DEAD SHOW SPARK
In 1993, Scott Deppe attended a Grateful Dead show where he bought his first blown pipe. Returning home to Idaho, he picked up a torch and glass from a hardware store, transforming his living room into a makeshift studio. His early mushroom spoon became the first step in what would evolve into one of the most influential journeys in functional glass.
SELF-TAUGHT VISION
With almost no formal training—aside from a single goblet class—Deppe taught himself to “deconstruct things with my mind.” His early works, such as Take Me to the Mothership and Deady Bear, expanded the boundaries of glassblowing, blending technical mastery with fine art sensibility.
STUDIO LANDING
By 2012, Deppe and collaborator Jake Colito developed the first Fab Egg, a design that would redefine functional glass. In 2013, Mothership Glass officially launched in Bellingham, Washington, with a mission to create “the best functional glass in the galaxy.”
DREAM TEAM
Mothership was never just a studio—it was a collective. Artists like Jake Colito, Quave, Davin Titland, Dosa Glass, Punty, and JD Maplesden honed their skills under Deppe’s mentorship before branching out. Alumni carried forward the prestige of Mothership, known in the community as the “Mothership tax,” a premium that followed both the brand and its torch-bred talent.
FAB EGG REVOLUTION
The Fab Egg, inspired by Fabergé artistry, became a breakthrough design. Its circular shaping and Swiss percolation system produced smoother, cleaner hits than anything on the market. Initially selling for $1,000, Fab Eggs quickly entered secondary markets where they resold for five figures, cementing their status as functional masterpieces.
KLEIN & BALL MAGIC
Beyond the Fab Egg, Mothership introduced groundbreaking designs such as the Klein Recycler—with its looping water system and precision-engineered 72-hole Flower of Life perc—and the Ball Rig, a sphere-within-sphere structure that merged physics with aesthetics. These innovations demonstrated how glass could embody both engineering precision and artistic vision.
MARKET SHIFT
Before Mothership, most pipes were viewed as tools. After Mothership, they became investment-grade art. Strict quality control, limited drops, and selective distribution created scarcity, pushing resale prices into the hundreds of thousands—some pieces reaching $200,000. Mothership reshaped the functional glass economy into a high-art collector’s market.
CULTURE ELEVATED
Mothership didn’t just sell glass—it elevated cannabis culture. Through low-temperature dabbing, sacred geometry-inspired percs, and the use of high-grade German Schott glass, consumption became ritualized. Functional glass shifted from counterculture paraphernalia into objects of design, artistry, and prestige.
GLOBAL ORBIT
Through Meltdown events and holographic glass innovations, Mothership expanded worldwide. Collectors, galleries, and connoisseurs alike trace the influence of functional glass culture back to Bellingham, where Mothership set the standard for American craftsmanship on a global stage.
LEGACY ETERNAL
From a small Idaho living room to a world-renowned studio, Mothership Glass represents the fusion of craft, science, and culture. Decades later, the brand continues to innovate while holding its place at the top of functional glass artistry. The Mothership has not just landed—it remains in orbit.
YOUTUBE VIDEO
— Nugg Notes
sources:
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