Today the Blenko water bottle is widely recognized as an iconic design that blends both form and function. The bottle's design was largely dictated by necessity. In 1938 the water bottle’s shape first appeared and was made to fit into the narrow door shelves of the then relatively new “electric icebox”. The electric icebox is known today as a refrigerator.
The narrow shape with two pouring spouts and center indentation that made for easy handling fit well in those early refrigerator doors.
The number 384, indicating it was the fourth design introduced in 1938, has been produced by Blenko at our Milton, WV factory almost non-stop since that first year.
The plain, original water bottle was followed by one with handles in the late forties and early fifties. In 1999 Blenko made the first frosted or satin version. Some bottles are even produced with four pouring spouts - these are factory whimsies and not typical production.
Ribbed and straight optic pattern versions were first offered in 2010.
Examples with small pieces of supplemental colors called frit first appeared in water bottles in 2010 but have not been made in quantity.
A miniature version, 6 inches tall and holding 10 ounces, in contrast to the original which is 8 inches tall and holds 36 ounces was introduced in 2013.
This “mini” bears the ware designation of 384M. In 2015 a bubble optic version was briefly produced. The color choices produced over time are many. One collector has over 600 water bottles, each with some distinguishing characteristic! Still produced by hand today, the water bottle is still as functional and attractive as it was when it was designed eight decades ago. Such longevity defines a “classic”.
Shop for Blenko Water Bottles at https://blenko.com/water-bottles/
