Topic: A Davidson Glass question

[David E]

Liz, another site you can explore is: http://www.1st-glass.1st-things.com/ where the topic of uranium glass is covered quite extensively. Does probably go over what Dave has mentioned though.

[Glen]

I am not an expert in anything scientific, however, back in the mid 1990s, I corresponded with a retired professor who was an expert in radiation (he devised circuit principles for the Geiger Muller tube 40 years ago). I asked him if it was safe to have vaseline glass since it is radioactive, and gives off higher then the normal background radiation?  

His answer (condensed version) - Background radiation varies with height above sea level, barometric pressure, your house construction, location and from day to day.. etc etc. However - vaseline glass in its normal state has the atoms bound within the molecules. As such, it is SAFE. The only way that it could become a problem is if you broke it or ground it up. For it to deteriorate under normal conditions, you'd have to wait around 1000 years. He reckoned that you get more radiation from many a domestic TV set than you do from vaseline glass. Even brazil nuts have higher radiation! (It seems the soil in Brazil where they grow has a high level of radiation from the rocks. The radium is absorbed through the roots into the leaves and nuts. He says they are perfectly safe to eat. No problems there!)  

You may want to disagree, of course.

Glen

[Frank]

Radiation itself is different to a radioactive material and the radiation will be emitted by particles of the material. Much as a magnetic field around a magnet, except that radiation tends to travel in a straight line. With a hone, sharpening a knife blade on it will cause microscopic particles to be worn off and these could be airborne and inhaled. Not a particularly serious risk but no point in adding to the exposure, so view it but don't use it.

Man has managed to increase the radiation we are exposed too, but again it is not the radiation itself that causes the problem as the aerosol particles that are released into the environment by manufacturing and mining processes. This is what was spread across a third of the planet following Chernobyl. Safe nuclear energy is not possible because the cost is too high, as long as nuclear power stations are sited away from centres of government and finance the risk is regared as acceptable as it will only affect ordinary people.

[Tigerchips]

These hones were used to sharpen razor blades.  Imagine using one of these for years to do this and the possible side effects of continually scraping a blade across the glass and then shaving, at a time when geiger-counters had not yet been invented.

If my memory serves me correctly, I think you are more likely to die (or at least be ill) from those old anthrax shaving brushes.  :shock:

[David555]

I was going to get all my mercury amalgam fillings taken out, but the dentist said the process of removal to refill with gold or ceramic would expose me even more - ahhhh

I have to get a perspective and say I am not going to be afraid of low level beta rays that have mostly fuzzed out to background noise over 120 years when I have poison in my actual face.

Now my mobile telephone, I use a wireless earpiece for that now :!:

Adam P

Mr. Vaseline Glass - I love your office - also I know this (below, I bought some the other day) is Davidson Yellow Pearline but forget the shape number (I have no specific books on Vaseline or Davidson as yet)

[mrvaselineglass]

Davidson called it 1891 SUITE.  The Americans call it LADY CAROLINE.  There has been no Rd. number discovered for this series.

Adam:  If you are looking for a good book on vaseline glass OR on Davidson glass, may I be so bold as to recommend mine?  It currently shows more DAVIDSON PRIMROSE PEARLINE in color photos than any other book ever published.  I currently don't have any for sale, but they can be found on ebay.  There is also a chapter on Davidson in the book.

VASELINE GLASS: CANARY TO CONTEMPORARY
Just put that in your ebay search engine and you can find a copy.  There are usually a couple on ebay every week.

Here is a link to an independent review of my book (honest, I did not pay her a thing to write this!)
http://www.vaselineglass.org/review.html

Regards
Dave
aka: Mr. Vaseline Glass

[ChrisStewart]

Hi,
  David555's piece is most definately not the 1891 suite. It is a No. 243 basket and was introduced around 1890-1891. The 1891 suite was Davidson's hobnail design (RD 153858, August 1890). For many of the Davidson yearly suites, the design was registered in either August or September of the previous year.

May I recommend our book on Davidson called Davidson Glass a history. It is a detailed history of Davidson from 1867 to 1987. Details can be found at www.cloudglass.com.

We will also be publishing a comprehensive Davidson identification guide later this year.

Regards

Chris

[Bernard C]

Dave — I can only back up what Chris says.   Stewart & Stewart is a superb work, and I regard it as the definitive reference on Davidson.    Indeed I would go so far as to suggest that any historian of British glass who is not familiar with the book is at risk of becoming out of date very quickly.    Same applies to Reynolds and Timberlake, except that Chris and Val have included a wealth of material that gives great insight into into the industry as a whole.

You may have noticed that I referenced Stewart & Stewart twice in a recent contribution to the Lillicrap hone topic, on the two subjects speed of production and taxation.

Bernard C.  

[David555]

Thanks Dave, Chris and Bernard

I think I shall buy both of your books - I have long shelves waiting - Bernard, as always I take your recommendations on board, I will be looking for Stewart & Stewart / Reynolds and Timberlake on Amazon and Bookfinder.Com


Adam P