A shaft and globe learns self respect

Truly splendid restoration, that thing is beautiful! Bravo man! Bravo!

How did you get that splotchy and iridescent look on the restored part? Is that grey stuff bondo? Is there a product or 2 or 4 that I could use to achieve similar colorful results or was it far more complicated than the clever "bottle-eye-view" would lead us to believe?

No need to give away any secrets, but i'd love to try the same on my own damaged iridescent bottles. No way in heck that they would get tumbled, while I'm alive anyway.

The grey stuff is just straightforward fibreglass car body filler of various makes. two part mix.
That's no secret. But probably other substances could be used as well, I just find that that gives a hard enough surface that can be gradually filed away and sanded and scraped at to subtley, slowly and carefully achieve the right shape. It takes several goes to build up the complete shape on anything other than a small chip, with various filing back into a rough shape each time as you can see. I even find that when I'm close to finishing there might be odd little pits or bits sticking out just where the stuff has hardened funny, which sometimes I leave there, which when painted over actually help it look more like odd, in manufacture faults of the glassblower's shaping etc. These just happen by fate I guess!
The success of this procedure is in patience and simply a feel for the shape of these things. I use dremel drills and various small cutting knifes and files and sandpaper and abrasive pads of various sorts to achieve both the basic shape and then the final finish. You have to look for any striations in the original glass and perhaps follow these on into the new area, perhaps even mimic a small chip or two....it's fun really!
The colouring, well perhaps that is the secret, but it's not.......... I use a variety of paints, dies, inks and other substances, most of which I've experimented with over the years, but above all I guess you got to have an artists skill with colours and brushes, really looking at what is there already and trying to match it. I wouldn't consider my self an artist but I did do 4 years at art school and been a graphic designer most of my life begfore I went full time bottle dealing.
Different iridescences require totally different treatments, and often I start one way, but end up totally redoing it another way. It's sometimes an experiment each time, and sometimes a happy accident happens that you recognise and use.
I do sometimes do it on commission, but probably can never really charge the true time and effort it takes me, but it is very satisfying to rescue things like this and I take that aspect as part payment. Seeing the look of delight on some of the owner's faces when they first see the result is good in itself.
But at the same time, there will never be any issues with anyone mistaking these or trying to pass them on as complete and original. Look pretty close with the bottle in your hand (and your specs on)and you will see, that if nothing else the glass is solid black, not translucent. I cannot do this treatment very easily on a lighter colour bottle.
regards
earlyglass www.earlyglass.com

Brilliant explanation! though I would like to probe further (particularly regarding achieving the iridescent sheen) I will respect the "secrets" learned after years of dedicated experience. []

"Iridescent" is my favorite "color" though, so i will chase those secrets for quite some time!

Your work and mindset is splendid. Great stuff man. Truly great stuff.

If you have any other examples of your restorations please do post them, as I'm sure many besides myself would greatly appreciate seeing the manifestation of years of skill combined with raw talent. Not to butter your buns or anything, but yeah, your work is darn good.