MANUFACTURE

CRYSTAL GLASS
Our crystal is mouth-blown by Harrachov in the Czech Republic, where the designer's grandparents lived. Established in 1712, the glassworks is the oldest still working glass factory in Bohemia. It is perfectly positioned, where timber surrounds the factory, water springs from the ground and quality glass sand is obtainable locally. The glassworks lives deep in the woods of the Giant Mountains of Bohemia.

A designer draws the master design into a book, to keep a permanent record of the shape. This can then be traced by hand, each time a new mould is needed. 

The glass is mouth-blown into a mould which is made from locally sourced beech wood. The wood must be saturated with water, which extends the life of the mould, so the beech trunks are placed into a lake. Only when the trunks touch the bottom of the lake, are they ready to be processed. The wet trunks are then taken out of the water and sliced into big pieces.

The shape is then cut out in cardboard, which is given to the mould maker as a template.

A raw block of wood is then fixed to a lathe to be carved out with chisels, with great precision.

Then the wooden block is cut in half, equipped with locks and handles.

Each mould will produce no more than 80 pieces, by when the shape has become altered by the molten glass and it can no longer be used.

BOROSILICATE GLASS
Borosilicate objects are free blown on a lathe by a lamp worker, at a scientific laboratory glassware makers in Slovenia, who normally blow chemistry apparatus. This family business was established in 1993 and now the second generation is involved.  


Borosilicate glass is more resistant to thermal shock than other glass. Borosilicate is referred to as 'hard glass' and has a higher melting point (approximately 1650 degrees Celsius) than 'soft glass'.


Because pieces are hand made, there is variation between each object and small air bubbles sometimes form, normally in the base - a desirable sign that they are not produced by machine.

Sustainability of Production

We are committed to achieving environmental best practice throughout our business activities.

Glass
Glass is a fully recyclable material. The material's structure does not deteriorate when reprocessed, so 100% of waste can be reused in the manufacturing process.

Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is a green material as it is 100% recyclable. In production, stainless steel uses scrap metal as its primary raw material.