Real or fake? COBALT BLUE C NORRIS & CO CITY BOTTLING WORKS DETROIT MICH

coldwarboy

I purchased a cobalt blue Hutchinson bottle on eBay and I think that the bottle may be a clear Hutch that was somehow altered to look blue. If you look on the inside of the applied top the glass looks clear. The glass bottom also appears clear if you look through the opening at the top and out the bottom. I would appreciate any insight or knowledge about this bottle because I am out of my depth. I have about 10 days to decide whether or not I want to return it.

Chris

Hi - thanks for posting this.

It is clear from your photos that this bottle has been heavily polished - this is a dug bottle with lots of wear and dings..

It is possible that someone applied a layer of spray lacquer over the surface of the glass. You may sense that the glass has something of a plastic-y feel to it that is different than when you handle other glass pieces. I might try gently rubbing a spot with a penny to see if it digs into the surface.

I also seem to recall that immersing the bottle in warm water (but not too warm!) can remove a lacquer coating but that might void your option of returning the piece.

Do let us know what you find out.

coldwarboy

Thanks for the reply. I tried scratching the bottle with a penny and it skated off the surface. I gave it a soak in some warm water and I was able to remove most of the haze on the inside with some EdFred. After your suggestions and trying them out, I feel confident that the bottle has not been altered. I like how looks on the shelf, so I'm happy.

SamuelKJBB

I found one just like yours on a Detroit construction site a couple months ago. It even had part of the stopper inside. It was under the parking lot that was dug up and the blue color caught my eye. Any tips on how to clean it up?