Lifestyle: Duralex Picardie Glassware

Discussion in 'Articles' started by PLANofMAN, Mar 11, 2016.

  1. Porter

    Porter Well-Known Member

    Et voila. Now I can serve people without having to cobble together glasses and coffee mugs (6 of each). Of course I had to test out the durability, so I dropped one off of a chair (about two feet) onto the hard floor-It landed on the lip and no problems. And yup, just pushed the 31cl (middle one) off the kitchen table onto the floor and it's just fine. This could turn into a dangerous game. The 25cl (the one on the right) is probably my favourite aesthetically, although the 31cl will be good for cocktails. A little wide in the middle (the 31cl), although you can't quite see it in the picture.
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  2. Slipperyjoe

    Slipperyjoe Rusty Metal Tetanus

    Interesting article. I also grew up drinking from these..back in the 60's, I remember the milk and fresh squeezed OJ I had in these glasses . They felt solid in the hand but you dare not break them..shattered into a zillion tiny pieces that scattered absolutely everywhere. After a mishap, we used to be finding segments sometimes for months, even in neighboring rooms..:eek:
     
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  3. BamaT

    BamaT Well-Known Member

    Duralex Picardie glasses are now in the house! We were taking care of a couple of errands Saturday, and my wife wanted to go into a Williams & Sonoma store to look at a waffle maker, and I happened to remember that in my research into Duralex that W&S carried them. In addition to the waffle maker, we picked up 4 of the 16oz glasses, and 4 of the 8.75oz glasses. I really preferred the 12oz to the 16oz size glass, but my wife liked the bigger ones, so being a relatively smart guy, I readily agreed on the 16oz! This a start, and we will add some along as we're near the store, and I will eventually get a few of the 12oz size.

    They are much more comfortable to hold IMHO, than the smooth sided glasses we have from Wally World, and certainly look better. In the smaller size, you can easily stack 4 together without sticking to one another as the smooth glasses do. Plus the small glasses we had were not stackable at all, only the larger tapered ones.

    Thanks again for this article, it was an interesting read and subsequently led us to buy some glasses I actually enjoy.
     
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  4. Porter

    Porter Well-Known Member

    I've heard that they certainly do break with style. Apparently Duralex says this is supposed to be safer, because there aren't sharp pieces, but small pieces instead. Broken glass is broken glass, apparently this is just somewhat less dangerous though.
    Well, I guess they'll keep life interesting-They're pretty and strong, but break them at you're own risk ;)
     
    Last edited: Apr 3, 2016
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  5. Slipperyjoe

    Slipperyjoe Rusty Metal Tetanus

    Ya the stuff is supposed to be less break prone. I never heard about that less sharp thing though..interesting. As I remembered, those pieces could get quite nasty..
     
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  6. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    It's 'safety glass' as in you won't wind up with a jagged 4" spear, but the little pieces can be quite sharp as well, just not potentially life threatening.

    @Porter and @BamaT I'm glad you guys are finding these glasses as enjoyable as I am. I tend to use the 8 3/4 oz. and the 12 oz. size the most. The 16 oz. glasses are pretty heavy compared to the other two sizes, as your wife will probably notice pretty soon. They do make nice water glasses though.
     
  7. Porter

    Porter Well-Known Member

    @PLANofMAN I like the 36cl (12oz) but kind of wish I had gotten the 50cl (16) specifically for water glasses. Oh well, I have a nice big stein that works for that. The 31cl (12.5oz's) work well for tea actually-they don't get as hot as some of the mugs I have and let me feel all cultured as I eat my peanut butter toast and sit at my laptop.
     
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  8. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    Duralex's largest export market is Afghanistan, surprisingly. The glasses are considered ideal for drinking tea. Supposedly there is a picture of the infamous terrorist, Osama Bin Laden, drinking tea from a Duralex Picardie glass. For all I know, that is an internet rumour. I've spent a good deal of time looking for such a picture, and never found one. Doesn't bother me much. I mean, Hitler shaved with a British made Gillette New (https://www.reddit.com/r/wicked_edge/comments/1lnb2w/adolf_hitlers_gillette_de_razor_british_made/), so I don't put much stock in everyday objects acquiring any sort of symbolism from people using them.
     
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  9. tuxxdk

    tuxxdk International Penguin of Mystery

    I know they're only similar in design to the Duralex Picardie but I got 12 lookalikes from Ikea which I absolutely love. Great heft, volume and shatter proof as well per claim.

    With daily dishwasher, kids and what not I cannot force myself to spend more on daily plates and glassware. Ikea for the win. Brands mean nothing, only price and quality (and design). And so far the quality from Ikea hasn't let me down. I mean... 9 USD for 12 drinking glasses? :D
     
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  10. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    There are many styles of glasses that are virtually copies of the Duralex Picardie. All the ones I've handled are much heavier, including some American made glasses at Wal*Mart. The important thing is, if you like the look and like the price, it's a win in my book, no matter what glassware you choose.

    I'm guessing you went with the Pokal series of glasses. :)
     
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  11. tuxxdk

    tuxxdk International Penguin of Mystery

    True :)

    I never knew it was a "thing" until I saw this thread.
     
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  12. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    I didn't know it was a thing until I went shopping for the best glasses, (as opposed to the most expensive ones).
     
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  13. macaronus

    macaronus Sir Nice-a-Lot

    Thank you for yet another interesting read, Ryan! :happy088:

    I never realized these glasses were a 'thing'. :)
    I hope I'll remember this post when we are in need of new glasses!
     
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  14. BamaT

    BamaT Well-Known Member

    No need to wait, go ahead and take the plunge. My wife liked them okay when we first got them, now as long as there is a clean Duralex Picardie in the cabinet, that's what she reaches for!
     
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  15. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    There's just something very comfortable about them. Pleasant to hold and pleasant to drink from. I don't think twice about it anymore, except when I'm at someone else's house and I use one of their glasses to get a drink of water or something.

    Have you talked her into the 12 oz. size yet?
     
  16. BamaT

    BamaT Well-Known Member

    Yes, we only bought 4 each of the 8oz anf 16oz sizes to start with, and plan to build from that. She's on board with getting some 12oz glasses.

    I'm sipping ice water now as I type this from a 16oz Picardie! In addition to getting some 12oz glasses, I would also like some of the 10oz tumblers.
     
  17. BamaT

    BamaT Well-Known Member

    It's hard to explain to someone else what a difference the Duralex Picardie makes, most think that a glass is a glass. But once they actually drink from one they're hooked. My son was home a week ago, and when I mentioned the new glasses to him, he was sort of oh, well. But after drinking from one, he was really impressed, and wanted to know where we got them. After using one, he understood! They are pleasant to hold and drink from.
     
    Last edited: Apr 25, 2016
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  18. macaronus

    macaronus Sir Nice-a-Lot

    Thanks for the suggestion, but we already have too many glasses right now, but eventually they will break at some point. Then the Duralex glasses will come into view - and the cabinet! :)
     
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  19. Single Malt Whiskers

    Single Malt Whiskers Active Member

    That was great. I never thought I would covet drinking glasses. When I went looking for a rocks glass last year (I really just needed one as cabinet space was tight and I'm the only one who would really be using it), I picked one up at Daiso that was a clone of this. I loved the look and feel of it but I now realize that it was because it reminded me of this glasswear and now I know the name of it. So thanks!! (if I had the spare change I'd order a set ASAP). How do you guys like it? And do you ever use it as a rocks glass for James Bond-esque scotch (see OP pic)?
     
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  20. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    When I get more scotch, I will probably use a dedicated glass for that. I have one glass that was part of a set my Grandfather owned, engraved with his last name's inital. I've always used that glass for my scotch.

    As for the Picardie glasses, I will probably stick with that brand for the rest of my life for regular use. I just haven't seen any other glasses that compare.
     
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