About Merlin Glass - Merlin Glass

Liam Carey is a Cornish glassmaker who uses a unique process to make beautiful glass door handles and glass knobs. Liam is the world’s finest glass knob maker and all his work comes with a lifetime guarantee.

Liam has been making glass for over 40 years his designs, colours, techniques and materials have developed over time resulting in exceptional, first class British craftmanship and quality.

Liam’s glassworks is the Aladdins cave of glass knobs with so many designs and colours, far too many to display on our website.

Carol is Liam’s partner and is responsible for all enquiries, sales, sample requests, marketing and orders and together run the family owned business Merlin Glass.

We provide an individual service to our customers anywhere in the world from the home owner through to shops, interior designers, architects, furniture makers, kitchen makers, hoteliers and anyone in the market for beautiful glass knobs.

We have a free Design Service ensuring you get all the right knobs and locks for your doors and cupboards. This service includes international customers ensuring size, colour, fittings and lock compatibility.

Glass knobs come in a range of styles, colours and sizes perfect for any door, cupboard, cabinet, wardrobe, item of furniture or a complete kitchen. Liam’s extensive range of glass door handles and glass cupboard knobs appeal to those customers wanting something very special, combining elegance with functionality.

Each piece is individually handmade by Liam from gathering the raw glass in the furnace onto the iron, shaping it using traditional methods such as newspaper and finally finishing the process using a range of glassmaking tools.

The result is beautifully crafted individual works of art.

History of Glass Making in Liskeard

Liskeard glassworks was established by John Randle in 1970, it was one of the first glass studio’s outside of London. Jim Dyer, Bill Robson (ex Whitefriars workers) and Duncan Randle ran the successful glass studio called Liskeard Glass. At the time it was most notable for its fine wine glasses and tankards. The wine glasses were not the usual crystal they were soda glass influenced by Swedish glassmaking. They had 2 ranges of wine glasses Tamar and Lynher named after local rivers. 2 teams of glassmakers used to make 400 tankards a week, along with wine glasses and candlestick holders.

In more recent year Liskeard Glass has been associated with the knobbly vases which have survived over the years due to their chunkiness. These glass vases were actually made to empty the furnace after making the glasses. LG was embossed on the bottom of the knobbly vases which were made in purple, green and clear.

Liam joined Liskeard Glass in 1977 at the age of 16 as an apprentice and made their full range. In 1983 Liam took the opportunity to buy Liskeard Glass and renamed it Merlin Glass. Liam continued to make a large range of vases, bowls, wine glasses, flowers, scent bottle, paperweights and over the years was visited by 1000’s to watch him make glass.

In 1994 Liam made a prototype glass door knob for Laura Ashley which was the start of his relationship with glass knobs. Liam has gone onto make 1000`s of glass knobs, becoming a recognised master glassmaker specialising in exquisite glass knobs.

The glassworks is no longer open for glassmaking demonstrations, however we do welcome visitors.

Liam still uses many tools which originated from these early years. He has an interesting collection of glass from masterpieces through to works which didn`t quite make it!

The Glassworks address is actually Pavlova Mill. The mill dates back to the 19th century where it was used as a tannery making gloves. There is very little history on Pavlova Mill but it is said to have been named after the Russian Ballerina, Anna Pavlova, one of the finest classical ballet dancers in history! The tannery is said to have made gloves exclusively for the dancer, whether or not this is true, the mill has taken her name.

The whole place is rich in history, glassmaker`s stories, various glass pieces and years of experience and raw talent … and long may it continue.