Flint glass refers to the lead glass produced in the United States & the United Kingdom prior to the 1860s. It particularly is applied to the pressed pattern glass that was made from the 1820s through the 1860s. The term, "flint glass", was given to the better glassware that was perfected in England in the 1670s as it contained powdered flint added to the glass compound.
     At a later date, lead was added and it was found that it gave the glass much more clarity, resonance, and weight.  Soon after, flint was dropped from the glass mixture, but the name

stuck. Flint glass was the fine glassware of the times and the name was transferred to America.   
     Prior to the early 1800s, glassware was made by labor an intensive hand blown method & expensive. However in the
1830s new innovations were made by pressing glass in molds.

 A magnificent flint glass water pitcher in the Tulip & Sawtooth pattern by Bryce, Richards & Co. ca 1854.
   The first pressed glass from the late 1820s was called "Lacy" glass (see article on lacy glass HERE) as the patterns were very intricate. The pressing methods gradually improved and by the 1840s, pressed glass was made in large quantities and was made affordable to the average household. This mass produced glass was certainly a part of the American Industrial Revolution and it was called "flint glass".
   The pressed patterns from 1845 through 1865 evolved from plain, to geometric, to ribbed, and realistic and the number of forms available in each of the patterns increased. On the left is an early Argus pattern egg cup. (Read about egg cups HERE.)
The earlier pieces were quite heavy, and as the glass making techniques improved, the amount of glass invested in each piece was less and the walls of the Above are a plate, egg cup,
wine goblet & bar tumbler in Bellflower pattern ca 1850.
 vessels were thinner. By the early 1860s and because of the American Civil War, lead was becoming scarce and expensive. An alternative was developed in 1864 where the use of lead in pressed glass was dropped in favor of the new glass formulas that were called "lime" or "soda lime" glass. This was the preferred glass for pressed pattern glass thereafter.
    Most of the factories changed their methods &
A set of flint stems in Ashburton pattern by the
New England Glass Co. ca 1860s. From left, cordial, wine & water goblets.		 formulas in the mid to late 1860s and by 1872, the use of lead had been phased out.
   Most of the glass formulas for flint glass called for 33% lead, which is about the same percentage as present
day Waterford Crystal. Most department stores & glass shops today sell crystal that usually  runs between 24% and 28% lead. The characteristics of the traditional pressed flint glass pieces are: they have superior light refraction (brilliance); a resonance when struck (bell tone); and are rather heavy. They are a beautiful work of American craftsmanship.      Although the pieces were pressed in a mold, the pitchers, creamers, & mugs had the handles
applied separately by hand. These were stuck near the top of the vessel & formed an ear-shaped handle that had a curl at the bottom &crimped to the lower part. These strap handles arerather fragile
A very rare Colonial pattern 10"
tall cov'd sugar in fiery
opalescent, so-called because of the
fiery effect of sunlight shining
through it. Possibly Curling,
Robinson & Co. ca 1856.
The creamer above is
Ashburton pattern & an example of the early heavy creamers with applied handles. Read more about EAPG creamers HERE.		 and are not found on EAPG made after about the 1870s.
     While most of the flint glass was clear, there were some pieces made in colors: canary, cobalt, amethyst, green, opalescent, milk glass & clambroth.  These are all rare now.The term, "Flint Glass", when referring to lead glass, was generally dropped after the Civil War.
There were firms that advertised flint glass in the 1880s & 1890s, but that referred to lime glass that was clear and sometimes white opalescent. They were not lead glass.
                                             Hal Hooper
Postscript: It should be noted that the lead in this glass is in an unbreakable chemical bond and will not contaminate the food or drink it holds.
Left is a 10" tall celery vase in a Gothic variant- ca 1860 and a Bakewell Block pattern 6 1/2" tall goblet by Bakewell, Pears & Co. ca 1850s.


Right is a Bullseye pattern tumbler in rare cobalt blue. New England Glass Co. ca 1850's.

Hal and his wife, Barbara, live in Spokane, Washington. They have collected Victorian Glass for 18 years and have accumulated a major collection. They are both University of Washington alums and avid Husky fans.