From John Styler
It is my understanding that when the European glass cutters came to America they went well beyond the method practiced in Europe and therefore the pieces were cut deeper than anything done in Europe. This practice gave it the name.
I have seen very old Czech, German and Polish cut pieces that could pass for pressed glass.

Then, Dick Stark
agreed………a rose by any other name. most of us can discern the quality and that’s all that counts. Jane’s comment is accurate technically but as a cameo collector I judge by the result not the process.

Finally, from Wayne Montano of Montano’s Antique Glass Repair of Emmett, Idaho
Hi Alan, We repair and restore several hundred pieces of cut glass and engraved glass each year. For cut glass, whether it be a blown blank or a figural blank, cutting the glass can be a 3 to 4 step process depending on the company. Most companies from 1885-1930 would use a steel wheel and Carborundum grit to cut into the glass making the very first large deep cuts. Then using a stone wheel to smooth out the rough cutting of the steel wheels and making minor cuts of various stages. Then you’d have a finisher to polish everything using pumices and ceriums. You’d have various means of polishing from wheels make of wood (apple) to corks or felt and to stiff brushes on the wheels like a wire wheeled brush only it being a very stiff bristle.

We’ve been told from various folks that about 60% of all that was started broke during the manufacturing process. And a point that is seldom spoken about is that EVERY cutting shop had a repair shop in house. If a piece was nicked prior to the wrap and shipping room, it would be repaired rather than to throw it out to the cullet bin. We can’t tell you the number of times we have heard that this piece has never been repaired. Maybe so, but who knows for sure.

For the engraving. We have always felt that this is like a painter painting on canvas. Only it is done with wheels on glass. There are various methods to be used in engraving on glass: stone wheel, copper wheel, diamond wheel and then various stages of polishes. The engraving can be a very light scratching to a very deep intaglio engraving and polishing. An example is the Hawkes Company’s Gravic compared to Sinclaire’s and Tuthill’s fine detail.

For todays repair process, we have on hand about 300 stone cutting wheels, and about 300 diamond engraving tools (heads) and a copper wheel engraver with 10 heads. We also use about 30 diamond wheels for various stages of cutting depending on the width and depth of the cutting needed. We use about 15 different polishes to duplicate the type that
was used during the original manufacturing. The polishes of today are too fine and there is a difference in the final appearance between an original and a repaired polish. We use various types of polishers from felt, cork and wood to obtain an original look. We do not use acids to polish though companies did from about 1915 on. We have about 60 steel
wheels, but don’t use them as we only repair, not manufacture. Folks find it hard to believe that steels wheels were used in the process of cutting. You’d think the pieces would shatter.

Hope this helps and sorry if it is too long of an answer. Wayne Montano