A former OB/GYN physician in Connecticut, Dr. Steven Raheb retired from clinical work and now serves as an adjunct professor at the Quinebaug Valley Community College. In his free time, Dr. Steven Raheb maintains a passion for the arts and enjoys glass blowing.
Dating back to the first century BC, glassblowing is divided into two major categories: free-blowing and mold-blowing. Of the two, free-blowing was the first technique used in glassblowing since the forming technique was first introduced. It involves delivering short puffs of air into the gather or the molten portion of the glass. This gather is spooled at one end of the blowpipe and is worked into the desired shape by the artist carefully rotating the blowpipe and incorporating air into the glass.
Meanwhile, mold-blowing was a technique that was developed some time after free-blowing. Similar to free-blowing, this method involves handling a gather at the end of the blowpipe. However, the artist does not shape and twist the gather using air. Instead, they place the molten blob into a mold and blow on the glass until it fills the mold. Once dry, separating mold panels or lifting them away frees the glass piece. This method of glassblowing is most commonly seen with tableware and other functional glass pieces to ensure uniformity.
