Behind-the-Scenes of Our Glass Making: FIFTY’S
Founded in 1932, SGHR Sugahara has consistently focused on handcrafting high-quality glassware. In the 1970s, we began developing and manufacturing our own glass products, which led to the creation of numbers of new products. The scene of the workshop, where our artisans are passionate about their work and constantly striving to improve their skills, has not changed since the beginning of our history.
Glass made from natural materials changes its state depending on factors such as temperature, and it is impossible to completely control it. However, this is precisely why it sometimes displays a surprising beauty. We are continually fascinated by the profound appeal, beauty, and potential of this “living glass.”
Before being shaped, glass is heated to around 1400℃ to be melted and it cools to harden at around 600℃. During this process, our artisans capture the moment when the glass is at its most beautiful and give it shape. They bring out the best in the characteristics of the glass; a unique brilliance and flowing form. For this reason, they sincerely face the glass every day and “communicate" with it.
Now, you may wonder what kind of communication they have with the glass. So, starting this month, we will feature our artisans and their voices to explore the behind-the-scene stories of Sugahara’s glass making.
Today, we sat with Kenichi Koide and asked him about the secrets of making thin FIFTY’S glass, one of Sugahara’s best-sellers.
Kenichi Koide + FIFTY'S
"Determine the Elongation of the Glass and Create Thinness"
Q: The charm of FIFTY’S seems to lie in the fact that it retains the patina of a simple water glass while impressing with its lightness. The thinness of the rim is also exquisite. How do you create this thinness?
First, a mass of glass is blown through a blowpipe once before being placed in the mold. This is to prepare the thickness of the glass as, otherwise, it will not stretch evenly. Then, when we put the glass into the mold, we see how it stretches and blow it until it gets to the thinness I'm looking for. Stretching the glass means making the rim thinner.
Q: So it's not like you can just put a mass of glass in a mold and it's done, is it?
It’s not that easy. We make minor adjustments each time. FIFTY’S also has a thinner bottom, which is also adjusted by how much air I blow into the glass before it’s placed in the mold. If a lot of air is blown, the bottom will be thin. If less air, it will be thick.
Q: If I look close, I notice that there's also a slight edge to the bottom corner of the glass.
I think the deciding factor is how soft the glass is when it’s placed in the mold. If the glass is soft, you can hold it back a little and wait for the glass to go all the way to the corners of the mold. This way, the corners will be shaped properly.
Q: Because of its simple design, there must be a lot of things you need to be careful about when making a FIFTY’S glass. Could you give us an example?
To make sure that the surface texture is clean and smooth. Although the glass is placed in a mold to be blown, the glass and the mold are actually not in direct contact because a film of water vapor forms between them. However, if you take too much time, the vapor film will disappear and the glass will inevitably touch the mold, which will cause scratches to the surface. So, timing is very important here.
Although FIFTY’S may appear simple and basic, it's not easy to achieve the perfect thinness and the balanced shape. It's only possible by the artisans who use their hands, eyes, body and sensitivity to the fullest, relying on their own experience and intuition.