Help from the US glass people, please?

Oct 06, 2004 19 Replies

I've been talking to the person I'm buying glass from for Mike, and we had a chat about several things. Once we got the shoes and sealing wax thing out of the way, the talk turned to more interesting things like finding cool glass and frit.



They buy Moretti glass but aren't really too aware (since they don't hang out on computers like some people do... *innocent look*) of all the tasty bits of glass available to the US market. It isn't exactly a glass desert here but it's definitely not glass heaven. I'd like to help change that if I can in some small way. *putting on my Glass Enabler badge*



So, to give them some idea of where they could look to buy in bulk for shipment to the UK, can any of you lovely lampworkers out there give me some pointers for glass and frit suppliers? It would be a big boost in many ways, as they'd be exposed to more types of glass, and we'd get more types available to us from them, and other people who want glass could see the new and cool things that the US has in abundance, and I don't mean candy corn!



Thanks to everyone in advance who can give me some directions to send on to them. I also said I'd send them links to beads using the frits, so I actually have an excuse to surf today! :-D


-Su (I'm not doing this just for me and Mike, oh no! I want MORE people in the UK to have access to cool glass. Honest!)


Su - forgot to cc you on the message, but I know of a bullseye glass bulk buy going on right now. LMK if you want the info.

Barb

Thanks!

I'm doing this for the folk that we buy from, so I'll forward the info to them if that's alright?

-Su

The other day Valorie Cox, on her store website, was looking for people outside the US to be reps for her glass and frits. Maybe throw her an email and see.

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-Ellen

Thanks, Lori. I missed the original reply, something's very odd today with the newsreader. And eBay, and my brain!

I've sent this off to the interested parties, fingers crossed they'll be wanting to carry a good variety of glass for UK lampworkers.

I lurk on wetcanvas, but since I'm only a glass enabler, not a glass artist, I just read and make notes and then lock Mike in the SHED with bunches of glass.

-Su

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~~ Sooz To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong. ~~Joseph Chilton Pearce

You can email Val at snipped-for-privacy@glasspoet.com

KarenK

The first link I sent them!

I figured I could get as wide a spectrum of ideas and they could take it from there, but I warned them to be prepared to spend hours with your links.

-Su

Thanks! I've been sending them all the info, it's much appreciated, all this help.

I don't know what they'll make of it all, I think it's a lot more info than they had thought was out there. Nothing like a bit of horizon expansion, eh?

-Su

Aw! I have to give credit where credit is due, however. I sent Kandice my list of LAMPWORKING SUPPLIERS (GLASS) links, and told her to redo them....to eliminate ones she deemed unworthy, add some I'd not included, etc. She did a

*stellar* job. Your glass suppliers in the UK should find that listing to be very helpful indeed.

Of course, I get most of my Links from this worthy NG, you know. So credit yourselves.

~~ Sooz To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong. ~~Joseph Chilton Pearce

No kidding. Hey Lori, I'll be your note taker. :-)

, was looking for people outside the US to be reps for her glass and frits>

huh???

"her" glass and frits? excuse - me --- but all she is doing is buying bulk and repackaging -- it isn't HER GLASS

heck - Reichenbach is MADE overseas for gawd's sake!

Cheryl DRAGON BEADS Flameworked beads and glass

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Thanks! I've been sending them all the info, it's much appreciated, all this help.

SU -- they would NOT WANT TO BUY from VAL???? -- she is not a main wholesaler... she's buying it and marking it up and re- selling it....

Kugler and Reichenbach etc - can be bought by any company direct from the suppliers.... or at least from a major wholesaler/importer like Spruce Pine Batch or Olympic, here in the US.

Cheryl DRAGON BEADS Flameworked beads and glass

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You see? That's why I asked here. I'm not a lampworker, and in the UK there's no network of people to talk to like there is in the US, especially face to face, so Mike and I rely heavily, and I mean HEAVILY on this group and the people who know their stuff for the really important information.

Thanks. I'll send this info on too.

-Su

Weeeeeeeeeelllllllllllllllllllllllll... come on over, Lori, I'd be very happy to show you where I put Mike's glass................

One lump or two in your tea?

-Su

I'm trying to find Val's actual post, but I believe that she's not looking for distributors for the frits she offers (which she knows anyone can get if they're willing to buy a kilo of a single color) BUT for the glass she's having custom-pulled based on her own experiments. She's starting to stock it in warehouse-sized quantity now, instead of smaller batches. I know that's making the guys who pull the glass in NZ a lot happier, and I for one am overjoyed....the cost should come down and I won't have to treat every rod like it might be my last.

KarenK (Gaffer junkie)

That is good news indeed. I have liked some of the latest batches coming from her.

They can buy directly from Bullseye; they'll want to call them and set up a wholesale (or maybe distributor) account, which is easy:

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They should call Uroboros and see whether they're eligible for a distrinutorship or, if not, who their closest distributor is:
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Since Reichenbach is in Germany, it makes no sense to buy frit that was first shipped to the US: they can contact them for the nearest distributor:
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Gaffer has a new UK distributor, how convenient!:
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Kugler has an incredible selection, most of which isn't available to us in the US (yet):
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Best of luck to your supplier!

-Kalera

-Kalera

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Su/Cutworks wrote:

Lots of useful stuff which I will send on directly!

Thanks!!!!

We had a chat today, and he's been looking at the list I sent him, so that should keep him busy for a while. :-) Apparently Sooz has some lists that are pretty good that might catch his eye. :-)

-Su

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