I'm back with a little bit more time now. The balloons and cards have been put away (but I didn't manage to get one of the delicious looking chocolates in the big gold box, all tied up with a pretty ribbon....sigh :roll:)
So, I'll try and explain why the base of the fake Grape & Cable is so significant.
Snapped Up
On pretty much all USA original Classic Carnival Glass (with one or two exceptions), the glass was "snapped up". This took place after pressing:- the piece was removed from the mould, technically “snapped up,” by a tool which has clamp-like spring loaded jaws, known as a “snap”. This was attached to the collar base of the glass item (the marie). At this stage, hand finishing could take place. The piece would be “warmed in” (re-heated) at a glory hole to make it pliable again. Vases could be swung to give height and the edges of bowls were ruffled and crimped in a variety of ways to give individuality.
The item would be held by the snap, which covered the marie, and when the iridising spray was applied to the Carnival pieces, the snap would pretty much cover the entire base - thus the base (marie) would not get iridised. These pieces had no need to be ground and they have smooth, as-moulded bases.
Stuck Up
On most (not all by any means) European Carnival, the items were "stuck up". These items have a ground base (no marie) and were attached to a hot metal punty rod after being extracted from the mould. The punty had been heated so that the glass would stick fast to it. After being finished (shaped), the piece had to be broken from the punty, and this left a rough base which had to be ground flat. The factory term for this was stuck-up. Often the grinding caused small chips and flakes on the stuck-up base. Such chips are a feature of the manufacture and are very common on ground bases. Often traces of iridescence can be seen on the base of European Carnival.
The Fake Grape & Cable
David's fake Grape and Cable has been ground flat - you can see the grinding and associated marks clearly on his close-ups. The original Northwood items have collar bases and they have not been ground. This is a very clear characteristic that shows the fake item.
It's worth mentioning that not all the fakes (this includes the Good Luck and Peacocks) have ground bases. Some have collar bases! But the one thing that so far is a characteristic of all these fakes is the large N mark (without the underlining and without the circle). David's photos show it clearly.
Not all Northwood Carnival is marked with the N (underlined in a circle). The lack of a trademark doesn’t hurt the desirability of the glass, but note that the presence of an N mark doesn’t always guarantee authenticity either - as it may be on one of those fakes.
Glen