Blocks

What it is

Blocks are ladle-like tools made from water-soaked fruitwood.⁠^⁠[1] The carved wooden head is fitted with a handle;⁠^⁠[2] Jakobsson’s come in a classic oval, a rounder shape for gathering, and an oversize oval.⁠^⁠[3]

How it’s used

They’re used much like the marver, to shape and cool a piece in the first steps of making it.⁠^⁠[1] They only work wet: when hot glass touches the wet wood, a cushion of steam forms between them.⁠^⁠[2] Blockhead Tools advises keeping wooden blocks submerged in water as much as possible (a quarter cup of household bleach per 5 gallons keeps mold away), dipping them often while working, and burning a new block in with a couple of clear gathers to build up a smooth charred layer.⁠^⁠[2]

Because a block is held in one hand, weight and balance matter; Jakobsson chooses dense alder partly because it holds water well without being heavy.⁠^⁠[3]

History

Blockhead Tools began in 1989, when Rob Jones started making blocks for glassblowers in the Pacific Northwest in a barn on the Olympic Peninsula.⁠^⁠[2] Today it carves its block heads from native bigleaf maple, chosen because it carves smoothly and soaks up the right amount of water for the steam cushion.⁠^⁠[2]