Why Can't Glassmakers Repeat?

[Kalera]

Bullseye is about as consistent as glass can get... and there are still very small variations from run to run. Sometimes they look like large variations in the rod, but after the rod is worked up it should be very difficult or impossible to tell the color apart.

One of the reasons that's been explained to me is that even when measuring the raw ingredients by weight, things like humidity and even air pressure can make enough of a difference to throw the color off in the finished batch. Maybe someone from Bullseye will pop in here and give a better technical explanation!

Even taking that into consideration, they are so careful about consistency there that for the most part, I can buy a color today and compare it to the same color from ten years ago, and it will be identical or so close as to be nearly indistinguishable once it's worked up, even if the cold rods start out appearing to be very different colors, which is often the case with many of their opaques.

[TBC Beads]

Originally Posted by PaulaD

The news out of China is even worse for glass makers. They have now restricted exports of their rare earths to 20% of production. And they own most of the rare earths in the world.

Adding more weight to my contention that we all better start learning Mandarin or Cantonese. *sigh*

[Firebrand Beads]

Thank you, Pam, I re-read my reply and see it does sound crankier than I intended, lol!
I think I was reacting more to the idea that glass makers don't care. Maybe some glass manufacturers don't care, but us? These are the things that keep Paul up at night.
We were just talking out here about how the latest batch of some chem looks nothing like the supposedly identical chem looked the last time... and it does make us crazy.

FWIW we do sell odd-lots of regular colors, off shade, and ID them as such. Then there are experimentals, and there are no specific parameters for those anyway, they are experiments. Frankly there is a strong market for these odd lots and EXPs among those who want something that few others have, so we don't hold them back. But I mark all the 104 bundles with batch numbers before they leave the factory, so those of you trying to make sets from colors that tend to vary a lot have a fighting chance to get more from the same pot of glass. If you are buying TAG colors from your distributor, you can ask them for the batch number. It was on the bundle when they received it.

[PaulaD]

I LOVE the experimentals! So do my customers!
Thanks Jenny and Paul!

[Kalera]

I want to comment that most "specials and odds" are not sold at a higher price by the manufacturer. Some are mistakes, some are experimental... trying new formulas to see what happens. They don't cost any less to make, and many glassworkers love having glass that is of limited production, so the manufacturer is able to sell them at the normal price, which encourages them to experiment more, which means more new colors make it into production because development doesn't have a high loss rate, as it would if they had to eat the cost. Everybody wins.

The specials and odds don't end up at the higher prices until they hit the secondary market after they are no longer available from the manufacturer.