be smaller tab types that are usually flat and relatively the same thickness as the body of the bowl.  Lug handles can be any size or shape, solid or hollow, round, tubular, flat (or strap).

Lug handles are attached to a section of scored area on the body, they are made separately and then applied to the body.  The handle is first shaped to the potter's desired form.  Before the handle dries, (and handles dry faster than the body) the ends of the handle and connecting spot on the body is scored and lightly moistened; a technique known as "scratch and slipping." The handle is pressed onto the bowl with just enough pressure to allow the potter to complete the attachment by smoothing the join.   In rare cases, a handle is fixed to the body in a hole through the side of the bowl.

The most common form is a strap handle, made from a flat section of clay, then fixed to the bowl.  Many strap handles are folded to form a loop, either horizontal (Duldig) or vertical (Wilton).  Handles can be either solid (Ellis, Elischer) or perforated (Gluck, Warrandyte Pottery) so they can be hung on a wall hook.  Some are extended down the bowl to give additional strength to the bowl at the join (Picton Hopkins).

Attached handles can be cut from a slab, rolled into a coil or pulled from a wedge of clay and are usually of a similar thickness to the body to reduce problems of shrinkage and expansion.  For this reason, mass-produced ramekin handles are usually hollow and have a small hole to the underside or outer end to balance pressure during firing, especially those that are knob ended and closed at the outer end.  Handles should be made and attached before the "Leather-Hard" stage is reached.

 
Pulled handles are wetter and need more drying time than strap or coil handles.   Ramekin handles need to be dried slowly. Because the handle dries faster than the body of the ramekin, even well placed handles can crack at the joint or in their arch if dried too quickly.