How can I determine the exact age of an old Ball jar?
It is very difficult to date a Ball jar without the help of an expert. Ball first manufactured home canning jars in 1884. Since then, many records have been lost to fire or simply to the passage of time. Ball Corporation regularly consults several knowledgeable collectors about jars donated to the company’s products exhibit. One helpful hint: if your jar contains “grippers” – vertical lines on its side that allow a firmer grip on the jar – then it was made after 1930. Ball added grippers to its jars around 1930-1932. But even this rule has a catch: commemorative jars made after 1930 are often designed to look as if they were manufactured before 1930, and don’t include grippers. Your best bet is to visit your local library and see if it contains a book on jar collecting.
