Not exactly boro related...

Jngljnke · #1 2012-03-14, 9:17am

People teak out when you go from this,

to this.

Most of the lampworkers I know (only 6) in the real world are of the damn dirty hippie* persuasion. All but one almost exclusively make pipes. Is that the norm? At my wife's request I let myself grew the beard and let my hair grow out. My normal look is clean cut.

I'm not trying to cater my look to be like the average lampworker. I'm just curious if what you make is a good indication of, lets say personal hygiene choices.

I sometimes wonder what y'all look like, but it seems like only the 104 people post self pictures.

*damn dirty hippie was used as an affectionate phrase, if you were offended go burn one and chill out!

AmorphousDesigns · #2 2012-03-14, 9:44am

ooh, much more handsome clean cut, definitely prefer that look.

I don't know too many guy lampworkers, but the ladies are all over the spectrum from "fancy, nails painted, hair perfect pretty" to "plain jane, jeans and t-shirts". I lean towards the "not too much hair around the fire and super comfy clothes" style myself. I don't make pipes, but might go that way if I get laid off and have more time to learn.

BellaBean · #3 2012-03-14, 11:27am

I think you'd look great in the longer hair (trimmed a bit) but clean shaven face.

I see every part of the spectrum with glass workers. Clean cut, artsy, hippy, somewhere in between... I think really anything goes.

Pipe makers kind of have the "dirty hippy" rep, but not all glass workers make pipes. I always get the "do you make pipes?" question when I tell people that my passion is glass. LOL. It's always interesting to hear what the stereotypes are.

cheng076 · #4 2012-03-14, 11:49am

Not many of the beadmakers I know have beards... most are women. LOL

That said what I see is that about 5% bead makers are men although men who make other things do make a few beads now and then. Conversely only about 5% of pipe makers/marble makers are women. The younger glass workers seem to have come from the 'smoking' culture although some mature into sculpture and marbles and vessels makers with pipes as a side line or 'production' item. The older people seem to have come to glass from an art stand point. And that said I see great 'art' in all the different areas of glass work.

You will see corporate types and 'dirty hippy' types and everything in between. the trend these days is away from beards and long hair for younger people so all that stereotyping may change. I have had a beard since 1961 but short(er) hair so I guess I'm in between somewhere.

PJH

Jngljnke · #5 2012-03-14, 11:55am

I live in Houston, and it stays hot. It gets awfully hot on the torch in my garage. My fresh air comes in at over 90° during the summer. Long hair isn't an option.

My mentor was clean cut. He was the only person I knew that that was a lampworker until a couple of weeks ago. The people I've recently met all have long hair, and most have some sort of facial hair. They also have the luxury of working in an air conditioned studio.

Also,I was just trying to lighten the mood. The boro room seemed to be getting like a less friendly place to bring lampworkers together...

Kalera · #6 2012-03-14, 12:27pm

I've met a whole spectrum... most of the pipemakers I've met have been pretty clean-cut, but I think that might be a function of who I know more than anything. I have definitely also encountered the dirty hippie/lives in a car type, too.

Jngljnke · #7 2012-03-14, 2:43pm

A woman at a craft show told me more women did beads than men because they have better fine motor skills. Sounds plausible to me. Looking at her work I could tell she definitely has me beat in that category.

I can't think of why there wouldn't be a larger percentage of women making marbles. Pipes just kind of seem like a guy thing to me though.

Afro1621 · #8 2012-03-14, 3:09pm

I guess it all depends on what your preferences are. I know 3 people, 1st is my mentor and he´s clean cut (almost bald) and no bearb or facial hair at all, and he does all types of boro stuff including pipes as his main source of income, and the other 2 are hippies! lol!!

As for my look, I´ve always liked long hair and a bearb but since I have a normal job at a bank I have to keep it short, right now I have a middle size afro haircut and short bearb!
Once I´m sure that glass will be my main income for the rest of my life, I´ll let my hair grow again. =)

I believe long hair represents freedom, waking up at your convinience, not having to be on time at your office... etc.

Pura vida! Miguel!

queenofswords · #9 2012-03-14, 4:10pm

I make pipes. I am a 60 year old proffesional business woman. I am also an entertainer. My view on hair, facial or other wise is that color and style are optional. Do what makes you comfortable. Other's opinions are strictly that...their opinion. Views on what people should or should not look like over the centuries has differed considerably.

Bunyip · #10 2012-03-14, 5:51pm

My pic on my LE profile is fairly representative of how I typically look. (although I have a straight-up almost army recruit short buzz cut right now). At leisure I usually wear cargo shorts, flip flops and a t-shirt with something amusing on it, so if I'm out and about that's usually what you'll see. I would say that more than half of the boro workers and pipers I've met or seen are somewhere in the cleaner-cut range, but there is definitely the full spectrum of people working the boro, it's probably as much who you happen to know as anything else. It seems like the more skilled people tend toward one extreme or the other though. Dunno why that is - it may even be marketing

As for your bead lady's contention about men and beads and motor skills, I disagree. It may be true about the motor skills, I don't know enough to refute that... but why are most neurosurgeons men? In my experience, male beadmakers tend to make VERY detail-oriented beads - with a focus on geometrical dot patterns or intricate linework. Trey Cornette & Brad Pearson are good examples of these paradigms, and it seems to translate to boro as well, marbles in particular... I was pretty focused on dots, dot patterns and the like when I was making beads, though these days when I break out the soft glass it's usually stringer work. I just think beads don't really appeal to most guys, because they don't see the point. Which is that you are MELTING GLASS, in a FRICKEN HUGE FIRE, I mean C'mon!!

PS: I looked up the motor skills thing, looks like that is true. Still don't think it applies to why men don't make beads.

mandoziller · #11 2012-03-17, 10:20am

I tend to keep my hair short....can't grow a beard yet!

Jngljnke · #12 2012-03-17, 10:39am

Why mess with perfection? You look so happy without facial hair.

glassymom · #13 2012-03-17, 11:16am

You look fine in both pics!!! Damn dirty hippy....LOL My kids call me a hippy all the time and I refer to my 19yo son as a dirty hippy LOL I'm plan jane, short and yes, I guess a hippy type. LOL Just getting into boro

Mike H · #14 2012-03-17, 2:49pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by queenofswords

I make pipes. I am a 60 year old proffesional business woman. I am also an entertainer. My view on hair, facial or other wise is that color and style are optional. Do what makes you comfortable. Other's opinions are strictly that...their opinion. Views on what people should or should not look like over the centuries has differed considerably.

I have a friend (also in Canada) who makes pipes that is a professional business woman and she does not use them, just sells them.
I was kind of shocked when she told me that, I did not ever think she would delve into that area of glass work, nothing wrong with it, I was just surprised.
Its funny, whenever I see pictures of lampworkers on this site I am usually surprised because they don't look like I imagined, don't know why they just don't. I think the way people look may have more to do with where they are from not what they do, just my opinion. I also think that the reason more women make beads and work small is so that they can wear them as jewelry . I only made beads to learn new techniques and to learn how to manipulate hot glass, my Wife and Daughter were the beneficiaries of that effort, I have never worn a bead myself so I only make them once in a while for them or a family member.
I now blow glass (furnace) and use my lampworking skills as a compliment or design for that as well as smallish sculpture in soft glass or marbles. I really like meeting new people that are glass workers, you just never know what their background is and they are usually nice people.

P.S. I think your clean cut look is better and in a professional world you will be taken more seriously if thats what you are going for. JMHO

Mike H · #15 2012-03-17, 2:51pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by mandoziller

I tend to keep my hair short....can't grow a beard yet!

Now THAT'S a good look!

Jngljnke · #16 2012-03-17, 8:35pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike H

Its funny, whenever I see pictures of lampworkers on this site I am usually surprised because they don't look like I imagined, don't know why they just don't.

I feel the same way. Thanks for everyone's input.

RedToroBoro · #17 2012-03-17, 8:53pm

DR.s, attorneys, working professionals they all have their group of hippies, beards, clean shaven and clean cut. Not any different because they don't work with Boro. Oh ya these groups "all" have their "pipe smokers" not makers. It's what makes the world go round. Lets not try to put a label on everybody.
Peace