It takes a particular passion for a craft to keep someone in a single profession for 40 years.
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For Breadalbane glassblower James Dodson, however, the time has come to step away from the furnace and begin a new chapter of his life.
He said it would be a challenge to move on from the intensity of glassblowing, which he intends to do in July.
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"I started Tasmanian Glassblowers in 1983 and it's been my full-time occupation; it's been intense because it's a skilled operation and I need to be intensely involved with it or it doesn't work," he said.
"It's time for a change after all this time... I intended to stop when I was 70 as a matter of entering the next phase of my life.
"I'm quite looking forward to it, although I will miss the interaction with my customers and the loyalty they've given me over the years."
Mr Dodson said being able to hand-make and craft intricate glass items, was what lured and kept him involved in the industry for so long.
"It's [glassblowing] a really special medium - it captures you," he said.
"It's not compulsive or addictive but it's one of those things that you're constantly learning which is always nice when you're making things."
Mr Dodson said a lot had changed in the industry under his tenure.
This included the impact of the art studio movement that began in the 1960s, in which smaller glassmaking studios emerged out of larger factories.
"It was a huge learning curve in the early days. And as people matured and learned from the great masters of Italy, Sweden, Germany and France, the focus changed to an arts-based industry," Mr Dodson said.
"A lot of what you see nowadays is in a sense fine art, masterfully made pieces and that change from learning to the experience was part of the growth and change in the industry."
From tableware to figurines, Mr Dodson has been part of what is considered a high-quality glass crafting industry in the state.
"I'm one of the few in Australia making [glass] tableware, more so using a Tasmanian silicone flower which is optically pure - that's been an essential part of my operation," he said.
"It's expensive sand but it gives us the quality we're looking for ... people are still prepared to pay for quality tableware because they enjoy it and they enjoy the fact that it's handmade and local."
Glassblowers will continue to operate out of the Breadalbane workshop; Mr Dodson said he'll remain a while longer to tidy up his workspace as well as a mentor.