Understanding/identifying what a pontil scar is.

[Harry Pristis]

but it could also strengthen the base some, is there a basis to say it doesn't.

Yes, I think there is evidence. If this were a technique to strengthen the base, we would see it used frequently on other bottles. You made an assertion with no evidence to back it up. It would have been better to just acknowledge it.

 

[Bottle 2 Rocks]

Yes, I think there is evidence. If this were a technique to strengthen the base, we would see it used frequently on other bottles. You made an assertion with no evidence to back it up. It would have been better to just acknowledge it.

Well thank you very much master bottle Yoda, nitpick the incoming freshman's thread. Is this really the point of the thread-I mean REALLY!!!

 

[hemihampton]

 

[treeguyfred]

Sooo.. here are a few pics of Iron pontil scars on the bottom of Porter & Ales (folks call these squat sodas, if they don't specifically state Porter & Ale)

note the big difference in the appearance of the smooth bases verses the pontil scarred bases


Iron pontil scars can be really dramatic or very light. I have seen square ones and rectangular ones, round domed or actual donut type!
Honestly, once a hobbyist handles a quantity of these bottles of true pontil era the important tell-tale features become readily noticeable.
I also saw the loss of some pontils in the early days of bottle tumbling... and now there are several fixes for that thankfully. I still see bottles at shows that have had their pontils tumbled almost completely gone, SMH - It can get confusing to entry level collectors!
~Fred

 

[hemihampton]

Pic of 3 of my Iron or some call graphite Pontil Bottoms from Detroit.

 

[hemihampton]

ooops, forgot my cobalt blue Ten Pin Tellers Mineral Water from Detroit.

 

[hemihampton]

dug this broken Pontil Barrel Bitters on top of a Civil War Dump, right on top, not buried. Bummer not whole. LEON.

 

[sandchip]

...Lets start with the open pontil which is probably the most common of pontil marks. The still in making bottle is put on the pontil rod with a blob of glass to hold it while the top...

Just to clarify, a "rod" was not actually used on bottles with an open pontil scar, but another blowpipe as mentioned by Harry. The "open" is a descriptive term referring to the the fact that there's nothing in the middle of the ring-shaped scar or in the pipe used. A rod-type pontil leaves a solid glass scar, less often seen on early American glass and more commonly seen on modern day art glass. Enjoying the discussion, because as stated, there's a ton of misconceptions out there, like the term "seams", which I try not to use any more, because there are none on any mold blown bottle. The word seam refers to the joining of two like pieces of material. like sewing cloth or welding steel, which never occurs when a bottle is blown, because the gather of glass is always in one piece. The mold lines or "seams" are only the impression left in the glass of where the mold halves or sections meet.

 

[Harry Pristis]

"The word seam refers to the joining of two like pieces of material. like sewing cloth or welding steel, which never occurs when a bottle is blown, because the gather of glass is always in one piece. The mold lines or "seams" are only the impression left in the glass of where the mold halves or sections meet."

A semantical nicety, indeed. A bottle can be described as a cast made inside a mold. The impressions on the bottle are of the joins (seams) of the mold parts. Those impressions then might be called "casts of the mold seams." But, I think "seams" will survive in our shorthand vernacular.

 

[Bottle 2 Rocks]

Well thank you very much master bottle Yoda, nitpick the incoming freshman's thread. Is this really the point of the thread-I mean REALLY!!!
[

"The word seam refers to the joining of two like pieces of material. like sewing cloth or welding steel, which never occurs when a bottle is blown, because the gather of glass is always in one piece. The mold lines or "seams" are only the impression left in the glass of where the mold halves or sections meet."

A semantical nicety, indeed. A bottle can be described as a cast made inside a mold. The impressions on the bottle are of the joins (seams) of the mold parts. Those impressions then might be called "casts of the mold seams." But, I think "seams" will survive in our shorthand vernacular.

Try to stay on point here guys I know its difficult for you. Try starting your own thread with this as a topic