Concerned about the glassblowing trade

With rudimentary tools and skillful techniques, people in Thong Nhat commune (Thuong Tin, Hanoi) have made household products from glassblowing from generation to generation.
About 30 km from the center of Hanoi, old Thong Nhat commune is one of the famous glass production sites in the North. In the 1960s, this was the main job of the people in the commune. Here is always red glass blowing; The bustling buying and selling scene is exciting and bustling regardless of any season of the year. Thong Nhat’s glass products are favored by consumers for their diversified designs, richness, good quality and cheap prices. Many times, when the goods are produced, the supply does not meet the demand, and the traders have to place orders for a long time to have them. Thanks to that, the economic life of people in the commune has been improved more and more, “Thong Nhat glass” has become a quality and prestigious brand name.

The process of making glass blowing through many stages. The first is the selection of raw materials, the glass fragments must ensure no stains and be classified according to different blue and white colors. The broken or worn glass pieces are then recycled by furnace and heated in a molten state. Glass can be machined in many ways such as blowing, pressing, pulling, rolling … but the popular machining method that has been applied for hundreds of years is still “blowing”. You must first “whip” molten glass into the end of a long iron tube, then put your mouth on the other end of the tube and blow. In this way, the glass at the other end bulges out. While blowing, the worker must shape and make the product of the appropriate thickness. In the glass forming steps, the blowing technique is the most important, the craftsman said. The worker must regulate his breath so that it is rhythmic and suitable for each product. Therefore, in addition to their health, skilled craftsmen also have to have breath-holding tricks to fit the desired shape. As the oldest person still working as a glassblower in Giap Long village (Thong Nhat commune), Mr. Ho Van Ginger shared: “With the naked eye, the worker has to estimate the maturity of glass to start blowing. At this time, the operation must be fast and continuous, without a break even for a second, because the glass out of the fire quickly cools, if stopped, it will be distorted immediately. ” According to him, in addition to perseverance, the blower needs to be careful when constantly exposed to fire above 1,200 degrees C, not only that, it also needs meticulousness and creativity to just skillfully adjust the breath. slightly, hands are rhythmic to create straight, patterned curves. Each glass factory has its own know-how in the brewing process. The appropriate incubation time and temperature for each product will determine the brightness and durability of the product. Finished product after the oven meets the requirements with transparent white, sharp and delicate lines. With the designs that require a lot of quantity, the finished product must reach the correct rate, all “hundred as one”. The process of making glass products consists of many stages that require meticulousness and ingenuity of the craftsman. Photo: Diem Quynh The first and most popular blown glass product was Philatop syringe, followed by other products such as oil bulb, thermos cap, drinking cup, seedlings. In the beginning, when there were no sources of raw materials, electricity and motors, the craftsman created and utilized other materials and craft tools to the glassblowing profession. Used fluorescent bulbs are used to take advantage of, wash off the lime inside and melt to blow. The forge furnace is used as a glass blowing bell, the gas pedal is below, the upper uses 6 wicks rolled together, continuously pumped kerosene to burn the fire up to a thousand degrees. The worker uses two concrete pieces to close the fire to a slot, the stronger the wind pedal, the bigger the fire, the heat is used for different types of glass such as alkaline, neutral, and resistant glass. high heat. When the glass was first put in the fire, it will turn green and burn to the point where it will turn white. The main glass products of the craft village today are test tubes, bulbs, bottles. Photo: Diem Quynh During the blowing process, workers must focus on observing when the glass is ripe and blowing, rotating hands to shape, in addition, it is necessary to twist, pull, and weld techniques. Different weak blow strength results in different products as well as the thickness of the glass. After finishing blowing, to avoid sudden shrinkage or breakage when storing boiling water (for glasses), it is necessary to incubate it for a few hours. After that, all products are covered with newspaper and carefully lined with straw so that the product is not broken or broken. In addition to household products, Thong Nhat craftsmen also blow shapes of animals such as deer, ba ba, fish, pine trees, 12 zodiacs, wind chimes … very sophisticated. At a time when the craft was developed, the animals were filled with colored water inside, which was favored by the market. At present, Giap Long, Hoang Xa and Thuong Giap villages of Thong Nhat commune still retain their jobs. However, each village has only a few households following the industrial way. In the years 1980 – 1990, glassblowing was an important job of the commune, making a mark with the famous Thong Nhat Glass Cooperative near and far.