PYREX: detecting old vs new

[paulg]

If you had a bunch of undecorated PYREX in front of you, do any of you have a reliable way of detecting old PYREX from new PYREX?
(For the sake of this conversation let's start with an arbitrary cutoff of "old" = prior to 1970, "new" = thereafter.)

OR

Do any of y'all know how to find and/or decode any date codes on any PYREX (new OR old?)

Thanks.

 

[launderess]

Cannot Be Sure

But one looks for the wording on bottom.

If it says anything about microwave ovens, it's new. Older stuff tends to only refer to oven and or range top use.

 

[polkanut]

On the vintage PYREX I have the logo is a circle with the brand name inside of it in capital letters.  And, Launderess is correct about it only referring to oven & range usage.

 

[retromania]

Weight!

 

[retromania]

My mother's old pyrex was heavy. If you dropped it on your toes, you were in trouble!

 

[paulg]

The weight parameter

Cool observation regarding weight. I'm going to check that one out!

 

[maytagbear]

Color, too

older Pyrex has a slight (very, usually) yellow cast, which is not the same as the 50s Pyrex.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[polkanut]

Very true Lawrence.  I have a pink exterior 2qt casserole that screams 1950's, and the interior is nice & white.  It is rectangular and works great for meatloaf. 

 

[danemodsandy]

A Sign and a Resource:

Another sign is metric markings (2.5l, etc.) - these were introduced in the '70s.

However, if you want to know a lot about old Pyrex, and want to identify individual pieces by purpose, year, etc., get yourself over to Corelle Corner, where there is a veritable trove of information, with vintage catalog and ad scans. The "Advertising and Brochures" link on the main page is the one that yields pay dirt, with info going back to 1918:

[this post was last edited: 8/26/2012-20:51]

http://www.corellecorner.com/home.html

 

[retromania]

Lawrence,

Yes. The yellow cast. I discovered that with an older piece of my mother's Pyrex. At first I thought it was dirty or just from age. Or the fact that it had been stored in a cabinet in the laundry room in a cabinet for 50+ years, but I quickly observed it had been manufactured that way. Interesting. I tell you. I love the older vintage cookware, but when you get a meat dish or heavy casserole in them, it's a real workout get it in and out of the oven. I'm tall and stooping down and muscling the casserole out and if you have other things cooking in the oven, it gets tedious. That's when I have wished for a vintage wall oven. I digress tho!

 

[d-jones]

Thanks for that link, Sandy. It was very informative.