T he stem picker picks with an iron and passes to the gaffer , the quantity of molten crystal required for the manufacture of the stem. The gaffer shapes and fixes the stem using irons and pincers. T he foot picker picks with an iron, and passes to the foot fixer , the quantity of crystal required to manufacture the foot. The latter shapes and fixes the foot using scissors and flat wooden pliers called castanets . A nother glassmaker knocks off the finished glass from the pontil rod and places it in the cooling arch.
C utting a glass is a genuine of work.
N ext, the crystal tarnished by the grinding wheel is plunged into an acid bath to remove the matt traces left by the diamond. The piece regains its brilliance after polishing. F or certain models gilding, notably around the lip of a glass, is the next stage.