The practical part of the handmade glassmaking community consists of technologists, glass artists, and glassmakers who master the techniques and skills of hot handmade glassmaking or cold refinement. These include preparing a glass batch, melting the glass, and blowing and shaping it at a glass furnace or burner. Cold glass-working techniques involve decorating or refining glass through grinding, engraving, etching, and painting. Handmade glass production also encompasses the creation of Christmas ornaments.
Glass production, as an integral part of cultural traditions, has undergone various phases in Slovakia. It has absorbed foreign influences while introducing innovations, such as unique shapes of utility objects, specific material compositions of glass products, durable glass for producing atypical items, advancements in iridescent hollow glass, and a distinct terminology. Today, the tradition of handmade glass production is upheld primarily by master glassmakers working in workshops and factories and by glass designers creating their own works in studios.
The theoretical part of the glassmaking community comprises historians, art historians, archaeologists, glass scientists, educators, and other specialists. In a broader sense, the community also includes manufacturers and suppliers of technical equipment for handmade glass production, such as glass furnaces, pipes, and tools. It is a close-knit community where people often know each other personally, collaborate, inspire, and influence one another.
Activities that help preserve, transmit, and popularise handmade glass production include seasonal events featuring glass melting in traditional furnaces, training programmes, and permanent exhibitions with a thematic focus or public demonstrations directly in workshops. The glassmaking community in Slovakia is large and active, successfully selling its work abroad, showcasing it in international markets and exhibitions, as well as participating in symposia, workshops, and other events.
