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I've only heard theories, although some state them almost as fact. I think the general consensus is that they were unintentional but who really knows. I mean if the flow from the tank slowed down but the cutter speed remained the same, you would have smaller marbles. The slower the stream, the smaller the marble, until you slow the cutter speed down too. Then when you slow it down to match the amount of glass flowing from the tank required to make a 5/8" marble, you get a swirl instead of a patch because the stream ran longer and was able to fold and loop instead of just get cut off like short blocks of cord wood. Then when it hit the rollers, it all got smoothed and rounded into a sphere. So I don't see how it was unintentional for MK to have made 5/8" swirls... it's not like one marble could have come out as a patch/ribbon and the next a swirl. Sure, maybe it could get grabbed by the rollers and twist a little but it wouldn't be more than a little, like the jabo classics when they get caught by the rollers. Some of the MK swirls have an actual stream of glass that looped over on itself more than once and long enough to fill the volume required for a 5/8" sphere, which means the cutters were slowed down as well. I don't think that happened unintentionally unless it was during setup and adjustment periods. That's my take on it, based on mechanics and my understanding of how the marble making machines work. Someone correct me if I'm wrong please

You know it, oddball marbles for the oddball collectors!

Thanks! I guess it's a moss agate with AV and a 2-color patch.

I think that was a smaller copy of one of my pics of some that I acquired in a lot and they matched up with some on ebay in different colors that were newer MKs, but I lost the photos of the ebay listing ones. I still have photos of mine. At first they were with my peltiers but they didn't fit right. I have some that are similar in pattern in bags of new MKs too but not the same milky base. I'm fairly comfortable keeping them in with my MKs for now based on matching the colors and patterns to these new ones I have on hand. Could be wrong though. Here are some of the missing photos: The MK swirls sure don't show up all that often and are fun to find. I have one other:

Thanks, likewise!

LOL! Yes I do see what you did there. While you're drizzling, put some on this hot fudge sundae too please!

Lol...I guess you've seen my facebook pictures of the curing and smoking bacon! I tell ya, that was one of the more rewarding things I've attempted to do.

Well I figured I'd add this one here.

Paul just carpet bombed the Alley thread again!!

Cool, that looks like the same bag. Thanks for hunting it down!

Some cool ones that came out of a mesh bag marked "Marble King".

A transparent purple based rainbo. First I've found.

Same reason any maker would I guess, I have no idea. DAS made them all the way down to 1/2" or so, maybe smaller.

Looks new to me as well, I would think DAS but I'm not that familiar with their runs. It's got orange peel too.

I posted these before photobucket held our pics ransom:

Peltier double ingot... something you don't ever see:

Wow, some sweet pelts! Jerry... I'm beginning to think we have the only "toucans" on the planet. I still haven't seen any other than our three. Surely someone else has one. Here's mine:

Really nice one Paul! The oxblood is thick on that one!

Fixed it Steph. I still had the original pics on file.

I gotta share these, I'm more excited about getting these than I have been about a marble in quite a while. I have had my eyes peeled for a chalky for years and they just don't come up for sale, and suddenly I have three! Also is a nice Sistersville swirl.

A beauty Paul !!!!

The topic is one that I'm very interested in as well, I'm looking forward to any more information that comes about.