May 29, 2024

Meet the Artist: C2 Custom Creations!

This week we want to introduce you to one of our amazing vendors C2 Custom Creations! Michael Hamlet, founder of C2 Custom Creations alongside his father has been blowing glass since he was a teenager. His experience and talent for technical and sophisticated glass blowing so clearly shows in the work he creates.

80mm Single Ratchet 16" WP

Michael aka C2 Custom Creations is based in California where the nice weather allows for consistent work days. The local presence of numerous industry-specific vendors with distribution warehouse facilities makes for quick and effiecent delivery of glass and gas. California is a hot spot for many things including lots of heady glass artists!

Michael's immersion in the world of glass started early in his life, introduced to glass blowing by his father who was a lifelong glassblower. His father began his own glassblowing journey at the age of 17 in Russia. Michael dabbled in ceramics for a time, but with his early exposure to glassblowing he started pursuing the craft more seriously around age 16. Their love of cannabis was a natural transition into making both hand pipes and water pipes. When they first transitioned into making pieces they went under the name Hi-Tech Glass while also producing quartz products. In addition they made pipes and bongs for other bong companies.

50mm Ratchet Bubbler Available Here

Michael's father significantly influenced his approach to scientific glassblowing and he drew further inspiration from various artists, appreciating and assimilating diverse styles and techniques. The love of blowing glass was a family endevaour.

At the age of 17, Michael partnered with his father to establish their own glass company. They opened up shop January 1994 in Southern California. During the day, Michael said he would prepare parts for his Dad to complete once he returned from his work day at another glass company. In the evenings when their work was done, Michael would get lessons in lampworking from his father.

65mm Single Ratchet Bubbler

Glass has been supporting not only Michael's family, but the entire C2 Custom Creation crew's family for many years. Today, Michael has a studio close to his house, which makes it easy for his wife, kids and friends to visit frequently. Oftentimes Michael picks his son and daughter up and brings them to the studio to hang out while he get some work done. "So yes it is a very family friendly studio", Michael responded with pride.

C2 Custom Creations was officially born in 2006 when Mike and his father made a lifechanging decision to sell and market their own brand. At this time they began really pushing the boundaries of production glass by bringing their own unique and innovative ideas to life in the form of percs like ratchets, barrels, and trays. Through the years C2 has refined and created a really solid glass line that appeals to anyone’s smoking preferences.

C2 Custom Creations creative process is fueled by diverse sources of inspiration, including spontaneous ideas and persistent contemplation of potential designs.

Their business strategy is centered on producing technical pieces that were previously non-existant, offered at competitive prices to sustain operations and stimylate growth. Additionally, Michael and his father undertook projects for other companies enabling them both to make the transistion to full-time engagement in their own glass blowing and beyond.

Continuous improvement was a core tenet driving advancements in both their products and Michael's personal glassblowing skills. Over time, Mike and his father assembled a formidable team of experienced glassblowers, fostering enduring collaborations with various glass artists.

Michael said his aspirations encompass a broad spectrum of projects, ranging from commercial ventures to engagements with movie studios and the creation of bespoke furniture. Some of his project ideas have been conceived through relentless contemplation and visualization.

The pricing of C2's artwork is influenced by the nature of the piece, whether it is intended for production or as a unique, labor-intensive creation with specialized coloration, thereby impacting production costs and pricing strategies.

"The evolution of the glass pipe industry over the past three decades is nothing short of remarkable, transitioning from concerns about legal ramifications to being prominently featured as art in galleries, online platforms, and retail outlets", Michael stated when asked about his thoughts on the ever growing glass market.

45mm Single Ratchet Bubbler

C2 Custom Creation's enduring objectives revolve around the relentless pursuit of excellence in glass production, with a parallel commitment to passing down the knowledge inherited from his late father and the skills he has cultivated in his own family, passing on the love of glass to his son. Passing on the craft to the next generation has allowed Mike to establish a legacy of three generations of glass artists and providing his son with a versatile artistic skill set suitable for both personal fulfillment and professional pursuits.

Check out C2 Custom Creations entire collection on our website! We are so stoked to be working with this incredible artist and master of the craft. Their glass pieces are such show stoppers and are perfect examples of how hard work and dedication can create some of the most sophisticated and innovative functional glass in the industry.