History of GTT torches

[Ness]

Anybody have any idea how these two madmen gained such a good reputation and large market share in the industry?! (Aside from making pimp ass torches)

Also have their torches always looked so sleek and sexy or were there ever any like concept torches that anyone knows of? Anybody have an early run GTT? does it look any different? if so post pics!

And y a purple back? and y do their shirts display a baller torch w a silver manifold like mine? : )

I hear one of the GLDG'ers is married to one of these flame alchemists? any info for us? Any chance u could shed some light on any new GTT ideas that are being cooked up behind the scenes?

I want INFORMATION!
THnx :D
~J

[Slimy-E]

I think one of my friends had some of the early ones, but I myself know nothing.

[Fiorino Glass Art]

Very good question! I wouldn't mind hearing the story!

[LFC]

at one point they had a design where the hose barbs came out of the bottom of the torch base, they also had one that had a grafite bad on the base two i think... i remeber seeing a picture of loren stump with one of those i will see if i can find it....

[LFC]

hears the picture i was talking about you can see him marvering on the base of the torch in one pic and it looks like the hoses almost go to the base...

[$$$$$$$]

I've heard Wally tell the story, it's a very good one.. I'll let them tell it if they want to.. They also had the first GTT ever with them.. its a very little lynx type torch..

[BlueBeard]

I once asked willy and wally how they got started. it was like a 3 hour long answer. basically they used to work for Bethlehem torches then started their own company. and yeah make a pimp ass torch with excellent customer service. i dont know about prototypes but they would be cool to see if they are out there.

[JennWilson]

My Dad and I ran into them at a Scientific Glassblowing conference that was in Albuquerque (think back in '97? ). I remember Dad insisting they needed to come over to the house to play around on some torches - I think neither of them had ever really made anything on a torch back then.

I got paid a Lynx for my little segment on their "how to work the torch" video that used to come with the torches - not sure if it still does. I think one of the Lynx's in our studio was supposedly the 3rd they ever made....still running fine.

[jr23]

How cool was that a new torch for some public demo time.

I have heard the same things as above about the history.

My favorite thing is when you talk to any one at gtt its like talking to REAL people there are no special departments or huge waits on hold with no ryme or reason.

You might find if you give em a call on your next service or order you could ask to get on the single port list.

Those will be cool and give you a reason to chew the fat if they are not so busy.

There was a cold going around when I called a few days ago so a little wait might be good for the prez's voice.

peace

[hashmasta-kut]

they still send a video out with phantoms and larger.

[themoch]

here's Lauren's torch up closer... as seen at this year's IFC

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs374.snc3/24010_793787845722_9101065_44323623_7381920_n.jpg

[NUBBLET]

is it a marver on top ? that thing is trippy .

[Ness]

Yeh that marver is cool! they should still come with a top mounted marver.
~J

[Chris Juedemann]

Ginseng and Gold. Those are some interesting people. I love that the torches are only one facet of their lives.

The Loren Stump torch in the pictures has a marver base, and the top, where most of us put our marvers, is a padded hand rest to do detail work. Just one of the great things learned at a Loren class. His was burnt to hell from people using it thinking it was a marver.

Chris

[jr23]

Are you impling they hunt Ginseng and pan for gold too!


I hunt ginseng and wild mushrooms, golden seal too.

We also have a root buyer and he buys up blood root and others

[kbinkster]

I am the glassworker who is married to Willy, the president of GTT.

Yes, they hunt ginseng and pan for gold, among other things. Ginseng is what kept them afloat at times getting their projects off the ground. They also raise koi and can built amazing ponds. Willy is amazing at stone and rock work. You should see what he did for our front yard.

I have held the prototype Lynx and have seen the first Delta ever built.

Would you like me to tell the story of how they started GTT?

[Ness]

Kbinkster, If u find the time I would LOVE to hear it. Thank u for ur post!
~J

[Izzy Spun]

Yeah, tell us a story!!! (grabs chair, and marshmallows to roast)

[Lub]

yo pass the mallows

[kbinkster]

O.K., once upon a time...

:lol I'll wait until Willy gets off work a little later this afternoon and let him help me tell it - to make sure that I get all the facts straight.

[jr23]

Tell him its the first day of morel season In southern IL. Woot Woot

I am going to a few of my favorite spots in the morning.

I have a few spots accessible by boat that we hauled over 31lbs between 3 pickers.

I just wish I had a good buyer.

[LewisW]

I remember having Willy and Wally over to my studio .A one-armed lampworker named Tom hanks was also there. Tom and i showed them how to make beads and marbles. i just thought that they would build better torches if they knew more about what the lampworkers would want. this was maybe as early as 1995. i believe it was when ISGB was here in Albuquerque.
Lewis

[kbinkster]

Actually, that was Willy and a guy named John. Wally has never been very far away from home (PA).

The torches were already being built long before that visit, but Willy was not familiar with how the colored Morretti glass reacted until you showed him. Prior to that, he was mainly familiar with clear soda lime, boro, quartz, and weird stuff like alumina silicate and leaded glass.

He really enjoyed your bead making instruction and learned a lot.:)

[Robert Mickelsen]

I think a history of GTT would be of lasting value to all. You can post something brief here, but I think you should consider writing a book. You can self-publish and let people who are interested buy their own. No up front cost that way.

No one else is in better position to record the facts before they get left too far in the past. Please consider doing this. I, for one, would be delighted to have a copy.

- RAM

[berning]

i'd buy one.

[stackerson]

yeah...me too.

[NUBBLET]

man , that is a sweet idea . I would get one in a heartbeat . I think GTT has such a great product and to me it seems they have almost started a movement to think about the direct needs of our community .

[kbinkster]

I was thinking about maybe a magazine article, but really, there is enough to fill a book.:)

[UmaJulz]

Or maybe a nice wiki entry for the board, then the book. I'd like to know more about W&W's backgrounds, and plans for the future of GTT. I just love my Phantom.

[menty666]

Well I'm bummed I got to the end of the thread without finding the history, but I totally agree...at the very least an awesome magazine article should come out of it :)

[stackerson]

im with ya menty...i keep thinkin binkster is gonna get on here and do that follow up history she teased us all with. perhaps now it will have to wait until the book/article comes out. lol oh well...happy zombie jesus day! hooray

[faded]

O.K., once upon a time...

:lol I'll wait until Willy gets off work a little later this afternoon and let him help me tell it - to make sure that I get all the facts straight.


dude's a workhorse. you might want to go check on him. :twitch:

[aspenglass]

The story is a great one, about two great people! and will be best told by them and thier family. torches, gold, koi.... I vote for the book too. with a chapter about the ponds ( I still need help with the trout pond, hint hint)

Jim from Lancaster

[Abe Fleishman]

The story goes like this. One day in the glassblowing land 2 crazy guys designed some of the best glass blowing torches EVER. The END
Willy has told me the story a few times and it took a long time and I don't remember all of it, it would be nice to have a book about them. I have been writing a book about the history of borosilicate color glass and would hope to have a great story also.
Abe

[berning]

maybe an audio version narrated by willly ?

[GlassFreak]

^^^yea "the history of gtt; on tape!"

[kbinkster]

I have wanted to record him telling the story for our kids. I think their father is a pretty neat guy, after all, and it would be nice for them to have the story in his own voice. Maybe I'll convince him to do a video documentary of it.

It's going to take a little while to get the condensed version together. I think he has to run it by Wally, or something.

[somewhere]

Is this story going to unfold. I've been on the edge of my seat waiting to hear all for days. Over a thousand views on this thread! Should I stop checking? Do we have to wait for a book? If we all promise to buy it can we get to hear it hear first?


Please tell the story.

[somewhere]

oops I was writing same time you where. I understand but please do consider starting a new thread with the story. I really look forward to it!

[WORLD FAMOUS]

The story goes like this. One day in the glassblowing land 2 crazy guys designed some of the best glass blowing torches EVER. The END
Abe

Umm, you left out the chapter when they changed the name of the "Delta Mag" to the "Delta Miers".

[wahoo]

Years ago I got the "quick" version over the phone and was delighted. I would put my vote in for the audio version.

[Abe Fleishman]

Nate I forgot about that I will have to make sure this id documented.
]TRON

[Jimi The Don]

pj has a pretty old lynx, one of the first handful i believe and it has a gold-ish manifold, hey pj, post some pics brother

[LTD]

bump.... still waitin for the story!!!

[boxfan willy]

They will have the story shipped out in two more weeks...

couldn't help myself

boxfan
riding the GTT train since 99

[Shatner]

They will have the story shipped out in two more weeks...

couldn't help myself

boxfan
riding the GTT train since 99

Omg, that was funny. :dieslaugh

[Uriel]

Pmsl........ :d