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mkeenan

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I need some help identifying this bottle. I'm mostly interested in its age and use but if someone also knows the manufacturer that would be fantastic. I found this bottle in an old agricultural field in the Brazos River floodplain near Hearne, Texas. I am also looking for suggestions on cleaning the cloudiness out of the inside. Bar Keepers Friend and shower cleaner have been ineffective and scrubbing with any kind of brush is challenging due to its length and narrow neck.

The bottle is ~11.75 inches tall and has a base circumference of 10 inches. The volume is 24oz. The color is aqua and the seam goes all the way through the crown. One interesting observation is that the side seam is crooked and the whole neck of the bottle seems to be off center a little bit. The only markings on the bottle are "S6" on the heel to the right of the seam. Thank you in advance for the help and suggestions.
IMG_1351.jpg IMG_1346.jpgIMG_1347.jpgIMG_1348.jpgIMG_1349.jpg
 

Robby Raccoon

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Well, the staining will never go away but can be hidden with baby oil. As for why you cannot clean it out, click here and look for my post (#1 below the person who started the thread) if you want the detailed scientific explanation with experimental results and write-up on only ways to get rid of staining.
The bottle is of unknown maker (click here for makers who used only an "S", but I'm not sure it's any of them and it's opposite how ABGCo did it, so it's probably not them) but is probably from the 1910s to earlier 1920s. Maybe a water bottle? It's always been a popular product-- bottled water. It could also be from grape juice or beer. Here's a grape juice from about 1900:
cC8a1oy2cn7RYe3yUiC2fw.jpg
As for the seam being crooked, it's because the bottle moved in the mould while still only half solidified. I have one with a seam going through the very letters of the embossing. It took us a while to figure out on that one.
 
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nhpharm

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Late 1910's machine made beer or mineral water bottle. Likely won't be able to determine the manufacturer. The stain is probably etched into the glass (we are in Texas after all) so the only thing that would clean it up would be a polish or tumble, and sadly this bottle is not worth doing that to. Keep it as is as a piece of Texas history.
 

mkeenan

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I will proudly keep it for just that reason. Thank you for the information.
 

mkeenan

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Well, the staining will never go away but can be hidden with baby oil. As for why you cannot clean it out, click here and look for my post (#1 below the person who started the thread) if you want the detailed scientific explanation with experimental results and write-up on only ways to get rid of staining.
The bottle is of unknown maker (click here for makers who used only an "S", but I'm not sure it's any of them and it's opposite how ABGCo did it, so it's probably not them) but is probably from the 1910s to earlier 1920s. Maybe a water bottle? It's always been a popular product-- bottled water. It could also be from grape juice or beer. Here's a grape juice from about 1900:
View attachment 183689
As for the seam being crooked, it's because the bottle moved in the mould while still only half solidified. I have one with a seam going through the very letters of the embossing. It took us a while to figure out on that one.

Thank you for the information. I have never heard of this baby oil trick, what exactly do you do?
 

Robby Raccoon

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You just get some baby oil, pour a little in, swish it around, pour it out, and it will hide the staining for, well, indefinitely (I've done it for two years and the bottles done back then still look cleaner than they are). It will always look wet inside-- that's the only draw-back. You have a hard time getting it out, too, if you decide you want the staining back. Baby oil also works well for preserving old rubber (if ever you dig up an old rubber stopper for a bottle). I use baby oil and petroleum jelly on antique rubber.
 

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