Pottery Stamps for Clay
Pottery Stamps for Clay
A pottery stamp is a carved tool you press into soft clay to leave a raised or recessed design. We’ve has been making tools for potters since 2003, and every one of our clay stamps is carved in our own production facility. Whether you decorate mugs, bowls, tiles, or hand-built slabs, MKM stamps give you a clean, repeatable mark that you can count on.
Using a stamp is simple: press the face into soft to firm clay with even pressure and gentle rocking motion, then lift it straight up. On a slab, stamp while the slab is still flat, before you build your piece. On a thrown pot, support the wall from the inside with one hand and press gently with the other. Because our clay stamps release cleanly, you get the same sharp impression on the first press and the five-hundredth.
Want texture across the whole surface? Pair your stamps with our clay rollers, or browse all our pottery tools.
Square Stamps
Round Stamps
Triangle Stamps
Choosing the right size
We make our ceramic stamps in six sizes. Start here, then follow the link to the one that fits your work.
- Medium round stamp (SCM): the one that works for most pieces, and the size with the most designs.
- Small round stamp (SCS): for mugs, trinket trays, and smaller spots.
- Large round (SCL) and extra large round (SCXL): for platters, ornaments, medallions, and big, bold designs in the center of a piece.
- Mini round stamp (SMR): for fine details and small accents.
- Curve top stamps (CT): the curved face lets the design pop out without leaving a ring around the edge.
Designs potters look for
We carve hundreds of patterns, ranging from animals and plants to spirals and other geometric shapes. Browse the full range of stamps for clay to find the ones that fit your work.
How MKM Stamps are Made
Every MKM stamp is CNC-carved from durable hardwood. We never laser cut our designs. Laser carving would be faster but it burns a straight, sharp, and vertical wall that doesn’t release easily from clay and tugs up the edges of the pattern. Our deep carving creates a beveled edge on the stamp that compresses the clay when stamped down and pulls away cleanly. That bevel, along with our oil finish, means you can get a crisp impression without dusting your clay with cornstarch or another release agent.
These stamps suit everyone from a beginner pressing their very first design, to a production potter stamping all day, to a teacher in a busy studio who needs tools that stand up to lots of hands.
Built to Last
Many inexpensive stamps for pottery have shallow or laser-cut faces that clog, don’t release easily, or wear out after a season of use. An MKM stamp is carved deeply and oil-finished to last, so it comes ready to use and it earns its value over years of use, not weeks. Every design is created by potters, for potters.
FAQs
Can I use pottery stamps on thrown pots, not just slabs?
Yes! Support the wall from the inside and press gently with a slight rocking motion. Use a rib on the interior to smooth out the curve of the pot after stamping.
Do I need to oil or seal the stamp?
No. Every MKM stamp comes oil-finished and ready to use. After stamping, rinse them with water and let them air dry. Store them clean and dry, and they’ll last for years.
What stage of clay stamps best?
Soft to firm clay takes the cleanest impression. Once the clay has dried to leather-hard, it won’t take a clear mark and is likely to crack.
SHOP NOW
Ready to start stamping? Start with our medium round stamps, our size with the most designs, or pick any size above.
