- Press
The Magic (and Challenge) Behind Our Limited Water Bottles
The Magic (and Challenge) Behind Our Limited Water Bottles
Every so often, we introduce a Water Bottle that sparks something extraordinary in our customers. You see it, you love it, you tell your friends, and suddenly… it’s gone. We hear you - why can’t we make more? Why are some colors so limited? Why did they sell out so fast?
Every so often, we introduce a Water Bottle that sparks something extraordinary in our customers. You see it, you love it, you tell your friends, and suddenly… it’s gone. We hear you - why can’t we make more? Why are some colors so limited? Why did they sell out so fast?
Let’s pull back the curtain a bit on why these limited-edition water bottles are so rare, and why they hold a special place in our hearts (and hopefully, yours too).
Why So Few? The Challenges of Glassmaking Magic
At Blenko, we’re not a massive factory churning out glassware by the thousands every day.
At Blenko, we’re not a massive factory churning out glassware by the thousands every day.
We’re a small team - just over 60 employees total, only 24 of whom are glassworkers - and we handcraft every single piece, with each step of the process requiring incredible skill, care, and sometimes a bit of luck.
Take our 384 Water Bottles, for example. Some of our most sought-after editions, like Purple Rain, Ember, and even all the way back to Borealis and beyond, are born out of experimentation. We love pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with color, texture, and design, but that experimentation comes with challenges:
- The Art of Color Creation: Many of the colors we produce rely on century-old recipes. Translating those formulas into modern production methods is no easy task. When we work on a new shade, like Butternut (a vibrant orange we recently developed), it takes trial and error to get it just right. And during this process, we might create colors that are one-of-a-kind but impossible to replicate because they weren’t part of the original plan.
- Limited Furnace Space: Our furnaces are where the magic happens, but they can only hold so much molten glass at a time. If we need to pivot quickly to a new color or adjust a batch, we often turn these one-off “in-between” colors into limited runs of water bottles to make space for the next experiment.
This means some colors - like Maraschino, Ember, and others - simply can’t be recreated. They’re fleeting moments of beauty that reflect the unpredictable and magical nature of glassmaking.
Why Do They Sell Out So Quickly?
When we say “limited,” we really mean it.
When we say “limited,” we really mean it.
Sometimes, we can only make an extremely small batch - sometimes even less than 50 - of a certain color or design, even though we know demand could easily reach into the thousands. That’s just the reality of how we operate as a small, artisanal glassmaking team.
We’ve tried a few different ways to sell these pieces to balance fairness and accessibility:
- Gift Shop Exclusives: Selling locally gives our community a chance to snag these special pieces, but we know this leaves our online customers feeling left out.
- Online Drops: Offering limited pieces online helps reach our broader audience, but we understand the frustration when they sell out in minutes. To improve, we are actively working on improving the online checkout experience to minimize issues like items being removed from carts.
- Auctions: These allow the pieces to find their value on the open market, but we’ve heard your feedback that this isn’t ideal either and makes certain items impossible to acquire.
If we were to set up a lottery or raffle, we’d be further accused of gaming the system or playing favorites. If we listed everything on auction, not everyone could afford to participate.
Even if we had a Ticketmaster style setup where you could “reserve” your piece while you checkout, every piece would be reserved nearly instantly and still be unavailable to you to complete checkout.
Regardless of what we do, someone will inevitably be upset, and we’ve realized there isn’t a perfect way to satisfy everyone. That is why we make efforts to spread the love as much as we can - sometimes the VC gets a special, limited item - sometimes they go Online!
What’s Next?
We know the demand for these special water bottles is sky-high, and while we can’t always make more, we’re always working on what’s next. For example:
We know the demand for these special water bottles is sky-high, and while we can’t always make more, we’re always working on what’s next. For example:
- Prototyping New Designs: We’re currently working on new shapes and colors that will be added to our “line,” which means they will have high availability both online and in-store.
- Experimenting with Replicable Colors: While some of our in-between colors are truly one-of-a-kind, we’re also experimenting with combinations and base colors that can be reproduced in larger quantities.
- Fair Purchase Limits: We have already put restrictions in place, and are considering limiting purchases further to one per customer during special releases to prevent resellers from buying up inventory and to give more fans a chance to own a piece of Blenko art. This will of course upset some folks like those who wish to buy one for themselves and one for a friend, but we have to draw the line somewhere.
Thank You for Supporting Handmade Artistry
When you purchase a limited-edition Blenko Water Bottle, you’re not just buying a piece of glass. You’re supporting a legacy of craftsmanship, a small team of artisans, and a tradition of creativity that stretches back over a century.
When you purchase a limited-edition Blenko Water Bottle, you’re not just buying a piece of glass. You’re supporting a legacy of craftsmanship, a small team of artisans, and a tradition of creativity that stretches back over a century.
We wish we could make more of these highly sought-after pieces, but the limitations are part of what makes them so special. We hope you’ll continue to follow along, share in the excitement, and celebrate the artistry of handmade glass with us.Stay tuned—the next chapter is just beginning.
%20Behind%20Our%20Limited%20Water%20BottlesEvery%20so%20often,%20we%20introduce%20a%20Water%20Bottle%20that%20sparks%20something%20extraordinary%20in%20our%20customers.%20You%20see%20it,%20you%20love%20it,%20you%20tell%20your%20f...){kind=link}