Kerr Cobalt Blobs

E-mail to ICON discussion board by Dwayne Anthony, 3/11/2001

In 1972 a management-level employee at Kerr Glass, Calvin Cobb, Sr., decided
to produce a "special" insulator for his good friends,  the Wentzels, who are
noted longtime insulator collectors.

Calvin decided on a cobalt blue Kerr DP1 and secured permission for a special
run. The original intent was to produce a uniformly cobalt blue insulator.
When the cobalt coloring agent was added to the glass feeder, which
transports the glass from the tank to the molds, the agitator or stirrer was
inadvertently inactivated, thus the cobalt was not evenly blended with the
clear glass. This resulted in a splotch or blob of cobalt glass in each
insulator produced. The first ones produced contained heavy blue splotches,
then they eventually lightened to only wisps.

The cobalt splotched fruit jars were made at a different Kerr factory by
different individuals.

Dwayne Anthony

John Graham, E-mail to ICON discussion board, 3/11/2001

I have a CD155 Kerr which has cobalt wisps (not blobs).
The embossing is:

KERR   DP1 //  MADE IN U.S.A.  37 72

- John