pontilen

A pontilen, also known as a punty rod or punty, is a long, solid iron rod used in glassblowing. It is used to attach to the base of a glass vessel that has been formed on a blowpipe. The pontilen allows the glassblower to detach the piece from the blowpipe, work on the opening, and then reattach the piece to the pontilen for further shaping.

The pontilen is typically made of steel and is solid, unlike the hollow blowpipe. It is heated at one end, and a small amount of molten glass from the furnace is gathered onto it. This molten glass acts as an adhesive, allowing the glassblower to firmly connect the pontilen to the base of the glass object being worked on. The pontilen is then manipulated, often by hand or with the aid of tools, to support and rotate the glass while the opening is finished. Once the opening is complete and the piece is stable, the pontilen is detached, usually by scoring the glass where it meets the rod and giving it a sharp tap. This leaves a small mark on the underside of the glass, known as a pontil mark or punty mark. The pontilen is a crucial tool for creating many types of hollow glass forms.