# What does a "pontil" look like?



## cramer1399 (Jun 5, 2011)

[][:-][8|][&o]i need to know.[][][X(][][][8D][][&:][][][:'(][>:]


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## GuntherHess (Jun 5, 2011)

a pontil or punty is basically a long iron rod used to hold a bottle after its broken off the blow pipe.

 seen on the right side of this image coated in glass.






 now you know, tell a friend.


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## RED Matthews (Jun 5, 2011)

So welcome to the FORUM, cramer1398;  I sent you a PM regarding the best reference for your learning about early bottle making techniques.  It is the SHA homepage from Bill Lindsey.  Start here and you can learn a lot! Have fun.  
 RED Matthews


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## cramer1399 (Jun 5, 2011)

actually i meant to say what does a pontil MARK look like?


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## RED Matthews (Jun 5, 2011)

Hi Cramer1399; I sent you a PM and I thought I posted a message here, but I don't see it.  There are pontils and there are puntee marks.  The Open Pontil is glass left on a blow pipe that was kept hot by the glory hole of a furnace.  When the bottle maker, made the next bottle, this glass tube end of glass was attached on the bottom of the next bottle, to provide a handle for holding the bottle while the gaffer applied glass to the finish and tooled it to specifications needed.  The Open Blowpipe Pontil ring was left on the bottom of the next bottle when the older blowpipe was broken free of the product.
 Check out the SMA homepage and you can learn a lot; and I think it will be better than a book on the subject.
 RED Matthews


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## GuntherHess (Jun 5, 2011)

There are a number of different types of pontil mark (or scars)
 Here is a typical one...


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## cyberdigger (Jun 5, 2011)

Here's an iron pontil mark..


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## cyberdigger (Jun 5, 2011)

...the Aunt Jemima pontil mark.. []


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## GuntherHess (Jun 5, 2011)

I'll see your iron pontil mark and raise you a solid rod pontil mark from our friend across the pond...


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## bostaurus (Jun 5, 2011)

So what does a "sand" pontil look like?


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## cyberdigger (Jun 5, 2011)

..from SOURCE


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## RED Matthews (Jun 5, 2011)

Hi cyberdigger;  I looked at this Aunt Jamimas bottom.

                                              			I did a lot of work on that one. at Thatcher Glass.  In fact we had a lot of problems satisfying them with her face.  This bottom near the top of your picture has a special spotter bar for getting the label placed in exactly the right place.
 The job # is the 4300, the 68 is 1968  the S is Streater Illinois and the 10 is the mold number.  Notice the hand stippled contact surface around the bottom of the bottle.  I think they wanted that to keep the bottles from slipping.
 RED Matthews


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## towhead (Jun 6, 2011)

Pontil pictures....click on the link.  -Julie

http://www.sha.org/bottle/pontil_scars.htm


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## GuntherHess (Jun 6, 2011)

> In fact we had a lot of problems satisfying them with her face.  This bottom near the top of your picture has a special spotter bar for getting the label placed in exactly the right place.
> The job # is the 4300, the 68 is 1968  the S is Streater Illinois and the 10 is the mold number.  Notice the hand stippled contact surface around the bottom of the bottle.  I think they wanted that to keep the bottles from slipping.
> RED Matthews


 
 great info. I wish we had first hand knowledge like that to explain marks on 19th century bottles.


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## bottlekid76 (Jun 6, 2011)

Charlie,

 Super IP on that one! I'm assuming a soda. What is that one? []


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## RICKJJ59W (Jun 14, 2011)

> ORIGINAL:  cyberdigger
> 
> ...the Aunt Jemima pontil mark.. []


 
 LOL I like you Chuck never serious always  thinking  ahead[8D]


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## RICKJJ59W (Jun 14, 2011)

A swimming pontil hole


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## cowseatmaize (Jun 14, 2011)

> I did a lot of work on that one. at Thatcher Glass.  In fact we had a lot of problems satisfying them with her face.  This bottom near the top of your picture has a special spotter bar for getting the label placed in exactly the right place.
> The job # is the 4300, the 68 is 1968  the S is Streater Illinois and the 10 is the mold number.  Notice the hand stippled contact surface around the bottom of the bottle.  I think they wanted that to keep the bottles from slipping.
> RED Matthews


Thanks Red, the IDing has been done for OI but it's interesting that Thatcher was at least similar. I never knew that.


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## Wheelah23 (Jun 14, 2011)

I sometimes come across the embossed pontil. It occurs on the bottom of the bottle, unlike many pontil types. It looks almost like embossing on the base. This makes for some interesting looking pontil marks. It takes a true expert to distinguish these from a bottle with an embossed base, but I have experience in this field...[sm=tongue.gif]


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