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Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass Paperweights => Topic started by: bait on March 01, 2015, 11:36:01 PM

Title: help authenticate my paul ysart snake paper weight
Post by: bait on March 01, 2015, 11:36:01 PM

i purchased this weight today but want to make sure its authentic before i list it
it is sighed inside py   both letters are the same pink color and they are even.
i used a black light and nothing glows  nice wear pattern on the base   take a good look t the photos   
thanks for any help

Title: Re: help authenticate my paul ysart snake paper weight
Post by: chopin-liszt on March 02, 2015, 02:01:46 PM

Hi and welcome to the board. :)
Thanks for posting such lovely clear images.
Good to see somebody checking authenticity too. ;D

I think the information you are looking for should be here.
Checking the catalogues there, I can see a similar weight to yours, just in different colours, being described as being PY for Caithness.
There are articles and images here, showing fake canes and real ones.

http://ysartglass.com/Indexcat02.htm

Title: Re: help authenticate my paul ysart snake paper weight
Post by: SophieB on March 03, 2015, 12:02:10 AM

Hi there,

Yes it is a Paul Ysart snake indeed.There is no doubt about it.

Nice weight.

SophieB

Title: Re: help authenticate my paul ysart snake paper weight
Post by: KevinH on March 03, 2015, 01:28:26 AM

Quote

... i used a black light and nothing glows ...

When thinking about whether a weight may be a fake py example, a blacklight (i.e. longwave uv) will not always help. This is because the longwave uv reaction of the fakes is much the same as for genuine PY weights from his 1970s Harland period - which many people will see as showing "no reaction". Some people may see a very pale "orangey" colour, but again this will be much the same for the fakes and the Harland weights.

Since your weight shows "no reaction" but, as has been said, it is definitely a genuine PY weight, it is from the Harland years as opposed to the Caithness Glass period. The blacklight (longwave) reaction for Paul Ysart Caithness weights is yellow / orange (but can vary in strength of the colour). The uv reaction can also vary in strength depending on whether there is any ambient regular light and also the distance of the lamp from the surface of the weight.

Edited to add: When you said "nothing glows" was I correct in thinking you meant "no uv reaction"? Or is there a yellow / orange colouring?

Title: Re: help authenticate my paul ysart snake paper weight
Post by: bait on March 03, 2015, 09:15:32 PM

WHAT I MEAN IS THE BLACK LIGHT IM USING DOES NOT MAKE IT BLOW UP LIKE A PIECE OF VASELINE GLASS WHERE THERE IS NO QUESTION AT ALL ITS GLOWING...

Title: Re: help authenticate my paul ysart snake paper weight
Post by: bait on March 03, 2015, 09:18:58 PM

SO MY POINT IS THAT IT DOES NOT GLOW

Title: Re: help authenticate my paul ysart snake paper weight
Post by: Nick77 on March 03, 2015, 09:24:27 PM

No need to shout.

Title: Re: help authenticate my paul ysart snake paper weight
Post by: bait on March 03, 2015, 09:29:02 PM

sorry ....not shouting    i always right in upper case

Title: Re: help authenticate my paul ysart snake paper weight
Post by: chopin-liszt on March 04, 2015, 01:06:25 PM

A black light will show more than the presence of uranium.
Selenium and cadmium also used as colourants in glass give a colourful effect too.

Title: Re: help authenticate my paul ysart snake paper weight
Post by: KevinH on March 04, 2015, 04:49:57 PM

Ok - main point about Ysart weights is that it is the colour of the uv reaction that can mean something for dating. And it is only for early Ysart weights (pre-1962) that a strength of glow may mean something.

Generally, tho, there are no regular weights that have a uv reaction like a "vaseline glow".

Title: Re: help authenticate my paul ysart snake paper weight
Post by: bait on March 04, 2015, 09:19:42 PM

Thankyou all    what an awesome site this is    all great people WOW!!!!

Title: Re: help authenticate my paul ysart snake paper weight
Post by: SophieB on March 12, 2015, 05:43:44 PM

Kevin,

I was reading this post and wondered how you can differentiate this Harland snake from a Caithness one? I certainly would not be able to do so myself, can you give us some tips ?

SophieB

Title: Re: help authenticate my paul ysart snake paper weight
Post by: KevinH on March 12, 2015, 06:55:58 PM

Hi Sophie,

It was all about this part of my comments:

Quote

Since your weight shows "no reaction" but, as has been said, it is definitely a genuine PY weight, it is from the Harland years as opposed to the Caithness Glass period.

The uv reaction for Caithness weights is a sort of "Watery Yellow-Green" (or "Reddish Green") under longwave and a definite Blue under shortwave. For Harland weights, there is no visible reaction under either longwave or shortwave (as per Colin Mahoney in his book on PY weights). However, for many Harland weights, I see a Dusty Green or Dusty Pink (longwave) and Dusty Light Green (shortwave) as I stated in my article at: http://www.glass.co.nz/ysart.htm.

Title: Re: help authenticate my paul ysart snake paper weight
Post by: SophieB on March 12, 2015, 09:09:12 PM

Thank you Kev!!
I was hoping for other clues... Ah Well!! Never mind.

SophieB

Title: Re: help authenticate my paul ysart snake paper weight
Post by: KevinH on March 13, 2015, 12:22:10 AM

Yes, other clues would be good.

But I think the "3D creature" weights from the Caithness & Harland periods were all finished with a smooth polished base, or they had a neatly finished foot. And I think it is not possible to visually separate the Caithness examples from the Harland ones by normal visual aspects alone (unless a Harland one has an "H" cane).

I could, of course, be wrong in my belief. So ...

... Does anyone have an example of a Paul Ysart "3D Creature" weight that does not have a smooth polished base, or neatly finished foot?