Shoutout to the old guy at the Tacoma flea market who told me most studio glass from the 70s was made with 20% less soda ash than today's batches

4 comments

4 Comments

That old timer at the Tacoma flea market is onto something. I always figured old studio glass was just thicker or had more bubbles. But a 20% drop in soda ash makes total sense now. It explains why some of my 70s vases feel heavier and have that slightly different, almost oily, shine compared to new stuff. Changes the whole way I look at my collection.

michaela1611d ago

That swirl pattern inside is actually from different cooling rates too, not just the chemical change.

the_thomas2mo ago

My buddy had a similar moment with a 70s ashtray he found. He kept saying it just felt "dense" in the hand, and after reading what @spencerl32 said about the soda ash, it clicked. That oily shine you mentioned is totally the giveaway, it's like the light sits on the surface differently. He's been re-checking all his pieces with a loupe since.

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dylanbarnes11d ago

Grab a cheap digital scale and start weighing your pieces, it's wild how much heavier the 70s stuff really is. @michaela16 mentioned the swirl patterns being from cooling rates too, and when you combine that with the lower soda ash it explains why those old pieces feel so solid and almost greasy to the touch. I've started sniffing out 70s glass just by the weight alone now, it's a solid trick if you're digging through a bin of random stuff.