Handmade pottery by Ransom Reback · Jacksonville, FL

Shaped by hand. Moved by water.

I’m Ransom: student, swimmer, potter. Every mug, bowl and vase is thrown, trimmed, glazed and fired by these two hands, in small batches between classes. No two come out the same. Just like whale shark spots.

Commission a one-of-a-kind Dive into the gallery

Fresh from the kiln

The latest catch

Wheel-thrownNo molds, no factory, no shortcuts. Just two hands and a spinning wheel.

Cone 6 stonewareFired hot enough to laugh at your dishwasher. Food-safe glazes on anything you sip or scoop.

Small dropsReleased during school breaks. When the tide goes out, so do the pieces.

Photo: Ransom at the wheel

Meet Ransom

A gentle giant of a hobby

I started making pottery [when and where he started] and never stopped. What hooked me is how clay moves: it spins, rises and twists on the wheel like something alive in the water.

That’s where the whale shark comes from. It’s the biggest fish in the ocean and one of the calmest, and every one has its own pattern of spots. I want my pieces to feel the same way: steady, useful, and one of a kind.

Right now I release work in small drops during school breaks, plus a few custom orders. Want something made just for you? Swim on over to Custom Orders.

A day in the life

Up before the fish. In the water by five. Covered in clay by dinner.

4:00 am
Wake up
Before the sun. Before the fish, honestly.
5–7 am
Swim
Two hours of laps. The whale shark approves.
8 am–4 pm
School
Classes all day. Daydreaming about glazes.
5:00 pm
Small pottery break
A quick dip into clay: trimming, a few pulls on the wheel.
6:00 pm
Dinnertime
Family table. Refuel like a whale shark at a plankton buffet.
Evening
More pottery
Back at the wheel until the tide turns. This is where the magic happens.

Kind words

Straight from the pod

Real words and real photos from people who took a piece home.

Quiet waters… for now.

The first reviews surface after Drop 01. Bought a piece? Send a photo of it in action, coffee in the mug or a plant in the planter, to @ransomware.pottery and it might land right here.

The studio

RansomWare

Ransom + ware, as in what potters call their work. Mugs, planters, bowls and vases in ocean glazes, each one numbered and stamped with a tiny whale shark on its foot. Collect the whole pod.

Glazes: Abyss · Whale Teal · Current · Sea Foam · Sandbar

The spots are the glaze

Speckled clay and dotted glazes echo the whale shark’s markings. No two pieces share a pattern.

The currents are the throwing lines

The ridges left by fingers on the wheel stay visible. You can see how each piece was made.

Made to be used

Food-safe, dishwasher-friendly, with handles sized for real hands. Not fins.

Custom orders

Want one made just for you?

Your initials, your glaze, your size. Pick from the five ocean glazes above, or ask for something new. Custom mugs start at $55, ready in 4–6 weeks.

Start a custom order Take the sea-creature quiz

Make a splashTell me your idea
Hook, line, deposit50% holds your spot
Thrown and fired4–6 weeks
SurfacePick up or ship

Gallery

Catch of the season

Drop 01: shark teeth bowl, fresh off the wheel

Greenware pot, drying before its first firing

Every piece here was thrown, trimmed, glazed and fired by Ransom. More surfacing after every kiln opening.

Care guide

How to love your RansomWare

Treat it like the gentle giant it is. A little care and your piece will outlive us all, like a very well-rested whale shark.

Washing

Top rack, please

Dishwasher on the top rack is fine. Hand-washing keeps the glaze glossy longest. Skip the steel wool; this isn’t a barnacle situation.

Heat

No cold plunges

Microwave for quick warm-ups is fine. Never go fridge to oven or straight onto a burner. Sudden temperature shocks crack clay, and even whale sharks hate a cold plunge.

Stains

Coffee rings happen

A paste of baking soda and water, a soft sponge, and a little patience. Gentle circles, like a manta gliding.

The foot

Mind the bottom

The unglazed foot (where the shark stamp lives) is raw clay. It can scratch delicate tables, so give it a felt pad or a coaster.

Planters

Let it breathe

Every planter has a drainage hole. Empty the saucer after watering. Roots like a swim, not a soak.

Chips

Battle scars

A tiny chip on the foot is character. A chip on a rim or anywhere food touches means it retires to pens, plants or the shelf.

Custom orders

Made for you. Thrown from scratch.

Name mugs, a wedding gift, a whole school of bowls for your table. I only take a few custom orders at a time, so yours gets my full attention. Here’s how it works, and what it costs.

Make a splash
Tell me the piece, the colors and any lettering in the form below.
Hook, line, deposit
I send a price and a timeline. A 50% deposit reserves your spot in the kiln.
Throw, trim, fire
Made and fired twice. Allow 4–6 weeks. Clay moves at whale-shark speed.
Surface
Pay the balance, then pick it up in Jacksonville or I ship it double-boxed, snug as a hermit crab.

Can’t decide? Same.

Which sea creature are you?

Five questions. No wrong answers. A few fishy ones. Your creature picks your piece, and the request form fills itself in.

Or design it yourself

Build your piece

Pick a shape, a glaze, and how spotty you’re feeling. The price updates as you go.

Shape

Glaze

Spots

Initials (+$8)

Leave blank for none

Estimated price

$42

Pricing

Piece	Details	Price
Drop 01 · The First Swim
Espresso mug	Small cup, big energy	On inquiry
Shark teeth bowl	Toothy rim, friendly bite	On inquiry
Sea turtle dish	Shell-patterned trinket and snack dish	On inquiry
Everyday pieces
Ring dish	Spotted glaze, about 4 in	$18
Mug	About 12 oz. Pair for $80	$42
Custom mug	Your initials, name or color choice	$55
Planter, small	Drainage hole. Nesting trio for $95	$28
Serving bowl	Wave rim, food-safe glaze	$65
Vase	Size and glaze set the final price	from $75
Dinnerware, 4 place settings	Plates, bowls and mugs, matched	from $320

Start a request

Drop me a line

Fill this in and your request is written up for you. Copy it and send it by Instagram message or email.

Instagram@ransomware.pottery

Email[ransom’s email]

Drop 01 · The First Swim