Glass Message Board
Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass Paperweights => Topic started by: daveweight on September 16, 2012, 07:35:36 PM
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Hi All,
Just got back from a week's holiday in North Devon where we visited the Dartington Crystal factory, it is very large and it was nice to see 18 glassmakers at work but of course we scoured the showroom as there were lots of Caithness weights for sale first quality and seconds. We were surprised to see among the seconds a copy of the 1975 Dragonfly weight and the engraved 1980 Nativity weight along with a Harlequin and wondered how such old weights can suddenly come up for sale. We noticed none of these weights had the CIIG mark to denote them as seconds which is disappointing as some very nice weights are often sold off when there is nothing wrong with them as they may be experimental or trial pieces. To have weights in circulation unsigned will obvioulsy lead to collectors wondering who made them and it would be interesting to know if weights in the Crieff factory and still marked CIIG or not.
I like unusual weights and bought this one of hammers and spanners but the picture does not really do it justice as it is a bright clear weight and the spanners are floating and good half inch above the hammers. It is signed with just two words "Hobbies Tools" and I believe there is a company called Hobbies Ltd which makes tools so was this weight made for them I wonder ? Anyone know anything about this please ?
Dave
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I'm pretty sure the ones in Crieff are marked as seconds. There is a whole display stand of them. I will check next time I'm there.
There are also old, limited editions for sale - the ones which were still left over when Caithness was taken over. It's just old stock, I presume that's what you saw. They do have old stock and bring stuff out in dribs and drabs and sell them along with all the new things.
They still have two of the ginormous Toffolo things - "weights" which must be about 7" in "diameter" flat topped and faceted everywhere, full of flowery things. I first saw one of those at the Scottish Glass Society Exhibition in 2000.