History

Well....It started long ago in galaxy far, far away.

Two of the Glassblowers and founders of Crooklyn Glass are as OG as you can get in the borosilicate (Pyrex) glass pipe industry. It all started in 1995 around a dining room table on Ascot Drive in Eugene, Oregon. Strawberry John, Blackie, Elrich, Jason C and Jeffro decided to start a glass shop in the garage. 3 of the 5 guys were metallurgists and glassblowing seemed like a no brainer transitionally from the mediums they were used to working with.

After about a month or two of pretty much teaching themselves to fume and work with color rod and boro tubing they designed a small product line with the guidance of a marketing guy with a hemp store in NY. A few old school glass blowers, Bob B and Cameron (Snodgrass apprentices) shared a pipe regularly with the guys and some torch knowledge and direction at the same time. In the Summer of 1995, a friend of the Ascot crew crossed paths on Dead Tour with a guy named CD. He was from NY and was not only a Dead Head but also a sales and marketing hustler straight out of business school. CD handled the sales and distribution of the fledgling business and expanded the business with what seemed like the first catalog in the industry.

Combining their efforts, the business grew leaps and bounds for a few years and expanded into a warehouse in the Wittacker neighborhood in Eugene.

What was once 5 guys working in a garage, became roughly 40 Glassblowers and a multimillion dollar business. The company’s name became Cascade Glass Designs. Unfortunately their success was short lived.....Operation Pipe Dreams and Operation Head Hunter was created by the federal government in 2000 with the intention to disrupt and criminalize the borosilicate glass industry. Many shops were shut down and charges filed against the owners. Fortunately no charges were filed against the owner of Cascade Glass but the company disbanded and everyone went their separate ways in 2001.

Jeffro and Lou met in 2001 in Corning, NY.

They were both taking a class at the Corning Glass Studio with renowned glass master, Robert Mickelson. They struck up a strong friendship and stayed in touch by talking regularly and seeing each other every few years. Louis had studied at the Pilchuk academy in 1998 and had worked with a famous glass blower, Marcel to learn techniques for making pipes. After many years of trying to make a living making art pieces alone living on both the East and West coasts, Lou threw in the towel and decided to focus his efforts on functional glass in 2010. He went by a different name at that time and gained notoriety amongst the elite of the glass blowing community. Unfortunately in 2012 he was sentenced to 3 years in prison for cannabis related “crimes”. Ridiculous. Once released, he returned to his home turf, Brooklyn, NY and worked at a remedial job to satisfy his parole, all the while spending every waking moment outside of work on a lathe and torch (in his garage) relearning his chosen craft. In early 2018, Lou reached out to his old friend, Jeff and they decided to pool their years of effort and work together again. Lou moved out to Eugene that Winter and together they formed Crooklyn Glass. KD and Maggs joined the team in the Fall of 2018. Both had experience working on the torch and were eager to learn and be apart of a grassroots business.

Currently the shop is in a “garage” type space at Jeff’s house. After 23 years in the industry, the business model and work space has returned to how it began all those years ago. The crew is happy about that. Less is more, so to speak. Currently there are 4 Glassblowers collaboratively working on pieces. The business has no intentions of growing too much more. There are roughly 8 shops currently carrying the Crooklyn Glass line. Jeff’s mom and Maggs' sister pack the glass and ship out the orders. The minimum order is $5000.

You may see an article or artist spotlight in a glassblowing magazine or industry trade journal, Headquest, etc.. but you will never see Crooklyn at a Tradeshow. This business is not about promoting ego. Honestly, it is about making a living and selling smiles. Keeping the focus of the shop on quality and precision is to make sure the glass line is only carried in shops that appreciate and sell high end glass.

Crooklyn pieces are made with a strong focus on clean welds, solid color application and superior functionality and craftsmanship. Crooklyn pieces rip!!!! Enough said. This is a business and the crew has been through the ringer for the last 20 plus years on the torch. Everyone makes a comfortable income and can work in a positive and stress free environment. Crooklyn‘s goal is to return glassblowing to the “family” type environment from which it began.

If you are a hoops fan, you will see some similarities in Lou’s choices in promotion. He hopes that KD and Kyrie will be worth the expense. Ball is life.

Crooklyn Glass History

Well....It started long ago in galaxy far, far away.

Jeffro and Lou met in 2001 in Corning, NY.

Crooklyn Glass OG glass blowers making high quality functional glass art for new school and old school connoisseurs.

Only ourselves can free our minds.

Crooklyn Glass History

Well....It started long ago in galaxy far, far away.

Jeffro and Lou met in 2001 in Corning, NY.

Crooklyn Glass OG glass blowers making high quality functional glass art for new school and old school connoisseurs.

Only ourselves can free our minds.

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