Home >> Collecting >> Antiques

How to Tell a Real Vintage Fenton Hobnail From a Fake One

Fenton Hobnail pattern glass is named for the distinct raised bumps that cover the surface of the glass. They resemble the nails used in hobnail shoes. Other manufacturers made hobnail patterns, but Fenton Hobnail first appeared in 1939. Fenton hobnail glass has become a collector's item and there are many fakes and reproductions being sold to unsuspecting collectors as genuine. Since Fenton glass can go for hundreds of dollars, it's important to know how to identify a piece.

Instructions

- 1
  Look for a maker's mark. On Fenton Hobnail, the mark is on the bottom of the stopper, not on the glass itself. All Fenton Hobnail pieces came with a stopper, even items that don't normally come with stoppers. Early models used wooden stoppers, later models used matching glass.
- 2
  Check the bottom of the glass for a ground pontil mark. The pontil is the scar where the glass was attached to a glassmaker's rod. Fenton hobnail glass was all handmade. Machine-made glass does not have a pontil mark.
- 3
  Refer to published guides or catalogs. There are many guides for Fenton glass. If the pattern does not appear in any of the guides, it probably wasn't made by Fenton.
- 4
  Consult with other collectors or antiques experts. It may be worthwhile to hire an antiques expert to identify the glass for you. They may charge a fee for their services.

Antiques