Bent glass lamp panel repairs

     Bent glass lamp panels are also known as slag glass lamps. Bending a flat piece of slag glass to conform to an existing bent glass lamp panel is started by making a mold. The original bent glass panel is evaluated determining the glass manufacturer, the density of the glass and the type of bend. My goal is to best match each and satisfy my clients..

Manufactures: Bent glass lamp panel colors in 1900 came from many companies.  At the time of writing this page only two companies still manufacturing glass.  (Bench rack shown) I have seven racks and over  900 bins containing rare old glass arranged by color.  Most of which came from the same two glass manufactures still making glass since the circa 1900 period.

Density:  Early lamp designs of 1900’s were sold in (black and white) catalogs or in showrooms.  This was a time when the glass manufactures (sheet glass) worked 24/7 making glass for the lighting companies to bend.  The glass was in my words beautiful ( wild and inconsistent).  Looking at the lamps you can see how each panel and every lamp was unique and different.

As production slowed and demand over the next 50 years slowed.  The sheet glass manufacturing  focused on quality control with opalescent glass.   A good example would be the popular caramel color (KOG11).  Manufactured since 1888 the color is now available in (11LL-11ML-11-11MD and 11D) densities.  Allowing me to best match your older KOG11.

    Below are some of my bent glass lamp panel repairs that I am proud of.    In most pictures bent glass lamp panel work reflects matching and repairing one or two panels. But clients also have the option of updating to a total new color and or texture.  By choice or necessity which is reflected by the current condition of the existing glass.

I think its important to note that over 90% off all existing slag glass lamps have had damages and new glass installed over the past 120 years.   Glass panels are the one thing that is expected to be changed along with the electrical upgrades every 20 or so years.  IF a shade has gone through several glass repairs at some point its best to change all the glass to make the restoration look original again.