10.12.2010

Merlin Glass - glass making in Cornwall

Liam has always been interested in making things and using his hands. At the age of 16 he went to Liskeard Glass, in Cornwall and within a week he fell in love with the craft and art of glass making. At the age of 21, he took the opportunity to take over the glass works and renamed it Merlin Glass.  

 

Liam has made a vast range of glassware but become particularly interested in making glass door handles.   He started making handles in 1990 and was responsible for their resurgence and was the first glass maker to make coloured door handles. They have been refined over the years to the marvellous product they are today. They fit both contemporary and period settings.

 

Liam’s first order was from Laura Ashley in London, who wanted a proto type. He made a pair of handles and was quickly asked to make another 1000. He has gone onto sell over 30,000 glass knobs mainly in England and America. Many have gone to prestigious parts of London and the Home Counties. 

Designers have worked with Liam and used his handles for a wide range of uses including doors, cupboards, kitchens and furniture for customers who want a product that is not only beautiful and unique, but of exquisite quality and durability. 

Customers include Liberties, Harrods and English Royalty.

 

Liam's range of handles consists of 10 main designs and come in 6 beautiful colours. His designs are vibrant colours displaying elegance and a timeless product. Although as a designer and maker he has other designs and ideas. He says "designs are made from inspiration, form and nature. Living in Cornwall, surrounded by rugged coastline has stimulated Liam's thought provoking process. 

He wants to make handles that are beautiful, functional and durable, not fashionable. Each handle is very personal, encapsulated with Liam’s creativity. Liam aspiration is to make handles that are used and admired around the world, bringing light and beauty into the world of interiors". Each handle is a handmade, free formed piece. He is a great lover of architecture and has always been interested in handles and locks and the way things are made. In architecture the importance of glass dates back thousands of years, light through colour glass is light in its purest form.
 

  

Liam uses soda lime glass and the colours are made from trace elements and rare earth elements. He mixes every single melt carefully measuring the ingredients to create the perfect finish. He makes using traditional glassmaking processes. Melting the glass in the pot furnace to temperatures above 1000 degrees. He gathers the glass using irons and then flashes it in the glory hole to get it to high temperatures. 

He uses various tools to form the shape including paper, metal and wood. Once made they are placed in the kiln for annealing. This enables the even cooling process to balance the temperatures of the glass as it cools. 

Each handle is made with precision, requiring strength, speed and timing. Liam works turning the iron with one hand and shaping with the other. Certain designs require additional craftsmanship such as the millefiori, (flowers). To create this handle, flowers from Italy are hand pressed into the glass as part of the process. 

Liam uses diamond crown wheels to grind the glass to fit the metal components. Once the handle is assembled it is polished and ready to be sent off to its destination.

 

Liam designed and built his own furnace and many of his tools. The furnace is a recuperating furnace which runs on gas. It re uses the waste heat by warming the combusted air.

 

Thousands of people have watched Liam make glass when his premises were open to the public. The door handles have become a more intimate relationship for Liam as he has concentrated on reforming the design and process. 


Liam says "glass making is a beautiful process, the fluidity as it runs so smoothly from gathering from the furnace, to the bench, to the glory hole and into the kiln. Liam has the ability to see something that is not actually there and work on the process to make new creations. 

When using colour the importance is in the space between the colours to make beautiful pieces.

 

Carol, Liam's partner runs the other side of the business. Responsible for all the customer care, sales, marketing, enquiries, orders etc. Carol has nothing but admiration and attraction to both Liam’s ability and creations. 

Carol says that "Liam is a very skillful glassmaker; he is a perfectionist and makes an extremely arduous process look easy. I adore his handles, they are beautiful colours and make the entrance into any room a delight.

 I particularly like his love hearts which we have on our home, inviting our guests into a warm, caring home."

Together we run the family business, Merlin Glass. We also have some younger members of the team, Oban – 10, Freya – 8, Mawgan – 6 and Darcie Rose – 1. When there are lots of orders to be sent out, they are greater helpers with the packaging!   The glassworks is an amazing hive of creation and beauty. There is a showroom to view the work and watch Liam make.

 

Liam is a multi talented Cornish craftsman, hand making every piece of glass. He is without doubt one of the finest glassmakers in his field.

www.merlinglass.co.uk