When it comes to the art of glassblowing, having the right tools is essential for creating beautiful and intricate glass pieces. I have certainly spent a lot of time and money getting the best tools for my practice. In this blog, we will explore the basic glassblowing tools and their specific purposes in the glassblowing process.

There are a lot of unique words in glass and some words that are shared with other industries. I will be using the word Gaffer to refer to the head glass maker who is responsible for the choices made during the process of making. It is a word used in film to refer to the lighting department which I find fascinating as molten glass emits light. Another person in the hotshop other than 

Blowpipe

The blowpipe is a fundamental tool in glassblowing, typically made of stainless steel because it doesn't conduct heat very well so it stays cool longer. Glassblowers use the blowpipe to gather molten glass from the furnace and blow air into the glass to inflate the glass and then use different tools to shape and manipulate it. 

Punty

The punty is a solid metal rod used to transfer the glass piece from the blowpipe to create the final shape. The word is derived from pontil which I think references the word ponte meaning bridge (think Ponte Vechio). The punty is attached to the base (the part that meets the surface it will rest on) of the glass piece. Water is applied to the piece and then it is broken off the pipe with a bang of a tool. This allows the gaffer to shape the opening and finish the piece while detached from the blowpipe.

Marver

A marver is a flat, smooth surface, often made of 1/2 inch (12.7mm) steel and on occasion 2 inch graphite, where glassblowers can roll and shape the molten glass. By rolling the hot glass evenly on the marver, the gaffer can control the shape and temperature of the glass before further manipulation. The steel acts like a heat sink, controlling the heat of the glass controls the shape of the glass. If you marver the base (bottom of the piece) then there will be more glass at the base which can support the structure. 

Jacks

Jacks are a tool made with tool steel and braised with two blades, used for shaping and manipulating the hot glass. The closest tool in the world that looks like jacks are manual sheep shears. This makes me wonder if/when different crafts folk communicated back in the 2,000 -1,000 BCE about the tools they use. Glassblowers use jacks to create what is called a "jack line" which acts like a break line in a chocolate bar, this makes it easy to separate it from the blowpipe to form the opening of the piece. Jacks are also used to form necks, and shape the body of the glass piece as they provide a straight, consistent surface for the glass to mold to. 

Paddle

A paddle is a simple tool that is what is sounds like! A flattening tool or shielding tool, typically made of fruit wood or graphite, is used to flatten and shape the hot glass. Gaffers use the paddle to create smooth surfaces, flatten bottoms, and shape the glass piece. The paddle can also be used to cool and shape specific areas of the glass similar to the function of a marver. Outside of being a shaping tool, a paddle can be used to redirect the heat from the 2100 Fahrenhiet (1150 C) glass from the hands and arms of the glass maker.

Shears

There are many different types of shears but all are used for the removal of glass from the piece. Sometimes it is to remove glass from the piece itself or to add glass from another punty to add decoration. There are many different styles of shears but the two most useful and important ones are the Diamond Shears and the Straight Shears. 

The Diamond Shears are designed to constrict the glass down to a small point and cut the glass. This is ideal for bits of glass, color drops, and stripping clear from a gather from the furnace. Straight shears cut long lines so they are ideal for trimming the lip/opening of the piece to make it thinner and to make long cuts of bits for leaves or pointy applications. 

Tweezers

An invaluable tool that looks like an oversized pair of medical/eyebrow tweezers are used to manipulate the glass and to apply water at crucial points in the process. Many tools are designed to replace our hands or common place tools so the tweezers act like two sharp fingers. I use tweezers to dig out unwanted bubbles, pull out the lips/openings of pieces, to make ornaments, and many other uses. I have a back up pair of my favorite tweezers so that I won't live without them.

Check out the video of me making a piece here!

There are many other tools but these are the basic tools which I will be covering in the near future. Thanks for reading and hopefully you can stick around for some more glass blowing facts and information. If you want to see more videos of me working check out my instagram @ali_feeney and @gallopandglass