Saturday 22 January 2011

Rummers for Groucho


These are the two 'Rummers' I bought today. They are classic ones, and stand a little under six inches high (or one does - the other is a little smaller).

They are called Rummers, because they were traditionally used for hot rum toddy. You would mix the rum, spices, sugar and whatever in the glass, then plunge a hot poker into it in order to heat it up. Then you stirred the mixture. Many rummers have scratch marks on the side where it has been stirred. These don't. They are in perfect condition. They were also used for cold mixtures too, and were very widely used between around 1790 and 1860. These ones date from around 1820.

There are quite a lot of different styles, but these are the classic, late, English Georgian ones, with Capstan stems and sharp pontil marks on the bottoms. I have had dozens in the past, but these I may keep for personal use - beer, etc. All pubs and private houses had them, so there are plenty still left around.

I will put up a video of me 'pinging' a rummer - the sound is wonderful and sustained. Here it is below - the video doesn't do it justice. The rummer below is one of a perfect pair, and dates from around 1810 - 1820. Napoleon (and Wellington) was/were still alive when these glasses were made.


Nice eh? I have had glasses which 'ping' for around twice as long as this.

13 comments:

  1. WOW! It almost sounds like a church bell. Very cool, Tom.

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  2. that is a seriously solid sound!

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  3. I agree with Grouchy, a beautiful bell-like sound.

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  4. My god ! my thoughts exactly sounded like a church bell -thank you -love your posts

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  5. The round of 16 is starting in 20 minutes, for the Aussie Open. Nadal had to sweat a bucket to get to the 16.

    What the Hell is sleep? Does it "ping" too?

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  6. It pings when you're awake, Grouch, like a microwave oven. It tells you when you are done.

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  7. They are beautiful. And a beautiful "ping".

    I wouldn't mind a hot rum toddy myself, today. It's raining like the clappers for all it's meant to be mid summer.

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  8. How amazing that the sound is lasts so long. Beautiful and thanks for the fascinating info too. And I'll have one of those hot toddies too! Ann

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  9. I'm off to 'ping' all my old glasses now, but have a feeling they might 'pong'.

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  10. I bought two cut glass wine goblets from an Oxfam shop yesterday. £2.00. Circa 1980. Dishwasher proof. Definitely pong.

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  11. I am now imagining all of you going to your cupboards to play ping-pong with your wine glasses now. Dishwasher proof these ain't, Sue. Your supposed to gently rinse them in tepid or cold water - they are easily shocked - like me.

    Somewhere, I have some photos of the Scottish glass dealer 'pinging' an early 19th century rose-bowl at a dinner party for glass dealers. He pinged it a little too hard, and they all watched as - over about 1 minute - a crack grew right round the side of the bowl until it met itself on the other side, leaving the bowl in 2 pieces. Thereafter, the bowl became 'cullet'. Cullet is what you call scrap glass that you throw back into the furnace to be made into something else.

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