MILTON, W.Va. \u2014 Blowing hard into a long, very narrow metal pipe with molten glass at the other end isn\u2019t as easy as the professionals make it look.<\/p>\n
You sputter and puff just to keep a steady stream of air flowing as you try to push the\u00a0liquid\u00a0glass into the mold. The experience gives one a real appreciation for the skill and effort that goes into making handblown glass objects. At\u00a0Blenko Glass<\/a>, employees have been making colorful collectible glass pieces since 1921.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to want to work, and you have to want to be good at it to do this kind of work,\u201d said Mark Davis, a 40-year Blenko veteran. He was working on an ornamental glass fish when a reporter visited the factory.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are happy to continue to operate here,\u201d said Walter J. Blenko Jr. of Hampton, a retired lawyer and president of Blenko Glass.<\/p>\n