MILTON -- West Virginia was home to some of the best glassworks in the world.
Blenko, Pilgrim, Fenton and Kanawha Glassworks were major names in the art glass world. But as the cost of glass production increased and cheaper competition from overseas markets gained hold, many closed.
But Milton glassworks operator David Osburn is keeping the tradition of the craft alive.
Osburn Glass sports a quaint little shop. The building's facade is unassuming from outside. It looks more like an abandoned warehouse than an artist's studio.
Once inside the door, though, warmly colored and displayed works of glass from vases to water pitchers to works of art invite visitors inside.
Osburn's daughter Melissa Cole greeted me at the door. She took me to the back of the building where the magic is made in the furnaces and kilns.
The equipment and tools resemble a mad scientist's bakery or something out of a medieval torture chamber. The weather outside is cold and crisp, but the heat from the furnaces roaring in the background makes it feel like the inside of a dragon's belly.
I find Osburn deep in thought as he uses wood and iron tools to work a glowing ball of fire into a work of art.
Osburn, a former Blenko employee and Barboursville resident, continues to locally produce works of art from a simple molten solution of recycled glass and sand.
As he shapes the orange sphere into what turns out to be a vase, he stops to tell me about his experience in the business.
"I worked at Blenko for 35 years and decided it was time to do my own thing without someone over my shoulder," Osburn said.
He was able to do that when Charles Gibson, former owner of Gibson Glass, put his small Milton shop up for sale. Osburn said he saw the opportunity to take over the operation and produce his own brand of work. Osburn Glass was born.
Osburn said the relationship with Gibson was born from a friendship kindled by their passion for glass blowing. He said Gibson taught him many different techniques, while Osburn showed him a few of his own.
"He (Gibson) was one of the best glass blowers around when he was working and truly was a great glassworker," Osburn said.
Osburn got his start 35 years ago at Blenko after his then father-in-law introduced him to the company's foreman. Osburn said he did not expect to stick with his job as a glass blower, but the more he learned, the more it became part of him.
"One thing about glass is you either are going to love or hate, but once it has bitten you it becomes part of your life," Osburn said. "It so empowering to take nothing and turn it into something."
Osburn said glass blowers have to be dedicated because the job is really hot in the summer and cold in the winter. He said he has many burns across his body and has seen a lot of his work not turn out to his liking.
"Sometimes it is just one thing that you are doing wrong that makes it turn out wrong to me, but sometimes that is what creates something unique because in the process you learn a new technique," Osburn said.
After Osburn made several pieces, he asked me if I wanted to try. For some reason, I was actually reluctant, but after some coaxing from Osburn I decide to give it a try.
He put the big ball of molten glass crystal on the blow stick and added blue and white glass shards I chose for my piece. I sat in the chair, grabbing the wooden tool resembling a block with a spoon end cut into it. With Osburn's help, I rolled the glass on the water-cooled block, turning the lump of hot glass into a round ball.
Osburn walked the ball over to the vase mold and put the glass into it. I stood on the stool, blew gently into the tube and watched in amazement as the glass blew up like bubblegum to fill the mold.
Osburn then reheated the molded glass as I rolled the tube and flattened the bottom surface with a paddle. He inserted another rod into the bottom as I took the paddle and broke off the excess glass revealing what resembled a vase. Not quite done.
Osburn reheated the vase again as I took a seat at another bench. I grabbed what appeared to be oversized tweezers and put them against the rim of the glass to produce the vase's opening and give it a unique look. The vase was sprayed with a special finish and placed into the kiln.
Although I was awkward doing it and burned my hand rolling the glass, I managed to create a beautiful, unique ... something. It resembled a vase, but I would call it more freelance art.
I must say I can see why Osburn likes what he does. It was thrilling to make something from nothing. In a sense, this is truly a working memory.
"It is a process of learning, requiring the right attitude, because it will light a fire inside you when you want to try," he said.
After receiving a first-hand look at the technical end of Osburn Glass, I discuss the business side of Osburn Glass with its owner. According to Osburn, the economy has slowed his ability to sell big items, but his smallest stuff is flying off the shelves.
"People want to buy a lot of stuff in the $10 to $60 range this year," Osburn said.
He said his most popular item was initially a mistake.
Several years ago, Osburn started making watering flowers to sit in flower pots to ornamentally water the plant after pouring water down the glass flower's tube.
"I was trying to do one thing but ended up with another. So I had to use my imagination, and the flowers were born."
Osburn said he sold the mistake the next day after putting it on display. So he made a dozen more. By noon the next day he had sold out. He made 60 on the following Saturday and sold them out by the next weekend.
"I spent all day Thanksgiving making about 85 of them, and by Saturday I had sold 70," he said.
Osburn said he sold about 2,700 of the flowers the first year he made them. He recently filled an order for 70 flowers for a wedding recently.
Dealers sell Osburn Glass in every state but Alaska, Hawaii and Maine. He said he is in discussion to produce 1,000 pieces a month for a company and is hoping to gain a contract for architectural glass products. If Osburn secures the contract, he will produce 10,000 to 15,000 pieces a month. He said the contract could mean the creation of a job, but he does not want to expand too much.
"I just want to make enough to keep the doors open, pay my bills because I just want to keep overhead low," Osburn said. "I do not want a huge inventory or too big in overhead forcing my prices up."
Osburn said despite low prices, his quality is what sells his glass. He signs every piece and does not sell a piece unless he would have it in his own home.
"It is all about trial and error and craftsmanship while making mistakes discovering new techniques to make unique products," Osburn said.
Time and experience are the key to honing a craft -- both have treated Osburn well during his career as a glassblower. From working for someone else to being his own boss in an environment nurturing creativity, Osburn has found his niche in life. According to Osburn, his time as a glassblower is far from over.
"I still love doing this after 38 years. But once I get tired of coming in to fire up the furnaces and the kiln then I guess I will just go and do something else," he said.
