His Glassworks

What His Glassworks does

His Glassworks, Inc is a privately held, Asheville, North Carolina-based specialty e-commerce retailer founded in 1992 that supplies diamond tools, abrasives, and machinery for glass coldworking. The company serves individual glass artists, hobbyists, students, and professional studios working with stained glass, fused glass, blown glass, and glass sculpture, offering a comprehensive catalog that spans consumables (electroplated and resin-bonded diamond disks, 3M Trizact abrasives, cerium oxide polishing compounds, loose abrasives, epoxy adhesives, etching products), diamond wheels and saw blades, and capital equipment (flat/lap grinders, hand grinders, wet belt sanders, wet saws, sandblasters).

The product line is built around proprietary expertise in diamond tooling technologies — including electroplated nickel-bonded diamonds, resin-bonded diamonds that slowly release abrasive for finer finishes, sintered diamond wheels for extended life, electrostatic diamond material, and 3M's micro-replicated Trizact aluminum-oxide pyramids — combined with water-fed grinding systems for dust control and precision. His Glassworks is an authorized distributor of 3M, Foredom, Husqvarna, and Polpur products, and supplements the catalog with its own branded offerings (Blizzard, StarLap, Tornado, Baby Rok, Ceramica, Revolution XT).

The business runs a direct-to-consumer model through its own e-commerce storefront, with tiered unit pricing from $1.25 consumables to $4,790 capital equipment, quote-based pricing for larger machinery, bulk/volume options, and toll-free and local phone support. Marketing is executed primarily through an educational content/SEO strategy via its Coldworking 101 video series and knowledge base, targeting the top of the funnel for the glass working community.

Name

His Glassworks

Legal name

His Glassworks, Inc

Website

https://hisglassworks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

His Glassworks is a private, Asheville, North Carolina-based e-commerce retailer founded in 1992 that sells diamond tools, abrasives, and coldworking machinery to individual glass artists, hobbyists, students, and professional glass studios in the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Glass Coldworking Tools and Abrasives

NAICS

Abrasive Product Manufacturing (32791), Saw Blade and Handtool Manufacturing (332216)

SIC

Abrasive, Asbestos & Misc Nonmetallic Mineral Prods (3290), Cutlery, Handtools & General Hardware (3420), Pens, Pencils & Other Artists' Materials (3950)

akta.pro primary industry

Crafting Tools & Equipment Retail (Cutting, Adhesives, Heat Tools) (CRALACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Crafting Machines & Accessories Retail (Die-Cut, Cricut/Silhouette, 3D Pens) (CRALACAK), Glass Fabrication & Processing Services (Cutting/Edging/Drilling/Polishing) (IMADAHAI)

Keywords

• Glass coldworking tools
• Diamond grinding disks
• Glass lap grinders
• Cerium oxide polishing
• Glass abrasive supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Asheville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Direct retail sales of diamond tools, grinding machinery, abrasives, polishing compounds, and accessories for glass coldworking. Includes consumables (disks, belts, cerium oxide) and capital equipment (grinders, saws, sandblasters).
2. Special Order and Custom Products: Quote-based sales for larger machinery and equipment, with some items requiring 'Get a Quote' rather than direct online purchase.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

His Glassworks sells diamond grinding tools, abrasive disks, wheels, saw blades, drills, carving points, and abrasive belts, along with glass coldworking machinery (flat/lap grinders, hand grinders, wet belt sanders, wet saws, sandblasters) and consumables (loose abrasives, cerium oxide polishing compounds, HXTAL epoxy adhesive, acid etching products). The catalog serves individual glass artists, hobbyists, students, and professional fabrication studios with both low-cost consumables ($1.25–$20.50) and capital equipment ($1,300–$4,790).

Product overview

His Glassworks is a specialty supplier of diamond tools and glass coldworking supplies, operating as a single unified e-commerce platform selling a comprehensive portfolio of products. The core offerings include electroplated and resin-bonded diamond disks (such as Electroplated Diamond Disks, Blizzard Electroplated Diamond Disks, StarLap Diamond Disks, and 3M Trizact products), diamond grinding wheels (radiused, flat-edged, and engraving wheels), diamond saw blades (slabbing, medium cut, fine cut, Taurus, and Revolution XT), carving points and bits, drills, and abrasive belts. The machinery lineup features flat grinders/lap grinders (Covington, Steinert, WaterJet Design brands), hand grinders (electric, pneumatic, flexible shaft including Foredom), wet belt sanders, wet saws, and sandblasters. Consumable products include loose abrasives (silicon carbide, aluminum oxide, pumice, garnet), cerium oxide polishing compounds, HXTAL NYL-1 epoxy adhesive, acid etching products (Vari-Etch), and Flex-Tec anti-shatter coating. The company also sells accessory products like Loc-Line cooling systems, safety gear, books, and apparel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Diamond Grinding Disks Comprehensive line of diamond grinding and smoothing disks for lap grinders and right-angle/hand-held grinders, including electroplated (6–24 inch), Blizzard electroplated, StarLap, resin-bonded diamond smoothing pads (6–30 inch), electrostatic diamond, 3M Trizact 268XA, Polpur Lapi-T, and synthetic felt/cerium disks. Designed for glass artists, hobbyists, and fabrication shops to grind, smooth, and pre-polish glass surfaces.
• Diamond Grinding Wheels Diamond grinding wheels in radiused, flat-edged, and engraving profiles, including electroplated, sintered, diamond smoothing, and Polpur Lapi-T options. Used to create lens effects on glass surfaces, remove punty marks, perform flat edge processing, and engrave glass.
• Diamond Saw Blades Diamond-coated blades for cutting glass, including slabbing blades, medium cut blades, fine cut blades, Taurus blades, and Revolution XT blades, designed for use with wet saws and other glass cutting equipment.
• Diamond Drills and Core Drills Small diameter core drills and drill/router bits for drilling holes in glass, available in electroplated and sintered variants, for detail work and fabrication.
• Carving Points and Bits Electroplated and sintered carving points and shaped bits for detail work in glass, available in various shank sizes for use with hand grinders and flexible shaft tools.
• Abrasive Belts Grinding and smoothing belts for expanding drums and belt sanders, in silicon carbide, plated diamond, electrostatic diamond, Trizact, cerium impregnated, and felt varieties, offered in 5-packs for production use.
• Flat Grinders (Lap Grinders) Flat grinding machinery including small grinders, large grinders (Covington, Steinert, WaterJet Design), and Rociprolaps, paired with diamond disks for grinding and smoothing glass surfaces.
• Hand Grinders Electric, pneumatic, and flexible shaft hand grinders for glass processing, including Foredom flexible shaft systems with TX motors, metal foot pedals, and handpieces for grinding and detailing.
• Wet Belt Sanders Vertical and horizontal wet belt sanders for glass grinding and finishing, including tabletop and floor-standing models priced $3,790–$4,215, used for dust-controlled production finishing.
• Wet Saws Wet saws for cutting glass, including small wet saws, large wet saws, ring saws, and wet circular saws, as well as the Husqvarna TS70 10-Inch Wet Saw for glass cutting applications.
• Sandblasters Cabinet sandblasters and sandblast equipment for glass texturing and etching.
• Loose Abrasives Loose grinding abrasives including silicon carbide, aluminum oxide, pumice, garnet, and whiting, offered in various package sizes up to 44-pound bulk quantities for production use.
• Cerium Oxide Polishing Compounds Cerium oxide polishing compounds including Cer-Optik, Cerox 1663, 3M Cerium Slurry, and AX Cerium Oxide, used for final glass polishing after pre-polish grinding.
• HXTAL NYL-1 Epoxy Adhesive Professional two-part epoxy adhesive for glass bonding, crack repair, and surface coating, with chemical cure (no UV required), sold in 1-3 ounce kits.
• Acid Etching Products Glass etching products including Vari-Etch Cream and Vari-Etch Powder for decorative glass treatment.
• Flex-Tec Anti-Shatter Coating Safety coating product for glass that helps prevent shattering.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• 3McoreTechnology or IntegrationHis Glassworks is an authorized distributor of 3M products including Trizact abrasive disks, Dual Lock attachment systems, electroplated diamond disks, and electrostatic diamond materials. 3M's products are featured prominently throughout the product catalog.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Klingspor Abrasives: Established abrasive-products manufacturer and distributor serving woodworking, metalworking, and specialty finishing — a broad incumbent whose glass-relevant SKUs compete with His Glassworks' consumable line.
• Norton Abrasives (Saint-Gobain): Large industrial abrasives manufacturer whose coated and bonded abrasive products overlap with the consumable categories His Glassworks distributes; competes for the same diamond-and-CBN tooling budgets across glass and adjacent materials.

Direct peers

• Bullseye Glass Co. Specialty manufacturer of fusible glass for art and architectural use; serves the same fused-glass artist and studio segments and overlaps with His Glassworks on tooling/machinery merchandising for that community.
• Covington Engineering: Manufacturer of lap grinders, ring saws, and other glass coldworking machinery — a brand His Glassworks already retails — and a direct functional peer in the machinery category for glass fabrication.
• MK Diamond Products: Manufacturer of diamond blades, core drills, and saws for tile, stone, and glass — a close competitor in the diamond-blade and wet-saw categories His Glassworks retails, including brands like Husqvarna's TS70 wet saw.
• Wissmach Glass: Art-glass manufacturer selling to stained-glass and hobbyist customers; overlaps with His Glassworks in serving the artisan glass community and competes indirectly for the same discretionary craft dollars.
• Delphi Glass: Long-standing direct-to-consumer supplier of stained glass, tools, and supplies to the same hobbyist and professional glass-artist community served by His Glassworks, with overlapping catalog categories including diamond tooling and consumables.
• Oceanside Glass & Tile: Manufacturer and retailer of art glass and glass-tile products serving fused-glass and stained-glass artists — a direct adjacency in the same glass-artist customer base, complementing rather than replacing His Glassworks' tooling focus.

Emerging players

• Foredom Electric Co. Manufacturer of flexible-shaft rotary tools and hand grinders for grinding, polishing, and detail work — already a named His Glassworks partner and a functional peer in the hand-grinder and detailing-tool category.
• Industrial Tooling House: Distributor of industrial diamond and CBN tooling for precision grinding — comparable to His Glassworks as a specialty distributor of diamond tooling, though oriented more to industrial buyers than to artisan glass.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about His Glassworks