€ 13,20
In stock
All MKM stamps, rollers, HandRollers, Mini Rollers, etc., are carved at our own factory (we do not outsource this work to third parties) by MKM employees who are deeply committed to quality. Quality in the raw wood material, quality of design, quality of carving, quality of the wood finish (teng oil), and, of course, quality service to all our customers. But what, exactly, does quality mean in the context of a simple wooden tool? At the design level, it’s somewhat a matter of personal preference. A design you like is a good one. But at the carving stage, the meaning is very specific: the edges of the debossed (cut-in) stamps all have bevels that compress the clay around the stamp and prevent cracks at the corners. In fact, none of the lines and patterns cut into the stamps and rollers are laser-cut (which always leaves a burnt vertical wall that pulls up the edge of the design). All MKM stamps are cut with cutting blades that create a bevel along all the lines and patterns. So when the MKM stamp is lifted from the clay, or the roller is rolled over the clay, the MKM tool releases cleanly without pulling up any edges. In addition, our stamps and rollers are sized to work well in the field of functional pottery—these tools are not repurposed paint rollers; they are designed and made specifically for the potter. The wood we use for our rollers (RS, RM, RL, HandRollers, etc.) has a fine grain and is carved with great precision. This wood is a byproduct of the furniture industry and is “recycled” by MKM to make our small tools. It also absorbs tung oil well. And why use pure tung oil, which is expensive? Because it is one of only two naturally occurring oils that are self-polymerizing (meaning they harden when exposed to the air). This means these tools will be much more durable over time than tools made of bare wood or finished with other oils.
