Shamrock Marbles

I see it. But which one?

@Alan Somewhere in this house I have a Gerry Colman VHS tape on making marbles. Sadly, I have no VHS player. Oh, the irony!

If there was anyone that had one, it would be you. Thank you for sharing! If I recall correctly, he had a monkey face, too. True? How early would you say the momentum started for contemporary marbles? 1995? Sooner? Help me with the makers in your picture. Fritz Lauenstein? Gerry Coleman? Hot House Glass? John Hamon Miller? Geoffrey Beetem? Harry Besett? Others?

Not my face, but I would pay dearly to have one like it.

Don’t forget that the 2025 Marble Championship in Wildwood, NJ begins this coming Monday, June 16, through Thursday, June 19! Enjoy the Boardwalk and Beach. Get a Hoagie, Curley’s fries or a slice at Mack’s pizza.

A few questions… What would you call the base glass? Yellow Alabaster? Yellow Moonstone? Other? Lastly, is the wispy white part of the base glass or considered a third glass? Thanks in advance for your input.

Please, keep having your magical bike rides. 🚲 Stories take on a life of their own. I was reading the information about MFC marbles on different websites and marble books. Lots of literary/poetic license can be found. Heck, any newspaper article should be taken with a grain of salt. “Yellow Journalism” was used to create revenue. Writers were paid by the column inch and rewarded with front page news. Anyway, I’m still researching… -John

I would get a specimen display case (black cardboard, glass window and white batting). I would get some foam boarding and stack 2-3 layers. Then cut out a Christmas Stocking shape in the foam boarding. Put the boards in the box. Overlay with the batting. Put most of the marbles in the bag and insert into the cutout. Place some of the “spilled” marbles in the toe of the stocking.

Let's take a look at Patent US-0632336-A: From a machining point of view, the Inner and Outer Cones would be very expensive to make. How long would they last before having to be replaced? From a production point of view, imagine if there was a jam inside. You would have to completely dismantle the machine to get at the problem. Not all babies are pretty. ** My question still stands: "He may have sold 80% of his patent rights, but can anyone point to a company that used his device successfully in a commercial adventure?" Getting a Patent doesn't mean the idea will become commercially viable. Current viability rate is 2%-4%. Wouldn't you like to know what company or companies employed Patent 632,336? ** Your question: "Do you have reason to believe that his improvement/variation was not employed in manufacturing ball bearings?" Well, that is an interesting question! I came across this... Machinery's Reference Series - Google Books On pages 6 & 7: Things like this create more questions. 😀

Bearing balls were made long before MFC’s patent. In fact, there was prior art to his patent. US and foreign. He may have sold 80% of his patent rights, but can anyone point to a company that used his device successfully in a commercial adventure? Don’t get me wrong. I like a good story, but the plot has to be rooted in fact. MFC was NOT the inventor of the bearing ball machine. He just had a variation on the theme.

Thank you for your effort. Honestly, I cannot give credence to an “article” where they use the term “anynonymous”. First, that is not an actual word. Second, I would suspect they meant “synonymous”, if interpreting their context. Obviously, these “researchers” did not do their due diligence. Definitely not a peer reviewed scholarly work. Sad. 😢

I do make marbles, but I don’t make glass.😉

What is the difference between Flint glass and Lime glass?

Ejection in… 3… 2… 1… 🤪

Hmmm… How do you know the marble has “a purer form of the uranium Vaseline glass without impurities”. Is this something you were told? Do you have factual evidence from Akro records? Are you hopeful and just trying to convince yourself of the purchase? I am having difficulty wrapping my brain around this situation. (Finger on the “eject button”.)

Fun fact… I met the husband and wife duo of eBay’s “drewscoins” at the Des Moines marble show a few years back. They were very nice people and just enjoying the marble world. I can state that they were (at that time) in possession of Chris Robinson’s Road & Tunnel marble machine. Please, do not let your mind run wild. I am not implying or inferring anything negative. Chances are, you can cross paths with them at the upcoming Des Moines marble show.

Lovely marble you have! Others can chime in, but this is an early Akro marble. I would like more info or context about “doesn't have iron mixed with the uranium glass”. Do you have a diameter on this beauty? -John

A display at FedEx Office.

Great marbles!! This one is awesome.👏🏻

First, congratulations for hitting the 4-year mark. You’ve done yourself proud. Second, you take excellent photos. Your skill really make the marbles shine and show their beauty! Third, you may part with your marbles, but you won’t part from your friends. Fourth, wishing you the best and many, many more years of collecting and making forever friends. Cheers! -John

If the ball is limestone, then I would lean toward water filtration or some form of filtration. Limestone is soft and porous. A sphere has the largest surface area per unit volume. When layered in a bed or stacked in a tube/tower, you get excellent filtration without impacting media flow. If the ball is a harder stone, then milling isn’t out of the question. Fun find! It seems lonely, you need more. 😉

Used for water filtration.

According to his Facebook… Hope this answers part of your question. -John

Some examples of Shamrock Marbles (Atmosphere types in the front). Hand-gathered* and Machine-rounded. *Never actually touched the molten glass with my hands. 🙌 So, is it fair to say “Hand-gathered”?

Thank you for the reply. Looking forward to video #4. It’s been a year. Personally surprised that something that relevant wasn’t immediately released, as it appears to be a smoking gun. The next time you talk with them, please ask how the pyramids, candle holders, apples and candy were made.