mon

I may be so far out in left field that I'm standing in the Pacific....I'll give you all that! Yet for me, it's not about faith. Chad shows a transitional that he calls "German" that has transparent red on his site. Why German, I don't know? I think/hope we can all agree that MF was doing many uncommon things. Craig, out the wazoo.......not sure how many that is but for fun lets say your wazoo holds 4,799 plus one that's out, equals 4,800 HG red slags.LOL That is the reported number MF Christensen could make in the beginning, by himself, in one day. They did make turquoise as a main line and how many do you or others have? I've owned two.....disproportionate? I know.........Damn it Doug, they didn't make red transparent slags, NOT ONE! ok...white flag.....flap, flap, flap

Ann, I know my post are hard to read.......but the records, reported by Cohill, are not remarkable before 06 and spotty. The cut marks offer another problem in my mind in that, Cohill describes talented gatherers that teardrop the correct amount of glass without the need of having the shearer cut at all. This saved time and created the long tails we all love on the next marble being made. I'm not aware of other opaque colors other than jade, yellow and turquoise. There is mention of moss agate that were opaque, greenish blue gray with darker opaque grays, brown or, cornilean red, as a secondary color. Also, a formula sheet with the heading "moss agate or blood agate batch". Blood agate...interesting.

I have thought about bricks being the closest possible imitation agate in red and MF never looked back. Could be? Ann, statement 3 gives me more reasons to believe it could have been and early trial and dropped. I believe the book states that only 2 sizes were made during this time which would go along with what 9 and tails are floating around. Statement 4 is a given after 06 no.5 is a real stretch and yellow is the proof. I have zero but would like to see how many here can post pics of yellow MFC's! no mention in Cohill's book, anywhere! maybe due to the expense invested, transparent red marbles needed to be sold separate and I believe if you ask duffy, ron, bill and many other who ever dug marbles will attest to finding "pockets" of type/colored marbles. Also, knowing or feeling that just over there could be something no one has ever seen because it happened to them before. My mind goes to a place where the light is flooded in a color that all slags look, lets say blue. Give the id experts 100 slags to be id'ed by maker only and see how many tranny reds make it in the MFC pile. Many holes in this bucket of proof imho.

ok, but how many were made, in what sizes and in what year? Also, any ads, letterheads or anything written and if so, what were they called? They may have lasted all the way to Akro packaging....see Akro timeline in Steph's study hall(1st box shown) . Anyone that has ever dug marbles can understand the possibility or should I say "certainty" of missing a great deal of what may be!

Craig, How is this verified? How many were made, sizes and year?

They went from 7 down to 6 in their line of marbles but no mention of what was dropped. And you are correct about being content with what they had once everything settled. Post 29 are not my words, they are Cohill's stating many experimental runs. This factory was on a postage stamp lot early on and so small that they lifted and supported with stilts the old factory and built under the building for more space. I'm not sure how much space they would have for scrap piles.lol 10,000 a day in 04 plus 3 years of who knows what, with no records, and no one thinks it could have......................

Did they make yellow? Any cullet, discarded marbles, names, packaging or any records an all? Can this same statement be made about Akros that were found much later by digging up the whole country side 10 to 20 feet down? It's a great book and to think MF Christensen didn't at least dabble with red is a mystery to me. He studied colors and exotic names with the intent to bring girls into marble. In 1904 he was producing 10,000 marbles and casters a day with no sales records for this year. I'm willing to entertain that red may have been a color during this time due to the marble that are red and hold in our hands today with 9's and tails.

Read most of Mr. Cohill's book and have yet to find where he states "no red" marbles. In 1901-02 Mr. Christensen hired Mr. Leighton and by 1903 he was in full production. He states that MF did extensive experimentation with a handful of formulas purchased from Leighton and others. "He made many attempts at different and new marbles"! Also, states Mr Leighton had a working palette of 22 colors based on glass chards uncovered at 3 of his eight marble works. Was red not of these 22 colors? As far as records, this is what he states: First good records for a full year are for 1907 However, records kept from their date of incorporation in 1910, and beyond, are perfect and complete. The company records before 1905 are spotty. This is the etched in stone data............................

Sorry about that dot...I only went to the 8th pic. Nice group and good luck!

2nd to last pic on the right edge.

Nothing clever on my part. I set up a few trail cameras behind the house. The doves are angel-like dropping in to land and for the most part they are very synchronized. This one's a ham and banked right in front of the lens. It's like x-mas every time I collect the cards to view. This is my desk top for now and no, I don't hunt!

Wow RD, by the sounds of it, those are VHTF in that size! I really like the one on the right!

Thanks and I guess I do! So, would you agree that any "9" 7/8" and under, minus all red and colors known to be only CAC, is a crap shoot as to origin? I wish your detailed post would have been 2nd! lol...... Thanks Craig

I was going to ask the same thing about the ground or melted pontils because I don't know but it had to start somewhere. I don't have that book, does Cohill state the fact of no red slags?

I see three. Or, maybe they only made them in the beginning and paperwork was not logged/kept the same way. Maybe they ran out of TP in the office outhouse..lol. Really, it could be lots of things, who knows. If slags were to mimic agates/onyx (expensive and most desired at this time) and red being the prominent color, why would they completely omit this effort. Did any early collector get confirmation from MFC employees? I have been fondling all of my hand gathered slags and can't find any "signs" between the red and other colored ones. What are the cutline differences between a MFC and CAC hand gathered slags?

And a damn nice Alley at that!

I'm thinking Akro and pretty sure they are not dug...just shy of 3/4". They're base has a hint of blue with a glow like moonies.

My sister is the same way and it drives me nuts also. I was very good in math...absolutes. English on the other hand has many variables that confused me. I would spend hours testing her from her "word power made perfect" books that had no effect on me. Now I wish I could do it all over again because people really judge you by your command of the english language. What other knowledge possessed is tested on a daily basics more than english? On the other hand, her math and history skills are mediocre but hidden in the shadows from all who know better to judge. Heck, you are probably grading this as you read and running out of red ink....I try and believe we all have our strengths and weaknesses that create pride and embarrassment. My outlook is not to embarrass folks on purpose and understand that life has a way of holding some back. My cousin would spend endless days reading and doing things he wanted...on the other hand, I was a workhorse and had a duty to contribute, when not in school, to help my family survive.

Fantastic!

How would MFC differ from CAC as to the shearing off the glob from the punty on a hand gathered slag? I honestly I'm not arguing the point but have mixed feelings on the supported reason to make it an absolute. Just think how many slags in other colors are ID'ed as MFC and may be CAC. 1 1/4" red slag would be something to see for sure!! What is the largest red slag that you know of? Thanks for entertaining my questions.

Maybe this pic is better........nine and tail

Winnie, this one was on the bay and made me think about it and was titled MFC. Pics are from e-bay and are small.

Thanks Steph and Ann, Ann, I didn't mean the reclaiming of gold but the reuse of any/all scrap. With it mixed once with white could it be added to the next batch in portions as not to effect any marbles negatively? I don't know diddly squat of the elements needed to make any colors so, can you explain if the production of oxblood would cost more, less or the around the same as transparent red? Also. opinions why would they did not make red? thanks

Before the digs at MF Christensen, by design characteristics only with many having a "9"'s, many believed they made red slags. From my understanding no red glass was found and out the window went MFC as an origin. Also my understanding was that red was very expensive to produce. Ok, I work at a place that works with gold, platinum and many more precious metals. If you were to "dig" for a sample of what was produced there 100 years or one year from the day the doors close, you would not find any of these metals. Could they had put the same energy into reclaiming red glass? Could they have stored the red glass scrap in one location with the practice/hopes of reuse that was not unearthed? What is the largest red slag you know of? Would they use an expensive glass to make one 1 3/8" slag or 8-9 5/8" slags? I'm probable way off base with this logic but thought I would ask. Thanks