---
product_id: 17526338
title: "Mudtools Pottery Ribs – Shape 1 Polymer Rib (Red Very Soft), Kidney-Shaped Clay Shaping Tool (R1)"
brand: "mudtools"
price: "4073 kr"
currency: ISK
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
category: "Mud Tools"
url: https://www.desertcart.is/products/17526338-mudtools-pottery-ribs-shape-1-polymer-rib-red-very-soft
store_origin: IS
region: Iceland
---

# Color-coded firmness for tailored control Flexible polymer glides, no sticking Ergonomic kidney shape fits comfortably Mudtools Pottery Ribs – Shape 1 Polymer Rib (Red Very Soft), Kidney-Shaped Clay Shaping Tool (R1)

**Brand:** mudtools
**Price:** 4073 kr
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Summary

> 🎯 The go-to rib that shapes your masterpiece with effortless finesse

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Mudtools Pottery Ribs – Shape 1 Polymer Rib (Red Very Soft), Kidney-Shaped Clay Shaping Tool (R1) by mudtools
- **How much does it cost?** 4073 kr with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.is](https://www.desertcart.is/products/17526338-mudtools-pottery-ribs-shape-1-polymer-rib-red-very-soft)

## Best For

- mudtools enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted mudtools brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Key Features

- • **Trusted Craftsmanship:** Designed by a master potter, made in the USA, built to last and easy to clean
- • **Signature Polymer Flex:** Durable, flexible material glides smoothly without dragging or sticking
- • **Perfectly Balanced Size:** Medium kidney shape fits most hands & projects for versatile use
- • **Tailored Firmness Levels:** Five color-coded options from very soft to firm for precise tactile feedback
- • **Multi-Use Studio Essential:** Ideal for wheel throwing, handbuilding, sculpting, smoothing, and finishing

## Overview

The Mudtools Shape 1 Polymer Rib (Red Very Soft) is a medium-sized, kidney-shaped pottery tool crafted from a proprietary flexible polymer blend. It offers a perfect balance of control and flexibility, making it ideal for wheel throwing, handbuilding, and sculpting. Its color-coded firmness system lets artists choose the perfect tactile feedback, while its ergonomic design ensures comfort during extended studio sessions. Trusted by professionals and beginners alike, this durable, easy-to-clean rib delivers flawless finishes without sticking or dragging, elevating your ceramic work from start to finish.

## Description

The Mudtools Shape 1 Rib is the all‑around workhorse you keep within reach from first shaping through finishing. Its medium, kidney‑style body hits the sweet spot for most hands and most clay projects—large enough to cover meaningful surface area, small enough to maneuver around tight curves and edges. That balance is what makes Shape 1 a perennial bestseller and a backbone tool for throwing, handbuilding, or sculpting. Built from Mudtools’ flexible polymer, Shape 1 flexes just enough to follow a form cleanly without losing control. It glides smoothly over clay, resists sticking or dragging, and tends to become burnished rather than worn over time, giving you a consistently refined finish session after session. Use it to smooth walls, refine rims, tidy transitions, or remove small irregularities as you move toward the final shape. Available in five color‑coded firmness levels—Very Soft, Soft, Medium, and Firm—so you can choose the feedback you want for your clay body, technique, or personal feel. Whether you’re working in porcelain, stoneware, or earthenware, Shape 1 delivers dependable, comfortable control for foundational shaping and everyday studio work.

Review: Wonderful Tool! - I love this tool! It is so soft and flexible, prefect for throwing on the wheel. Sometimes I just prefer to use something soft and flexible instead of a metal rib. It's great because it doesn't rust or mistakenly cut your fingers as other sharp metals ribs tend to do. It's great to use if you're throwing something that is off center because it is more gentle on the pot than a metal rib is. For me as an intermediate potter, I find that it helps, because usually if I use too much force my pot will just flop when I use a metal rib. But this rib allows me to use enough force while also being more gentle on the piece to keep it from flopping quite so easily. I am no master, so finding a balance between the force and control is difficult; therefore I appreciate any help I can get. Another wonderful addition is that I use it to compress and smooth my foot when I'm done trimming so that it won't scratch tables. That, to me, is very important and special about this rib. Because it's so soft and flexible the rib can contour to different shapes - like a foot. I also use it to compress and smooth other parts of my leather dry piece if I so wish. Usually, I like to use it where I plan to chatter because it creates a very smooth surface which is a great contrast against the chatter. Another thing I like to use it for is when I attach handles onto my mugs. If I want it to be seamless, I don't want to use only my finger to blend where I've attached the handle because it can't fit in the crevices. So I particularly use it for the top of both joints of the handle where the crevice is very small and cannot be smoothed down like the bottom joints. I use this rib to glide along with gentle pressure to further attach, while also smoothing it down for aesthetic purposes. I can't use a metal rib because it'll just slice and cut the clay. This rib is perfect because it has soft thin tips that then gradually become thicker. So it geometrically fits very well in the crevices. I used to use the side of a needle tool to fit in there the best I could, but it's straight and not flexible so it can't get in the nooks and crannies as nearly as much as this rib. I would make more mistakes trying to smooth it down, which only led to more frustration and waste of time. But this did it so beautifully! I've only used this rib for a short time and have fallen in love with it and its multiple uses. I really recommend getting this rib if you haven't already. I've tried other rubber ribs that just don't compare because they are soooo thick and stiff. I'd rather use a metal rib than my other rubber ones because they are frankly just a waste of money. If you don't want the very soft rib then I know Sherill has stiffer ones that are still soft and pliable enough. Great product, I really love it and it's worth much more than the $9.99 free shipping I paid for! And I honestly haven't paid more than a few dollars for most of the tools I buy, as I generally use only a few and have others lying around the studio. So, I know that $9.99 doesn't seem cheap to everybody, but this rib is definitely worth more than it costs. Not to mention the quality of the rubber they use is amazing and surpasses what I've paid for it. I'm no sponsor or anything and I didn't get a discount for my review, I'm just a college student who fell in love with pottery and adores this damn rib. I greatly recommend this to beginners, and of course everyone else (although I'm sure you've already heard of mudtools and this rib by now). I'm telling you it's life saving, I'll probably be getting their other sized ribs as well because I love this so much.
Review: Love the size - This is by far my favorite pottery rib. I love the size and how soft it is.

## Features

- Shape 1 is Mudtools’ best-selling pottery rib for a reason: it’s not too big and not too small, just right for a wide range of tasks. The classic kidney profile fits comfortably in hand and works equally well for wheel throwing, handbuilding, or sculpting, so it becomes the go‑to rib for daily studio use.
- The medium‑size outline gives clear tactile feedback and steady control—ideal when you’re smoothing walls, refining curves, or bringing a piece toward its final form. It’s a practical bridge between very small detail ribs and larger shaping pottery tools, giving you a balanced, dependable feel for most projects.
- Signature Polymer Flexibility: Crafted from Mudtools’ proprietary polymer blend, the Shape 1 Rib is flexible, durable, and glides over clay without sticking or dragging—leaving behind a flawless finish every time. Compared to wooden ribs, polymer ribs are much longer lasting.
- Color-Coded Firmness Levels: Each color represents a different firmness: Pink – Ultra Soft; Red: Extra Soft – gentle touch for fine adjustments; Yellow: Soft – ideal balance for everyday use; Green: Medium – for controlled shaping and compression; Blue: Firm – for structure and strength
- Made in the USA by Mudtools: Designed by potter Michael Sherrill and trusted by ceramic artists worldwide. Built to last, easy to clean, and comfortable in the hand—every studio needs at least one.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN | B0052F7FZ6 |
| Age Range Description | Adult |
| Best Sellers Rank | #11,715 in Arts, Crafts & Sewing ( See Top 100 in Arts, Crafts & Sewing ) #40 in Ceramic & Pottery Tools |
| Brand Name | MudTools |
| Color | Red - Soft (R1) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars (756) |
| Item Dimensions | 3.5 x 0.1 x 1.75 inches |
| Item Weight | 0.5 Ounces |
| Manufacturer | MudTools |
| Manufacturer Part Number | R1 |
| Material Type | Clay |
| Model Name | Shape 1 |
| Model Number | R1 |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Recommended Uses For Product | Pottery |
| Unit Count | 1.0 Count |

## Product Details

- **Age Range (Description):** Adult
- **Brand:** MudTools
- **Color:** Red - Soft (R1)
- **Item Weight:** 0.5 Ounces
- **Item dimensions L x W x H:** 3.5 x 0.1 x 1.75 inches
- **Material:** Clay
- **Model Name:** Shape 1
- **Number of Items:** 1
- **Recommended Uses For Product:** Pottery

## Images

![Mudtools Pottery Ribs – Shape 1 Polymer Rib (Red Very Soft), Kidney-Shaped Clay Shaping Tool (R1) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71DzUqiSFlL.jpg)
![Mudtools Pottery Ribs – Shape 1 Polymer Rib (Red Very Soft), Kidney-Shaped Clay Shaping Tool (R1) - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71ZV7nhTHzL.jpg)
![Mudtools Pottery Ribs – Shape 1 Polymer Rib (Red Very Soft), Kidney-Shaped Clay Shaping Tool (R1) - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71eLHZvp8QL.jpg)

## Available Options

This product comes in different **Color** options.

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Wonderful Tool!
*by S***3 on March 18, 2016*

I love this tool! It is so soft and flexible, prefect for throwing on the wheel. Sometimes I just prefer to use something soft and flexible instead of a metal rib. It's great because it doesn't rust or mistakenly cut your fingers as other sharp metals ribs tend to do. It's great to use if you're throwing something that is off center because it is more gentle on the pot than a metal rib is. For me as an intermediate potter, I find that it helps, because usually if I use too much force my pot will just flop when I use a metal rib. But this rib allows me to use enough force while also being more gentle on the piece to keep it from flopping quite so easily. I am no master, so finding a balance between the force and control is difficult; therefore I appreciate any help I can get. Another wonderful addition is that I use it to compress and smooth my foot when I'm done trimming so that it won't scratch tables. That, to me, is very important and special about this rib. Because it's so soft and flexible the rib can contour to different shapes - like a foot. I also use it to compress and smooth other parts of my leather dry piece if I so wish. Usually, I like to use it where I plan to chatter because it creates a very smooth surface which is a great contrast against the chatter. Another thing I like to use it for is when I attach handles onto my mugs. If I want it to be seamless, I don't want to use only my finger to blend where I've attached the handle because it can't fit in the crevices. So I particularly use it for the top of both joints of the handle where the crevice is very small and cannot be smoothed down like the bottom joints. I use this rib to glide along with gentle pressure to further attach, while also smoothing it down for aesthetic purposes. I can't use a metal rib because it'll just slice and cut the clay. This rib is perfect because it has soft thin tips that then gradually become thicker. So it geometrically fits very well in the crevices. I used to use the side of a needle tool to fit in there the best I could, but it's straight and not flexible so it can't get in the nooks and crannies as nearly as much as this rib. I would make more mistakes trying to smooth it down, which only led to more frustration and waste of time. But this did it so beautifully! I've only used this rib for a short time and have fallen in love with it and its multiple uses. I really recommend getting this rib if you haven't already. I've tried other rubber ribs that just don't compare because they are soooo thick and stiff. I'd rather use a metal rib than my other rubber ones because they are frankly just a waste of money. If you don't want the very soft rib then I know Sherill has stiffer ones that are still soft and pliable enough. Great product, I really love it and it's worth much more than the $9.99 free shipping I paid for! And I honestly haven't paid more than a few dollars for most of the tools I buy, as I generally use only a few and have others lying around the studio. So, I know that $9.99 doesn't seem cheap to everybody, but this rib is definitely worth more than it costs. Not to mention the quality of the rubber they use is amazing and surpasses what I've paid for it. I'm no sponsor or anything and I didn't get a discount for my review, I'm just a college student who fell in love with pottery and adores this damn rib. I greatly recommend this to beginners, and of course everyone else (although I'm sure you've already heard of mudtools and this rib by now). I'm telling you it's life saving, I'll probably be getting their other sized ribs as well because I love this so much.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Love the size
*by L***P on February 21, 2026*

This is by far my favorite pottery rib. I love the size and how soft it is.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Good tool for handbuilding
*by K***Z on February 21, 2026*

Just as described, smaller than I tought and very soft.

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*Product available on Desertcart Iceland*
*Store origin: IS*
*Last updated: 2026-04-26*