What item got you into glass

My father taught me stained glass back in 1987 in St. Paul, MN. We were both impressed by Louis Comfort Tiffany's style of creating or pouring and rolling glass to fit a particular design. I can trace that back to a waterfall in a Tiffany window that was on a poster in my fathers shop. That single piece of glass still inspires me.

Funny enough, he also told be about hookahs at a early age and pointed the Alice in Wonderland hookah out. In 1992 I created a ceramic hookah with stained glass inlays for windows, it had a light underneath too. I have a picture somewhere of that first smoking piece. With four tubes and a giant bowl, it was a traveling show in itself. I sculpted and worked on the wheel much more in ceramic over the next few years using stained glass accents...

In 1998(?) a close friend from jr and sr high school that moved to Oregon told me about the what he was doing in glass and that I could make one of my hookahs in blown glass. That man was Popa, he was at that time the head foreman of JBD. I drove out and visited him there and was taken back by the scope of the operation and the seemingly good times a group could have. He also brought me to a Prankster party and well, was really moved by the whole trip...

For me I`d say more the economic downturn and pipes. I`m a metalworker and the two industries that I spent my career in have been manufacturing and construction. The two hardest hit by a slow economy. A couple good friends worked on the retail side for a gut that owned a studio as well and they got me in for a quick crash course so I could possibly help as grunt labor, which never happened. But needless to say I was hooked and have spent all my time since trying to figure out how to do this all the time.

HMK and Dosa rigs got me interested in glass pipe art I love the way they look like creatures

I am trying to post my equpitment for sale on this site. I have completely rebuilt my torch and kiln so I know someone is getting quality- I have a Carlisle cc and f240 kiln. I have over 2000$ in stock glass(northstar and Momka) 38x4mm tubes as well as an assortment of clear. There is another umpteen amount of graphite tools( reamers, pads and paddles. Anyone that can help me sell this stuff as a package would be compensated. I also have regulators and hoses. I will make a more detailed list upon request and with the posting of the ad. Thanx for your interest 713-301-0020

Got a bubbler in a shop by Chris Rice (aka Pan at the time), then a few months later I saw Josh Simpson marbles in a gallery. That's when I decided I wanted to blow glass. I saw some more of Chris's marbles, and some Josh Sable marbles and was officially hooked and dove straight into marbles

I think sex toys should be added to the poll. ....

Butt plugs, smooth glass butt plugs. Thats what started my erotic love for glass. The first time i felt one I was in love, and had to blow.... some..... glass.....

bubblers.......I had a guy who would buy as many as I could make.

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Originally Posted by Coal

Butt plugs, smooth glass butt plugs. Thats what started my erotic love for glass. The first time i felt one I was in love, and had to blow.... some..... glass.....

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Thank god I found someone that shares the same passion. We should collab on a heady plugg.

Probably pipes. Shortly after becoming the young safety enthusiast that I was, I decided to google glass pipes one day. Gp.org was one of the first link and i saw pieces that absolutely blew my mind. I had seen a only a few spoons at this point so needless to say the things on that website shocked and excited me. Been interested in lamping ever since and finally got the chance to start recently.

1995, GD at Deer Creek parking lot. Got a nice little gold fume piece, but had no idea then. The magic of watching it change color. Which, for all you noobs, was actually still a mystery to 99% of people at the time. I couldn't figure out what the hell was going on, and why it was changing color. HAHAHA....


After that moment, I was on a mission to figure it out. It turned into me seeking people out who did it, and then finally my oppurtunity to learn. 17 years later, here I am.

/\/\/\/\/\ jerrys last show.
I was there at Deer Creek back in 1995
I think it was June maybe July
But Jerry was still alive

All the kids in that parking lot
They tore that fence down
And I blamed them
For the second show getting cancelled.

I really wanted to go
I saved up all of my dough
I didn't go to any other shows
And I got my tickets M.O.ed
And I never missed a Deer Creek show
From '89 to '95
I was happy just to be alive
On my yearly Indiana vacation

But that was cut short by a bunch of jealous,
party bashin', buzz thrashin', gate crashin', stinky bastards

And if you're one of them
And you hear this song.
Fuck you, you cocksucking mother fuckers

shared sentiment

none of the above

Antique & cut glass got me interested. Pipes on Deadu tour had me want to learn and motivated me to seek out Snodgrass in Eugene in early 90's. While i was mining minerals in Ak. met a friend of Cameron Towers. Got in contact. 1 year later met Snodgrass, Bob Badtrom and Cameron. Apprenticed under Cam. Started making slides as 1st paid gig w otheru blower. Didn't work out.

So went back to Cam's shop to educate then went solo... still lamping since 1994 love glass! Just don't blow as frequently as i want. Started working for Corp america 5 years back to pay bills. Glass became a hobby... I feel the torch and scene pulling me back. Getn ready to lamp full time again. Flame on brothers and sisters.

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Originally Posted by mad alchemist

none of the above

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Care to elaborate, or are you just trying to appear mysterious?

I've always been into functional art, and Mary Jane. A few years ago, I started looking into selling pipes. A little while after my research started I saw an ad somewhere about learning to make pipes and jumped on it. Pipes are where it started and frit sherlocks are still my favorite, but I find myself captivated by marbles now.

marbles all the way!!!

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Originally Posted by p.j.

i saw my first pipe on dead tour in 1990 and i was hooked on glass as a medium to bring me closer to something that greatly affects my life. i feel it is an honor to make something that people will love and use, to me it is a way to be part of a culture that some people understand and some never will....

and i was also a pyro when i was a kid

fire heh heh

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Ditto.

I started collecting marbles and then had an idea for a marble mold after talking to some marble artists about the tools they use. I made a prototype and had a friend of mine ( RAZ ) test it. He said it worked good and I should try it. So I sat down behind his torch and melted some clear and couple dabs of color and twisted and folded it and used my marble mold to round it. It came out pretty round for the first time ever. Together we refined the mold a bit and he let me play at his place till I got my own torch and stuff. But from the first moment of working with glass, I was hooked.
Below is a link to the mold I designed.....if you wanna see it. Some of you have one, I'm sure.

http://www.glassartists.org/Images/F...IMG_0482-a.JPG