Question:
Hello I have a question about Red Wing hot water bottles. I have what I thought were 2 of the same water bottle but recently when I looked at them side by side I noticed that they are different. One is a little larger and seems to be the same on all 3 sides. The other one is a little smaller and a little lighter color and seems to have one side that is much flatter than the other 2. Are these both Red Wing? Is there another company that made these? I had thought about selling one of them but do not want to until I know if it is Red Wing or not. I am enclosing a picture of the 2 side by side, hopefully someone can help me figure this out. Thank you in advance for all your help.

Answer: Both of your water bottles appear to be Red Wing. These bottles were manufactured in the early 1920′s. A little variation in these bottles is common. The Albany slip color was not a slip clay which came from Minnesota, but from Albany NY. Albany slip can be dull, a rich deep brown or a glassy carmel. It all depends on the deposits it was dug from. With all this being said, you can feel comfortable selling one of these Red Wing hot water bottles if you wish. Both are very nice looking and appear to be in excellent condition. Al Kohlman