What is hobnail glass?

Hobnail glass is an age-old style of glass that has a regular pattern of raised knobs like the hobnail studs sometimes used on boot soles.

Is hobnail glass valuable?

A Fenton hobnail 4 1/2-inch vase can go for $15 to $50. The older it is, the higher in cost. Opalescent or iridescent glass can be worth more. Hobnail glass was popular in Victorian times, then, it was called "dewdrop glass." When Fenton introduced it in 1939, it became a hit.

What does hobnail on glass mean?

A hobnail is a short nail with a thick head: used to increase the durability of boot soles. Hobnail may also refer to: A pattern of glassware: (sometimes called Fenton Hobnail) where the body of the piece has a regular array of bumps, as if finished with glass hobnails.

How old is hobnail glass?

In 1939 Fenton Art Glass first introduced their hobnail glass and in those early years it was in translucent colours. Milk glass hobnail was introduced by Fenton in 1950, and proved to be one of their most successful products.

Is all hobnail glass Fenton?

Fenton primarily produced carnival glass, which has an iridescent sheen, although some of their pieces are opalescent glass, which is translucent. Fenton also specialized in a form of glass known as Hobnail, which is covered with small button-like bumps.

Glassware Knowledge Part 3 - Hobnail Glass

When did hobnail glass become popular?

Hobnail Milk Glass

These whitish-colored hobnail collectibles are the color of milk (hence the term “milk glass”). The pieces were quite popular from their introduction to the 1970s. In the 2000s, they came back in vogue with lower prices.

What does hobnail look like?

They usually have an iron horseshoe-shaped insert, called a heel iron, to strengthen the heel, and an iron toe-piece. They may also have steel toecaps. The hobnails project below the sole and provide traction on soft or rocky terrain and snow, but they tend to slide on smooth, hard surfaces.

What is Fenton milk glass worth?

Fenton is known for its flawless glass. Also, most of its glassware items were created using snap rings to hold it during manufacturing and not punty rods, which made the pontil marks. In 2019, the milk glass top hats continue to sell for around the 2006 selling price of $15.

What is white glass with bumps called?

Hobnail glass is a style of glass with bumps all over. Dozens of hobnail patterns and variants have been made.

What is the history of hobnail glass?

History: The hobnail pattern was introduced by the renowned Fenton Art Glass Company at its glass factory in Williamstown, West Virginia, in 1939. By 1952, milk-glass hobnail became Fenton's flagship pattern, however, the design was made with clear and translucent colored glass as well.

How can you tell how old a Fenton glass is?

Look for a Fenton tag (used before 1970), look for the Fenton mark (“Fenton” in an oval), look for “F” in an oval, indicating another company's mold was used (1983+).

How do you know if milk glass is real?

A variety of manufacturers produced milk glass over the years. Many of these manufacturers used marks to identify their pieces. To see if a piece is marked, turn it over and examine the bottom. The mark will appear near the center in most cases.

What kind of glass is worth money?

Pink, green and blue are the most valuable colors of depression glass. Pink tends to be the most valuable because it is more rare. Yellow and amber colored depression glass is more common and therefore less valuable.

What color Depression glass is worth the most?

What Color of Depression Glass is Most Valuable? Pink is the most valuable color of depression glass. It is followed closely by green and blue. Rare colors like lavender and tangerine are also worth a lot more than common colors like amber and yellow.

Is milk glass still popular?

Westmoreland Milk Glass

Experts consider their glass to be among the highest quality from their era of production. While still very popular among collectors, its values have dropped significantly over the past couple of decades, like quite a lot of mid-range glass wares.

How can you tell vintage milk glass?

Identifying Milk Glass

1. Milk glass is primarily white. However, milk glass comes in other colors too. ...
2. Vintage milk glass is opaque. ...
3. Companies produced milk glass from the late 1800s through the 1980s. ...
4. White dinnerware and dishes are usually not considered milk glass.

Can you still buy Fenton Glass?

Though Fenton Gift Shop is currently closed to the public, we have a large selection of vintage and NEW Fenton Art Glass.

What is the rarest piece of carnival glass?

Millersburge People's Vase in Blue

This is the rarest carnival glass ever made and sold. The intricacy is one for the books, almost unmatched by another. The people's vase was created by John Fenton, the owner of Millersburg Glass.

Where did the word hobnail come from?

hobnail (n.)

"short, thick nail with a large head," 1590s, from nail (n.); the first element probably identical with hob "rounded peg or pin used as a mark or target in games" (1580s), which is of unknown origin.

Why did they stop making milk glass?

The white variety beloved today rose to prominence during the Victorian era, when it was coveted as an economic dead-ringer for porcelain. (The Victorians also get credit for coining the term "milk glass.") Its production and popularity waned during the Great Depression but saw a resurgence after World War II.

What is a hobnail design?

Under close inspection, the hobnail design consists of two concentric circles of small pyramid shapes.

Who makes hobnail milk glass?

Fenton Art Glass Company produced it's popular “Hobnail” pattern in many shapes over a very long period of time throughout the mid and late 20th century. Although their Hobnail pattern was introduced in 1939, hobnail pieces in white opaque glass are said to have been introduced several years later, in about 1950.

Why did Fenton glass close?

Due to ongoing financial problems, they had to lay off many of their employees, and at last they were forced to announce the closure of Fenton Art Glass's traditional glass products. However, the Fenton Gift Shop, which was the primary retailer of Fenton Art Glass, remained in business.

Does milk glass have a number on the bottom?

Many milk glass pieces have markings on the bottom, such as the company name or numbers, so you can use that information to look it up. There are also certain patterns, including hobnail (one of my favourites), daisy, holly or stars that can determine the maker and era.