Tools of the Trade
As part of our 75th anniversary celebration, we are sharing videos of some of Giroux Glass’ longtime employees. In this video, Bob Linford, our vice president of California operations, kicks off the series by telling us about his personal set of industry artifacts.
The Bob Linford Collection of Vintage Glazing Tools
Everyone who has worked with Bob Linford has had the pleasure of learning about his long history in the glazing industry. He’ll happily describe how he literally grew up in the business, as one of six children born to a family that owned its own glazing company, Linford Brothers Glass, in Ogden, Utah.
Bob has enjoyed a long career with the glass industry. He started by working summers for the family business, and then became a glazing apprentice in 1967. After having served in the Marine Corps and graduating from college, he opened his own shop, which he ran for 20 years. He eventually went on to work for other companies, including starting with Giroux Glass in 2003.
As a child, Bob spent a lot of time in the family business, eager to help with tasks. He had an avid interest in the tools used in the shop, and became familiar with the process of cutting glass from a young age, after spending years watching men at work before trying it for himself. As he recalls, “I learned to cut glass at seven years old, and started working at my Dad’s shop when I turned eleven, after school and in the summers.” Consistent throughout his career, he has collected tools that he found to be of interest, and that curiosity has never subsided.
By now, he has gathered an unusual and impressive array of glass cutters. His current collection contains over 65 individual glass cutting implements, housed in a metal display case that he designed and fabricated himself. Some of the glass cutters are antique, the oldest dating back to the late 1800s. Many of them are from international locations, including Japan, Ukraine, Israel, Germany, and France, in addition to those made in the US. As unique as each one is, what the collection shares as a whole is that they demonstrate the long history of this industry, and that a great number of creative minds – everywhere! — were determined to figure out a better way to get the job done. We’re grateful that Bob did indulge his curiosity by gathering such cool tools, and that he shared them with all of us.