What Is Flint Glass?
Flint glass is the term used for a type of pressed lead glassware that was made in the United States and the United Kingdom before the 1860s, according to PatternGlass.com. Does this Spark an idea?
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Name
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Flint glass making was mastered in England in the 1670s, according to PatternGlass.com. The glassware contained powdered flint in the compound and thus earned its name.
Lead
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Lead was eventually added to the compound used to make flint glass, providing the glass with improved clarity, resonance and weight, according to PatternGlass.com. Flint was phased out of the mixture, but the name remained.
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Characteristics
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The best flint glass possesses "superior light fraction," a bell tone when struck and is heavy, according to PatternGlass.com. Most flint glass pieces are clear, though there are some rare pieces with colors. A typical flint glass formula had 33 percent lead, which is comparable to contemporary Waterford Crystal.
Peak Period
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Cheaper pressing methods and the American Industrial Revolution led to a peak of flint glass manufacturing in the United States between 1845 and 1865, according to PatternGlass.com. Flint glass became affordable to average households and became abundant. This also led to flint glass being made in a wider variety of forms and in more elaborate patterns.
The End
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In the 1860s, lead became scarce, and a new glassware-making process was discovered that used lime, according to PatternGlass.com. By 1872, the use of lead had stopped in the making of pressed glassware, ending the manufacturing of flint glass.
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