Tuscan raiders out the door to their new owner. These jacks are hybrids, part standard, part goblet and part vintage factory anomaly. The blades are exceptionally smooth and have a nice full body that is reminiscent of the Mandolino style and more teardrop shaped. The tips come together like goblet jacks and the strap has a three point bend that’s reminiscent of a vintage factory set I have from Tuscany. I have financing options at the checkout on the website so you can pay for them in a way that’s more comfortable for your budget.
The tools are starting to make their way out into the world - let’s hear some reviews when they show up
The website is live if you have a minute to check it out! Watanabe Glass Tools made to order! Link in bio!
Coming soon…
“Shockingly buttery” “extremely smooth blades” “Dino would have to hire an assassin if he were still in the game.” -satisfied users
Tuscan goblet jacks (Tuscan Raiders) inspired by these very old Tuscan factory jacks that I love and use often - they have a ton of character and really shred. Also shown is a pair of Jim Moore square backs for reference - they’re great jacks that I borrowed a few details from. My Tuscan goblets feature a unique strap shape and a slim, yet substantial blade that’s a sort of hybrid shape. I was thinking these would be a limited run but they’re absolutely insane so there’s probably gonna be more. I’ll let ya know when I’m ready to start production. 🍷
Giving Bauhaus with the chrome over weaving by @myriad.glass @soda.glass.house
I’m getting around to figuring out pricing and timelines for the launch - I’ll get that posted as soon as possible… also presently building a furnace, fixing broken equipment and other generalized hustling 9 days a week on a shoestring budget ~ thanks for the patience yallll
The handles are inspired by old French shears - popular in pre-war Europe and common on Italian benches, which were later appropriated by Putsch, Putsch Meniconi, and even later by the great Gaio Arturo - contoured and tacked in place to form around the stem.
The fulcrum stands out a good bit. This lets the blades stand off the bench and become elevated off the waxy work surface. This comes from the textile industry where pointed tips would be better off standing out than digging into your work. The feature has had many benefits over the years including as a pipe rest for English factory workers and simply a handsome ornament by others.
The blade shape, crafted in thick D2 are obviously inspired the late GOAT Ivan Smith who, himself, was inspired by Jack Rann and earlier English styling that goes back hundreds of years and possibly beyond that. More modern influences from the other shear GOAT Jeff Lindsay of cutting edge - like the material of D2 and the handle to blade brazing. Jeff had a way of making shears comfortable to use that has very much inspired my approach. These blades also feature geometry from Putsch shears which are highly regarded for their function. I have a few pair that I use regularly, as well as Ivan’s shears which I studied intensely before deciding on my choice geometry for these tools. Still some figuring out to do but they’re close and I’ll throw them on the website when I’m ready. 🪷
7.5” jacks
9” J’s. I’ll be rolling out a production line this year featuring large, medium and small jacks. Also diamond shears, tweezers and tags. There’s a lot of great handmade tools on the market right now and I want to focus my attention on the stuff that isn’t readily available from other craftspeople - and applying my own flavor. I’m interested in drawing from my research of tool history and details from my personal collection and let the conversation between blacksmiths and glassmakers of history inform the decisions I make. Geometry, steel properties and alloys, heat treatments, versatility and aesthetics are all being pulled from different places and applied to these tools. I’ve taken first hand accounts of where Dino and Ivan got their steel, and worked with metallurgists in the US, UK, Italy and Sweden to decipher the *je ne sais quoi* of what makes jacks “nice” or “special”. I’ve talked to glass masters and factory workers about the functionality of proprietary tools and why they’re important. I’ve analyzed centuries old one of a kind tools that have a completely different feel and function than anything on the market today that we are used to. It’s not just about cloning Dino or Ivan or Jim Moore etc, it’s more about synthesizing the best and most versatile features of these historic tools to create something new that’s inspired.
