The gaffers at 2B Glass practice an industrial art that takes years to master.
Gaffer Tate Bezdek had a dream of one day opening his own glass making studio. He knew the art of glass blowing was a “team sport” in which he needed a partner. So, he recruited his younger brother Aaron, with whom Tate had worked with for four years at a glass blowing factory in Berkeley, California.
In 2018, the Bezdek brothers teamed up with Michigan native Ash Koss and opened their own glassblowing studio in their hometown of Cameron Park, California. They named their shop 2B Glass, indicating 2 brothers and 2 Bezdeks.
“His goal, ever since he started blowing glass was to open his own studio,” said Aaron Bezdek. “I kind of got roped into it. In the beginning I really didn’t like it because it’s hard, hot in the summer and I was just sweating and burning myself. But as you get better at blowing glass it becomes more fun.”
Glassblowing is a glass forming technique that involves inflating molten glass into a bubble with the aid of a blowpipe. Glassblowing techniques were created in the middle of the first century and remain relatively the same today.
The hot shop at 2B Glass makes up half of a 5,000 square foot building that also houses a gallery and offices. The Bezdek brothers spend most of their working time in the studio blowing glass while the third partner, Koss, oversees the design work and takes care of office logistics.
The studio houses a 1,000-pound glass furnace that is constantly running, keeping the team’s glass warm seven days a week, 365 days a year. Inside the furnace is a giant crucible that contains 1,000 pounds of glass in liquid form.
That glass will eventually be converted into finely shaped glass items, each of which is blown and shaped with special glassblowing tools.
The 2B Glass team is coming upon its busiest time of year as they are known for their variety of glass pumpkins sold as Halloween decorations. And right after Halloween, sales switch from pumpkins to colored glass Christmas ornaments.
“Starting from September onward is go time for us,” said Bezdek. “A good portion of our sales come from our glass pumpkins. As of right now we are selling pumpkins left and right like crazy.
“After Halloween we may sell a bit more because of Thanksgiving but by the first week of December, 90 percent of our pumpkin sales will disappear and then our holiday ornaments start taking off.
“Our drinkware, pumpkins and ornaments make up 90 percent of our overall sales.”
The glassblowing process begins in the hot shop where the liquid form of glass is always present. The glass is heated and cooled at specific times and temperatures so the glass will remain pliable and not break or shatter when it cools and hardens.
“I will take a gather out of the furnace if I am making an ornament. A gather means just taking a blob of glass out of the furnace on the end of a blow pipe,” said Bezdek. “Blowing is what makes the hollow part of the glass, but we actually blow a lot less than you might think.
“We are spinning the glass the whole time, but a pumpkin will take me 15 minutes to make but I may be blowing for only 30 seconds to a minute. It’s just to get general shapes and sizes.”
The glass is quickly worked into a desired shape and size, put into a mold for ridges and texture and cut with straight sheers or diamond cut sheers. The glass is worked with jacks, which are like a pair of tongs. Jacks are used in shaping, flaring, or creating a constriction to break off a piece of glass. The flat back of the jacks can be used as a cooling paddle.
2B Glass sources its material from the small world of American glassmaking suppliers. The silica, lime-based soda and other elements such as lithium and borax are purchased from American suppliers.
“Even the tools that we use, our hand tools, those are all made in America, too,” said Bezdek. “There are guys essentially like us. They are a small company, one, two, or three guys who are making glassmaking tools for all of America.
“Our jacks, which is kind of our most important tool, we have one guy that makes the tool. That part is so sad because when he is gone, there may not be any more unless someone wants to take that skill up. The same goes for our shop and business.”
It is unusual that the trio of 2B Glass owners jumped into the business at such an early age. Tate Bezdek is 31, Aaron Bezdek is 28 and Ash Koss is 37.
“Glassblowing is one of the hardest mediums to get into because it takes you years to learn how to do the basics,” said Aaron Bezdek. “It takes from a year to three years of blowing glass every day before you can really start making anything.
“In the glassblowing world I say it’s a dying art because literally the people are dying off. People today do not see it as a good living anymore. If you don’t go to college and get that engineering job you are probably not going to be considered successful. That’s what’s happening in all the trades businesses.”
2B Glass recycles 99 percent of the wasted glass from the manufacturing process. The company has made glass art installations for several public places like Marriott Hotels, building lobbies and restaurants but has streamlined its glass making business and now focuses on drinkware, pumpkins, and holiday ornaments.
While the pumpkins and ornaments tend to be seasonable, 2B Glass drinkware collections maintain steady sales throughout the year. They offer stemless wine glasses, cocktail glasses, whiskey glasses, and colorful standard 16-ounce drinking glasses.
The glass pumpkins come in three sizes from 4 to 12 inches while holiday ornaments are a standard 4-inch bulb. The price of glass pumpkins ranges from $60 to $225 and Christmas ornaments range from $46 to $50. Drinkware products vary in price and are available in sets as well as singles.
Just remember that the glass is hand-blown and that no two pieces are exactly alike.
To shop the 2B Glass online store go to www.2bglass.com