Part One: Cut Glass

Cut glass can be defined as glass shaped or decorated with the use of a rotating, abrasive wheel. Done entirely by hand, this method requires skill and patience, as well as a steady hand. Wheels can range in size from a few inches across, to several feet in diameter, and different speeds can be used with different techniques, although slower speeds are the most frequently used. Water is trickled over the stone wheel to add lubrication, and the glass is pushed down on the wheel from above. Four steps are used in the creation of cut glass. They are described below.

The first step in making a cut glass piece is to lay out the pattern to be cut, which is done using a marking brush, dipped in paint. The pattern is laid directly on the glass to be cut. The second operation is known as roughing. This is the step in which the pattern is cut into the glass, using a wheel on which the stone is fairly coarse. The third step also involves a stone wheel, but one that is finer, less abrasive, so that it smooths as it traces over the lines already ground into the glass. The final step is to polish the piece. Instead of a stone wheel, one of wood or soft material is used in conjunction with powder, to shine and soften the pattern, and giving it its brilliance.

An easier way to cut glass, but not as valuable, is to use a block to press the glass into when it is molten, thus eliminating the first step from above. It also needs to be noted that almost all cut glass is made from lead crystal, glass which has had lead added to it during the melting stage. The reason for this was that leaded glass is heavier and thicker, so can stand up to deep cutting on a stone wheel. Another reason for the use of lead glass is that when polished, it becomes more brilliant than other glass, tending to have a crystal clear look to it, at the same time, a hint of color as well. All in all, cut glass can be attractive, and used for many items, such as perfume bottles, decanters, serving dishes, candlebra, and many more. It is time consuming, but well worth the effort.

Part Two: Patterned Glass

Pattern glass is different from cut glass, because it was usually made with unleaded glass, as well as with colored glass, instead of crystal. The patterns were not ground, but pressed into the molten gather after it was shaped into the desired item..plate, bowl, serving dish, etc....and instead of being decorated with geometric shapes, such as triangles, octagons and the like, flower patterns were also popular designs. Below is a brief description of the making of patterned glass. The basic premise involved is the same for every type of pattern glass, though there are many different techniques for shaping and coloring the finished item, too numerous to list, although I will endeavour to list some of the more popular.

Pattern glass is made using molds, very much like the ones used for making bottles. The only difference is that a pattern, geometric or flower, is carved into the mold, so that when the molten glass poured into the mold cools, it comes out with the pattern impressed into it's outer layer. Three types of molds are used: block molds, which is a mold made of just one piece of wood, split molding, where the mold is made of two or more parts, and font molding, where an item can be mass produced in exact replicas. (The third technique is mentioned only for informational purposes...this technology is not found on Pern to date) Whether using a simple block mold or the more complex split mold, the results are the same. An item of glass with a pattern permanently pressed into it. The differences in pressed glass comes from the different colors, which are varied, some more unique than others. Some of the most popular and unique of the pressed glass types are (the following is OOC ) Amberina, thumbprint, hobnail, depression, cambridge, carnival, cranberry, croesus, custard, czechoslovakian, fenton, fostoria, goofus, and imperial glass.

To conclude, these two types of glass have some similar characteristics, but are essentially two entirely different techiniques, with differing end results as well. Pattern glass is by far the easier of the two to make, but their is more satisfaction from the cutting of crystal. Either way, they are both popular in the making of glassware for the table, dresser or just for the artists eye.