Pontiled Black Glass

[tigue710]

ORIGINAL: asterisk80

Beautiful cylinders and pictures, thanks for sharing. And nice dig Matt, iron pontiled too, congrats!

Because of the mass importation of black glass here from Britain most of it is chalked of as British with very little to define what could possibly be made here excepting for unique shapes that are absolutely American.

And I was thinking it had a british look to it. The base is different, I see that. Its not a cone shape kick up like most I see but has a more uniform deep cup type base almost... Is this what you both see as more likely American or is it the lip too?

I see some differences that I could possibly say remind me of American glass, but I would of probably chalked it off as British... The base is not the typical cone shape like you also noticed, it could be American, Idk... There are a few forms I could confidently call American and its not one of them... but its not really my area either. I think Jerry might have a better idea then I do with that one. I'm into the strait sided New England and glass works whiskey cylinders, I've been compiling information on them for a long time now... Outside of those I haven't put a lot of research into other cylinder types.

didnt get a chance to take pics today, busy busy!

 

[deepbluedigger]

ORIGINAL: asterisk80

with the second of the two bottles, definitely. That degree of slope is much more US than British

Jerry is the "slope" in reference to the base or lip on the second bottle?

I should have been clearer about that: I meant the lip.

 

[cowseatmaize]

I think that sand pontil is kind of a misnomer.
Iron and glass have similar melting points (about 2800°F) so I can't see heating a rod to the point of getting sand (about 3100°F) to attach it. They never used iron pots to make glass for a reason. Maybe with some glass on the rod and the bottle heated hot enough it would hold but there is still a glass involved.
Spare the rod and spoil the child.

 

[RED Matthews]

Awhile ago I made some comments about vent holes and empontilling. I have spent a few hourw looking back in my notew, picturwe. and books. I have started a blog to try and tie as much together as I can - and I could be wrong because I haven't had a lot of these cylinder bottles to study. I keep looking for printed coverage in Early Glass Books, but the whole story wasn't told by all the writers. I know that punty rod ends were made for contacts with the glass, I know they were heated and dipped in graphite past and stick materials to pick up glass dust and particles, as ll as sand and/or cast iron dust from the mold iron machining. I am sure a lot of bottle makers had preferences regarding what they used. One has to realize that the weight of the glass bottle had a lot to do with what they had to use and how much area it took to hold the product. These factors were considered from pufs to large demijohns.
At one time I collected old guns, and admired the strength of a man trying to hold an aim with some of them. It is hard for me to realize the strength a man had to have to hold a small blowpipe up with a thirty pound glass load on the end of it and still have the strength to blow it and form the parison and put in the closing mold and still blow the parison out to the mold form. I realize that some of the big ones were done with a mouth full of alcohol before the blow, because it helped obtain the volume of air when it expanded. I have an eight or nine gallon demijohn and it took a hell of a guy to blow it.
It still is a great hobby to study the marks and evidences of how it was made. RED Matthews

 

[RED Matthews]

Well I made some typo's and couldn't edit them out. Sorry about that. I didn't have the time to read it first. OH well, I am not the best typist either. RED Matthews

 

[Asterx]

I know that punty rod ends were made for contacts with the glass, I know they were heated and dipped in graphite past and stick materials to pick up glass dust and particles, as ll as sand and/or cast iron dust from the mold iron machining. I am sure a lot of bottle makers had preferences regarding what they used.

I am reading from this that for mediums like sand and iron dust the punty rod end would first collect glass that is somewhat plastic in order for the material (sand, iron bits etc.) to bind to the glass on the rod end? The chosen medium would allow an easier detachment from the bottle once attached to the base?

Your info regarding the alcohol is interesting too. Thank you for the post Red.

 

[deepbluedigger]

Here's a pic of the pontilled med/utility base I mentioned, with what I've been told is the Candlish makers mark: difficult to photograph, but the three dots can be seen sandwiched under the glass of a solid pontil scar. The bottle was oval, about 2" x 3".

 

[deepbluedigger]

Another view:

 

[earlyglasscollector]

Hi Jerry, et al,
Although you are right Jerry re the three base dots being a Candlish bottle works sign, I do get the feeling that both the cylinder shown earlier, AND your medicine fragment are not "embossed" as such just for identification but more as part of the working procedure. The cylinder had a central pimple (to me) and two embossed dots, rather than three equidistant dots that is on the standard Candlish bottles. Your medicine seems actually to have the same effect...one central plus two more?
i know it's all a bit subtle, but I'll try to find a Candlish base to show you what I mean.
back soon hopefully..

earlyglass

 

[deepbluedigger]

Hi Mark,

I've seen early smooth base bottles in various shapes with the same mark, mostly dug in the NE of England. But never kept any photographs (none of the ones I've seen has had embossed wording).

Would be interested to see pics of the one you mention, if you have any.