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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => Germany => Topic started by: ladycopper on January 02, 2008, 02:33:28 PM

Title: Any information on Unionglas/Feinstrich?
Post by: ladycopper on January 02, 2008, 02:33:28 PM
Hi.  I have a small glass dish with a sticker on it that says Unionglas/Feinstrich.  I am wondering if anyone might know where this glass comes from, and if it has any value? 
thanks very much,
Deanna
Title: Re: Any information on Unionglas/Feinstrich?
Post by: David E on January 02, 2008, 03:27:27 PM
Hi and welcome to the GMB. Just so members are aware, Deanna contacted me privately about this dish and the following was given:
Quote
This differs from the Feinstrich label on my own dish and I would guess yours was a later one. Although I have nothing more to offer on this company, I notice a few auctions on eBay Netherlands and Germany:
 
http://cgi.ebay.nl/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130172951948
http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130172951920
My dish features in the book, but was incorrectly named Feinrich - in fact the correct name is Unionglas Feinstrich and it was based in West Germany.

f anyone can identify this company, or provide more information, I would also be grateful.

MOD: could this topic be moved to Slumped Glass forum, please.
Title: Re: Any information on Unionglas/Feinstrich?
Post by: Theresienthaler on January 03, 2008, 03:23:33 PM
Hello,
in 1882 the glassworks  Kupfer & Glaser were founded, in 1939 they became the Spiegelglasunion.
In 1952 the Spiegelglasunion was renamed in Unionglas AG, located in Fürth, Bavaria. 1953 they closed their own glassproduktion.
Since 1953 they buy the raw glass products from other companies and finish it on their own.
I don`t know, whether they still exist.
In my opinion Feinstrich ist not the name of a/the company but the name of this kind of decoration.
Stephan
http://www.roemer-aus-theresienthal.de
Title: Re: Any information on Unionglas/Feinstrich?
Post by: Frank on January 03, 2008, 04:17:53 PM
Hi Stephan, welcome aboard.

Thanks for that info but I end up being more confused. Here are the names/data I came across (Glass-Study) - is this the same company?

1945 report on German Glass Industry
Name of Target     Bayerische Spiegelglasfabriken Bechmann Kupfer A.G.
Address    Fürth (Near Nürnberg), Kurgartenstrasse 47
Date of Visit    21st August, 1945
Products    Polished plate glass
Decolourised Plate glass
(White opal and a semi-optical glass are said to have been made at one of the Czech Works of the concern.)
Present Position    This target consisted of (1) the Head Office for several Works in this organisation, including one at Furth-im-Wald and three in Sudetenland and (2) a depot for carrying out bevelling and silvering of polished plate glass produced at Furth-im-Wald.

Name of Target     Bayerische Spiegelglasfabriken
Address    Furth-im-Wald, Bavaria.
Date of Visit    22nd August, 1945
Products    Rough cast and polished plate glass
Decolourised plate glass (searchlights.)

1925 addressbuch
999. Bayer. Spiegel- u. Spiegelglasfabriken A.-G., vorm. W. Bechmann, vorm. Ed. Kupfer & Söhne, Blumenstraße 16. Fernsprech-Anschluß 628 und 572.
¾ weißes Spiegelglas, belegt und unbelegt, plan und facettiert, Spiegelrahmen und Flurgarderoben. Umbau­ten, Goldspiegel, Fensterglas. Rohglas für optische Zwecke. — Glasschleiferei, Beleganstalt. Dampf- und Wasserkraft, 2000 Polierbänke, 5 Oefen. 800 Arbeiter. (Gegr. 1847.)
Eigene Häuser, Berlin: Alexanderstraße 34. Hamburg Schönstraße 11. — Filialen in Berlin.

I checked some off-line sources too but only found the above company as a candidate - note the earlier established date in 1925 book.
Title: Re: Any information on Unionglas/Feinstrich?
Post by: David E on January 03, 2008, 06:59:49 PM
There is also Spiegelunion Flabeg GmbH to consider. I believe the parent company is Flabeg GmbH.

I agree with Stephan that Feinstrich (translation = fine line - thanks Ivo) could be a product name. There also appears to be a company with this name that sells pens.
Title: Re: Any information on Unionglas/Feinstrich?
Post by: Lustrousstone on January 03, 2008, 07:36:32 PM
I found this (http://cgi.ebay.nl/Feinstrich-Unionglas-Dekorglas-antik-laengliche-Schale_W0QQitemZ130172951948QQihZ003QQcategoryZ7479QQcmdZViewItem) and this (http://cgi.ebay.nl/Feinstrich-Unionglas-Schale-32-cm-D-feines-Glas-sehr-al_W0QQitemZ130172951920QQihZ003QQcategoryZ7479QQcmdZViewItem). I rather like the second one
Title: Re: Any information on Unionglas/Feinstrich?
Post by: David E on January 03, 2008, 07:43:27 PM
Yes, I had already noted these - I have a small rectangular plate with the yellow label. This differs significantly from Deanna's (later?) blue label.
Title: Re: Any information on Unionglas/Feinstrich?
Post by: Theresienthaler on January 03, 2008, 09:04:23 PM
Well,
not that i claim to be an expert on this subject, but in my opinion the companies mentioned above are the same or related in some kind like parents and children.
Stephan
Title: Re: Any information on Unionglas/Feinstrich?
Post by: David E on January 04, 2008, 10:45:22 AM
I am not so sure, but there could have been some inter-relationship.

  • Spiegelunion used the trade name Filigranglas, c.1965-1980?
  • Unionglas (perhaps) used the trade name Feinstrich
    • Title: Re: Any information on Unionglas/Feinstrich?
    Post by: Frank on January 04, 2008, 05:56:19 PM
    Spiegelunion Flabeg GmbH, Werk
    Glasraffinerien
    Glaserstraße 1
    93437 Furth im Wald

    Are purely a decorating firm and above is their current address, puzzled that they have no website.

    They have some patents starting in 1974 DE7217269U (Mirror de-mister) to 1978, all related to mirrors (Spiegel)
    e.g.
    DE2632721 (1978) - AUFHAENGEVORRICHTUNG, INSBESONDERE FUER SPIEGEL (Concealed supporting device for mirrors)
    DE2633447 (1978) - FIXIERTEIL, INSBESONDERE FUER SPIEGEL (Mirror support bracket)
    Title: Re: Any information on Unionglas/Feinstrich?
    Post by: David E on January 04, 2008, 06:04:29 PM
    Thanks Frank.

    Flabeg GmbH (which I believe was the parent company of Spiegelunion) got taken over by Pilkington, around 1980 I think.

    http://www.flabeg.com/

    But is Spiegelunion still active, or is it a dormant company? Any information on these German companies is most welcome, particularly from the 1960s to 1980s.
    Title: Re: Any information on Unionglas/Feinstrich?
    Post by: Frank on January 04, 2008, 08:31:35 PM
    Unwinding company link details is hard enough in the 50's by the 1960's it gets tough, 70's tougher but the 80's onwards is hell as there were often companies created seemingly for the hell of it. German company details are not centralised making it tougher, I have some German trade directories to digitise still, but only up to the 1930's.
    Title: Re: Any information on Unionglas/Feinstrich?
    Post by: David E on January 06, 2008, 10:14:43 AM
    With Deanna's co-operation I have attached is a close-up of the Unionglas Feinstrich label.

    Edit: I've now added the other Feinstrich label I have, plus the Filigranglas - the brand name that is linked to Spiegelunion Flabeg. All labels have also been uploaded to the GlassGallery:

    http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/thumbnails.php?album=539
    Title: Re: Any information on Unionglas/Feinstrich?
    Post by: Frank on January 06, 2008, 01:10:14 PM
    Where does  the Filigranglas link come from?
    Title: Re: Any information on Unionglas/Feinstrich?
    Post by: David E on January 06, 2008, 01:17:00 PM
    Filigranglas is the brand name for the slumped glass items produced by Spiegelunion Flabeg. There is no doubt about this attribution as I have posted a 1972 advert to support this:

    http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-7609

    However, I have no idea where Unionglas fits into the scheme of things. It could well be that it is an affiliate/associate, as suggested by Stephan, or an offshoot of Spiegelunion (or even Flabeg).