Shoutout to the glaziers who still do it the hard way

I think modern glazing has lost touch with what made this job special. Back in the day, we had to hand score and break every pane (you felt every cut in your bones). Now, with laser cutters and pre-sized glass, it's all too clean and quick. I miss the challenge of fitting odd shaped windows in old buildings, where each piece was a puzzle. Those jobs taught you patience and pride, things you can't get from a machine. Today, it's just slap in the standard size and move on. We're trading skill for speed, and that's a shame.

2 comments

2 Comments

baker.sarah21h ago

Actually, getting work done fast and right matters more. People need their windows fixed without waiting weeks for some fancy hand cut job. That laser stuff means less broken glass and lower bills for everyone.

patsingh1d ago

Have you actually worked with the newer digital tools? I get what you're saying about the old ways, but programming a CNC for a curved historic window is its own kind of puzzle. The skill is in the computer modeling and setup now, not just the hand break. We still do plenty of custom, odd shaped work, it just starts on a screen. The pride is in a perfect fit, and you can still get that.