Demi'johns and Carboys

[RED Matthews]

Hi bottle interested people; Here is a picture of one of my favorite bottles. It is of special interest because there are no two of them exactly alike. It is of special interest because I got to watch it being made and went back the next day to pick it up after annealing.

 

[glass man]

VERY UNUSUAL DESIGN! COOL LOOKING! JAMIE

 

[surfaceone]

Whoa RED,

That is a very interesting bottle for us "bottle interested" types. Was it done as an Art Bottle? Where, may I ask, was it made? The swirls and rills make me think of a fast running creek over rocks. Very unique. Could you give us some "deep background" on it? Thanks for putting up this photo.
Would I be pushing my luck to ask for more? More, please, sir...

 

[RED Matthews]

Hello to anyone interested: I was at the Arrowhead Puritas Water Companies glass shop, where they make their own carboys for their drinking water bottle fountains. They were doing a production run start up from a small glass furnace and I was there to observe a test of one of our alloys for glass contact comparability.

When they started a new glass draw, they had dip molds made for special bottle designs that they blew the first few bottles in to get the glass cleared and ready for production. They said the blew these bottles and sold them in their gift shop. The bottle I pictured was blown while we were there and we picked it up the next day. after it was annealed. I went to their gift shop and bought three other big bottles of different designs. One was not properly annealed or was blown too thin in the shoulder, because it broke on the way back to Florida

The Arrowhead Puritas Water Co. started in 1884 and according to Google is now called the Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water Company. The water comes from the San Bernadina Mountains in California.

The bottle I pictured, was blown in the dip mold and then lifted by the blowing compressed air pipe and the design was twisted and turned to make the shoulder look like free running water. It was fascinating to watch, and it is nice setting in that west window when the sun is setting. It is really the only one like it, that was made, and I expect to keep it for as long as I can. I just wanted to share it with you bottle lovers. Bottle collecting and study is just an obsession in my life. My wife says she doesn't know what to do with a man with two obsessions; "Bottles and 4-leaf Clovers.
RED Matthews

 

[glass man]

THANKS FOR SHARING RED! YOU ARE A BLESSING AND INSPIRATION TO ALL ON HERE! JAMIE

 

[rockbot]

Nice Red, thanks!

Rocky

 

[Just Dig it]

Keep On Kicking Glass and Researching Names Clarence =)