Flint Glass ?

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Digswithstick

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Hi posted this question before ,but with so many posts stuff gets buried fast lol . Found this at antique store ,says Flint ,is it ? Seems too new to me ,then again not sure .Read that flint glass was first made by crushing flint ,then later on quartz.Another question ,how can you tell flint glass and when did they stop making it (whoops 2 questions there) ,thanks for any help
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GuntherHess

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I dont think its actually flint glass. I think that's just a name used to sell it.
I have see similar "flint" eye baths made of milk glass.
I think at that time in history 'flint' was a more generic term for high quality glass.
 

Digswithstick

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Thanks Epackage for finding and posting that ,looks the second one is correct ,made by Flint .Thanks Gunther ,you guys posted about the same time, thanks for replies and information .
 

dygger60

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I think it is just the seller name maybe? Flint glass usuallly refers to clear glass....most of the early glass producers refered to their clear jars as being "flint glass".... or clear.

And as much as we all like those special colored jars and bottles...it was not so in the early years. Those rich colors we see were actually shuned by producers and packers. The colored jars and bottles would give the food and "unwholesome" look to the consumers..

But on the same hook, during this time period it was much more expensive to produce "flint" (clear) glass. A practice that was not normalized until after WW1.

And here is where botlle and jar collectors differ...not on a bad note....but because it was so expensive to produce flint glass, jar makers, after filling a customers order, would use the remaining batch to make fruit jars so nothing is wasted.

Some of the older (we are talking late 19th century)clear fruit jars are as scarce as those beautiful colored jars. But again, most would want an emerald green or yellow amber jar before having a flint jar. I myself get both.....to me...getting a "dead" clear (a term used by jar collectors meaning the absence of any tone what so ever) is as prized as an intense colored glass jar.

Please pardon my rambling on about this....but as we say....it is my hobby.

Peace folks

David aka dygger60
 

Digswithstick

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Thanks for information David. My question would be ,is all clear glass(jars and bottles) before 1890 ,when maganese was added to make glass clear considered flint glass ?Another question ,is there a way to tell flint glass other than age .Seems the term flint glass is used rarely when describing old glass for sale .Thanks for any information .
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Buffalo Hunter

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Clear glass of any age and Flint Glass are worlds apart. Flint Glass is glass made with a high lead content among other ingredients and was generaly a early product. It also is a very heavy glass that can be found in early cut and pressed by all the better early glass houses. When thumbed it vibrates with a beautiful bell tone, in this case "Flint" is a name and not type.
 

GuntherHess

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My question would be ,is all clear glass(jars and bottles) before 1890 ,when maganese was added to make glass clear considered flint glass

Manganese was added to glass to bleach it clear long before the 1890s.
There are a number of clear pontil marked bottles from before 1860 that contain manganese. It seems it started to be most popular around the 1880s when a lot more clear glass starts to be seen. It was a lot easer than finding very pure silica deposits. The term 'Flint' for glass as used in the 19th century didnt mean a lot other than it could be applied to any clear glass whether that was leaded glass, manganese glass, or simply very pure silica glass. Now days collectors use it to refer to early non-manganese bleached glass. This glass often has a particular look to it especially after being buried. If you hold some of it in your hands you will see what I'm talking about.
 

Digswithstick

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Thanks Buffalo Hunter and GuntherHess for information .I posted this picture and question on" What is before 1900" and no response . Is this cut glass and is it lead glass and approximate age ,and if old enough would the clear one be flint glass? It is ground outside and inside lip .The small blue one is ground inside only .Any one have a picture of something flint glass they could post? The 1890 date was from Polak's bottle book ,thanks for correct info Gunther .

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