Red List Comment Submission

Commenting on: Copper wheel glass engraving

Section one - About you

Section two - Description of the craft

If you are commenting on an existing craft, please select it here and skip the next two questions

Please enter the name of the craft you would like us to add here.

If this is a new craft type please select the most suitable category

Please identify country, region, county or town

Please identify country, region, county or town

Please identify an era/century/approximate historic period.

Heritage Crafts uses a system of four categories of risk to assess the viability of heritage crafts. A heritage craft is considered to be viable if there are sufficient craftspeople to transmit the craft skills to the next generation. For more information on definitions see http://heritagecrafts.org.uk/redlist/categories-of-risk/

Section three - Current numbers of those practising the craft in the UK

People earning their main craft income from this craft (selling, commissions, conservation/ restoration and/or teaching).

People practicing this craft commercially (selling, commissions, conservation/restoration and/or teaching) but as less than half of their income.

People acquiring skills in order to become a professional in this craft, they probably have to work under supervision even if they are earning money while training.

People whose knowledge and ability is at a level of the most skilled practitioners of this craft.

People who do not intend to practice this craft professionally or at the highest level.

Section four - Issues affecting the viability of the craft

Existing content:
  • Training and recruitment issues – the main problem is the time required to learn the skills involved which include being able to set copper discs on the spindles, centre them and get them to run perfectly true, profile them and maintain them. This is some 5 years, compared with about a year with modern but more limited diamond wheels (sintered diamonds). This still does not deter music students from learning, but it does in the crafts where ‘easier’ techniques naturally appeal.
  • Training and recruitment issues – there is a lack of facilities for training. Colleges may not have lathes and those that did have disposed of them as they no longer complied with their Health and Safety regulations. Stourbridge College, where the skills were taught, has been closed. The Department of Glass at Edinburgh College of Art no longer runs classes though the department was founded by a copper wheel glass engraver.
  • Training and recruitment issues/ageing workforce – there is a lack of practitioners to pass on skills and there are too few artists practising the craft to inspire future generations. Most students will use modern drill and blasting rather than wheel engraving which they find too slow and onerous.
  • Cost of equipment – lathes are no longer made in Germany and even the ones from Czechia are expensive. It costs some £8-10,000 to set up a basic lathe and wheels. While this would not deter a music student from buying a decent instrument, it is a hindrance in the crafts.
  • Market issues – classes in the last forty years have been focused entirely on reproduction of antique glass and engraving styles rather than making contemporary work which might sell and be collected in a market where pricing sustains the cost of such slow work.
  • Market issues – the technique is now regarded as too slow for commercial purposes. The final products are very expensive compared with other methods of decorating glass. The few surviving glass manufacturers also no longer produce wheel engraved glass.

e.g. lack of qualifications, funding for training etc.

If yes, please describe the issues below

e.g. lack of demand for products/skills etc.

If yes, please describe the issues below

Tick the box if there are difficulties with the supply of raw materials, allied materials or tools

If yes, please describe the issues below

i.e. issues around running any small business, not just crafts

If yes, please describe the issues below

Is the main workforce made up of people who are approaching retirement age?

If yes, please describe the issues below

e.g. legal restrictions on materials, health and safety etc.

If yes, please describe the issues below

e.g. Brexit, Covid-19, conflict

If yes, please describe the issues below

Please describe any other issues

Section five - Current Initiatives to preserve craft skills

Please describe any UK projects or schemes

Section six - Main players in the craft – please tell us who you know about

Please list any known practitioners of this craft — add a row item for each person or business and complete the fields to the best of your knowledge. To get started click the `Add practitioner` button below.

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Section seven - Optional additional information

It may include when and where the craft developed, how it has changed over time, etc.

e.g. festivals, religious celebrations, agricultural practices, music, dance etc.

e.g. religious, ethnic, social class. Please give an overview of the techniques involved in the craft.

This may involve different materials, techniques, styles or finished products.

e.g. books, websites etc.