Dispensers Inc.

A California-based company, Dispensers Inc. produced practical glass and chrome items like sugar shakers, cream/syrup pitchers and salt & pepper sets.  Other brand names which appear on their products include 'Starline' and 'Dripcut'.  The Corelle patterns that Dispensers Inc. imitated include:  Butterfly Gold, Snowflake Blue and Spring Blossom Green.  It is relatively easy to see that these patterns are not authentic.  Versions of Corning Ware’s Blue Cornflower and Spice O’ Life were also made.  One of their 'cornflower' designs is a copy of the Corning Ware pattern. 

'Blue Cornflower' 908 salt/pepper shaker and 930 cream & sugar set.  All are clear glass with a white finish.

Not a lot is known about the company itself, but their products have quite a lot of information on them.  The most detail is found on the spring-top creamer and sugar shaker.  On the bottom of the glass is:  'Dispensers Inc. Santa Barbara, Calif.', and on the inside of the metal lid this same information is repeated plus the patent number for the design and the registration date of 1959.  This isn’t the manufacturing date, they all say 1959, no matter when they were made.

The brand name Starline appears on the sugar top and on the original boxes also.  The word Dripcut pertains to the style of both the cream & sugar lids, and the creamer handle is marked ‘The Dripcut Server’.  Interestingly, the designer’s name, Henry Keck, is on the inside of the creamer top.  Dripcut was also a brand name which appeared on the packaging of some of their items which have no spout at all, like cheese graters and serviette holders. 

Dispensers Inc. 930 Sugar Shaker and Cream Pitcher, morning glory design.

The Cream & Sugar Sets were made in 2 sizes, but the lids seem to be universal and they fit both the tall and the short ones.  The tall set measures 5 inches, holds about 12 ounces, and the bottom of the glass is marked 930.  The short set is 4 inches high, holds about 8 ounces, and is marked on the bottom 908.  Confusingly, the number on the sugar top is also 930, but the creamer top is marked 900.  This shouldn't imply that the sugar should always be tall.  Plenty of sets have been observed and the two pieces are always of equal height, whether short or tall.
  
The small 3-inch Salt & Pepper Shakers are marked on the bottom with either 'Starline' or 'Dispensers Inc.' and a 902 model number.  Sometimes they were sold with a matching chrome tray marked 'Dripcut Starline'.

(Photo: Small 3-inch salt & pepper set.)

Another style of salt shaker is about the same diameter as the 902, but is approximately 4 inches high, and looks very tall and slim in comparison.  This type does not appear to have a model number, but is marked 'Dispensers Inc.'  Even larger is the 4-inch salt & pepper set made with a 908 base and a 955 lid punched with several small holes.  These shakers have very stubby proportions, being almost as wide as they are tall. 

Larger yet is the 5-inch All-Purpose Shaker made with the 930 base and 955 lid.  The 955 lid was made two ways for this shaker and the simple version has 3 large open holes.  The deluxe lid has 3 or 4 holes, and a clear plastic dial is attached on top which rotates for opening and closing.

Some plastic salt & pepper shakers and cream & sugar dispensers have been seen with Corelle type patterns.  They are marked ‘Dripcut Corporation’ plus the brand name ‘Classware’.  They have an unusual bottom-heavy shape with a bulging base.  The pattern is printed around the large area at the bottom, and they have chrome tops.

Solid white opal glass on left;  Clear glass with a white finish on right.

What follows is a list of known pieces by pattern; there are probably more pieces yet.  Actually, given the interchangeable nature of the 900, 930 & 955 lids and the 908 & 930 bases, the following lists may not be as meaningful as hoped.  So these items are listed here as they were found, but there is the realization that lid-swapping is possible.  But it’s probably not rampant.  The chrome lids for all the glass pieces are solid metal and very heavy.  Included with the creamer top is a gasket which would provide a watertight seal.  Absolutely none of these are official pattern names.  Model numbers are listed as: lid + base.

'Blue Cornflower': 

What is believed to be their first Blue Cornflower knock-off is absolutely a deliberate copy of Corning’s pattern, and is perfect in every aspect.  It seems that this was replaced by a morning glory design in a slightly different shade of blue.  There appears to be just a few opal glass items with this design, but certainly the vast majority are clear glass with a white finish, and the bottoms are clear also, making it simple to see the difference.

Salt & Pepper – about 4 inches, slim, no model number
Salt & Pepper – 3-inch 902
Salt & Pepper – 4-inch 955 + 908
Sugar Shaker – 4-inch 930 + 908
Cream/Syrup Pitcher – 4-inch 900 + 908
Sugar Shaker – 5-inch 930 + 930
Cream/Syrup Pitcher – 5-inch 900 + 930
All-Purpose Shaker – 5-inch 955 + 930 (3 holes, open)
All-Purpose Shaker – 5-inch 955 + 930 (3-4 holes, dial-top)

'Blue Morning Glory': 

Salt & Pepper – about 4 inches, slim, no model number
Salt & Pepper – 3-inch 902
Salt & Pepper – 4-inch 955 + 908
Sugar Shaker – 4-inch 930 + 908
Cream/Syrup Pitcher – 4-inch 900 + 908
Sugar Shaker – 5-inch 930 + 930
Cream/Syrup Pitcher – 5-inch 900 + 930

                  
'Butterfly Gold':

Salt & Pepper – Plastic 
Sugar Shaker – Plastic 
Cream/Syrup Pitcher – Plastic 
Sugar Shaker – 5-inch 930 + 930
Cream/Syrup Pitcher – 5-inch 900 + 930

'Snowflake Blue':

Salt & Pepper – 3-inch 902
Sugar Shaker – 4-inch 930 + 908
Cream/Syrup Pitcher – 4-inch 900 + 908
Sugar Shaker – 5-inch 930 + 930
Cream/Syrup Pitcher – 5-inch 900 + 930

'Spring Blossom Green':

Salt & Pepper – Plastic 
Salt & Pepper – 3-inch 902
Sugar Shaker – 5-inch 930 + 930
Cream/Syrup Pitcher – 5-inch 900 + 930

'Spice O’ Life':

Salt & Pepper – 3-inch 902
Salt & Pepper – 4-inch 955 + 908
Sugar Shaker – 5-inch 930 + 930
Cream/Syrup Pitcher – 5-inch 900 + 930
 

The company also offered their morning glory design in at least four other colours:  dark green, royal blue, orange and red.  These versions included a solid coloured border encircling the flower.  Other unrelated patterns were made, one being a daisy design in green & blue and orange & red.  It is very similar to Gemco’s Daisy Collection with the same colour schemes too.