CATEGORY
Shaping & Tools
Jacks, shears, tweezers, pliers and paddles — the hand tools that turn a bubble into a vessel.
Tweezers
Long spring steel pincers for pulling, pinching and opening a lip.
Shears
The straight shears that cut hot glass cleanly.
Diamond Shears
Angled shears that cut a neck or open a mouth without crushing.
Pliers
Flat-jawed pliers for pulling a stem, crimping or holding a punty.
Jacks
The curved-blade tool that sets a neck and opens a form.
Paddle
The flat cherry-wood paddle that squares a base or flattens a side.
Other categories
Furnace & Heating
The furnace, the crucible, the glory hole and the annealing oven — the heat the whole studio is built around.
Gathering & Blowing
Pipes, hoses, blocks and pads — how glass gets out of the furnace and into a shape.
Color & Surface
Frit, powder, oxides and precious-metal leaf — how colour gets into and onto glass.
Annealing & Finishing
Kilns, controllers, files, pads and wheels — cooling a piece without cracking it, then finishing it cold.