leather-hard
Firm but carveable
Leather-hard describes clay that has dried enough to hold its shape but remains slightly damp—firm enough to handle and carve but not yet brittle.
At this stage, potters can trim, attach handles, or incise decorations without the piece deforming: Wait until the bowl is leather-hard before adding the handle.
The term captures that specific texture: stiff like leather, not soft like wet clay or rigid like bone-dry.
clay
Moldable earth for ceramics
carving · scoring · slip · wheel-throwing · handbuilding · kiln · bisque · firing · stoneware · porcelain
firm
Solid or resolute
workable · moldable · tactile · smooth · damp · stiff · resilient · flexible · dense · cool
- potterypot, pottery, clay pottery, throwing, ceramic vase
hard, harden, leather, hardness, leathery, leathered, leathers, leathering, leatherette