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Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Does anyone know why we call the glass eyes we use - hand-blown? To me that term has always rung a bit false: a misnomer. As I understand glass blowing, it's blowing air (manually or mechanically) into a blob of molten glass to expand the center and leave a hollow space, while twirling it to keep it a concentric shape.
I've watched this done many times: at Disney's World/Land, at a glass factory, by artist/individuals and at the Lesch eye factory. Every time, molten glass was placed on the ends of rods or wires and twirled in a 'shape', to make the glass a uniform size, as the rounded ball, half-domes and the shoe-button styles that we all use and are familiar with or as freeform art glass. Yet when eyes were being created, air was never blown into the blob, nor was it used to shape the molten glass. The hot material was manipulated in metal templates to form the eyes but 'blowing' never entered the picture.
I'm gonna duck here: do we use the phrase just to give the use of glass eyes a bit more posh? to sound a bit more elitist? It's probably just me - feeling feisty today with time on my hands, but I thought to finally pose the question, as there may be a perfectly valid reason for using the term.
I'd appreciate any input!
Brandon BearsBobbie,
From what I've been told for years.... I assUmed they were hand blown glass. Gosh do I feel rather um........dumb & nieve.
I'll be paying close attention to this tread !
Donna A.
Back Road BearsI just spent the last 30 minutes searching the internet w/out success to learn HOW glass eyes are made.
No two are the same, in my experience, so I can see them being hand-made. There are no mold marks so that's not it.
What about with lampwork? Shelli... where are you, hon? Those beads aren't "Blown" literally, are they? How are they formed? Glass eyes must be similar.
Bobbie, I have to agree that it does make the bear's eyes sound extra special if they are "hand blown"! I think that might be a term that doesn't necessarily mean what it sounds like though.
I've seen the blown glass demonstrations many times too. Even went to Corning Glass Museum a time or two and saw them in action. That technique does not seem possible to use when making eyes.
Someone out there must have the answer.....????????
Posts: 1,836I've noticed some of the suppliers calling the eyes they sell "hand blown" so that's probably how folks are creating their description information. Hand blown does sound a lot nicer than "manipulated blob of glass eye" 
I guess folks only have the original sellers description to use in the end.
This site gives a few terms for the eyes they sell...one is hand blown. (really cool eye selection here too!) http://www.tohickonglasseyes.com/page2.htm
From this site "hand blown" might be different from "mouth blown". Another site lists definitions and calls hand blown any project not using machinery. I've seen tons of glass working done at a local folk fest, but that's as close as I've gotten to the craft.
:hug:
~Chrissi
