wvrons

What US marble company made banana cat eyes other than Peltier ?

One is egg shaped larger than a egg. One is round. Both have a flat bottom,both have a hole in one end oppsite the flat end. If a Darning egg why the hole ? Both have dirt in pits,one has a good amount of wear with the glaze wore very smooth slick and discolored almost gone in one area. Bill, now you can fix those socks through the cold winter months. If you run out of socks to repair let me know.

Sad news today. I was lucky enough early in my marble collecting to meet Bert at a show in Canada. I had a room between Bert and Les Jones. I spent most of that show with Bert and Les. One which i will never forget and what a impression both of those legendry marble men left on me. My last talk with Bert was about the Alley salesman sample case that he had decided to sell. Bert was a true gentleman and role model for any marble collector. He will be missed by many. My condolence to his family.

100% Alley

The first one from Pedidoll looks possible Champion. Yours looks like it may also have a little white with the yellow.

Zero bids.

Yes with the Peltier set up it could require more manpower. But it is probably near the same marbles per minute which is the same amount of glass or indgrediants going in and coming out. The work or time required for adding indgrediants would not be double manpower. But on the exit side it would take more to monitor and keep in control. Lemons to Oranges IMO.

I am so happy that i was not the only one to witness the changes in the marbles that night at Jabo. The marbles changed fast probaby in a minute or less,not more than two minutes. After we changed the position of how the glass stream entered the shear opening. Like i said we did it many times in 12 hrs and it was the same result every time. Galen take it easy on the walls. You will have to call a drywall man. I cannot tell or explain why but i know it happend over and over. I doubt that you will ever get the chance to see it happen. I am sure i will never get the chance again. But 12hrs was enough and a really great night shift. Maybe Griff will add anything i forgot or missed. If i get some rest i will post some pictures of the marbles. I worked outside all day at the farm dismantling a 75-100 year old corn crib. Plus save all the old lumber as possible. It is all down and most of the lumber is stacked with the nails removed. All due to the help from Nola and Bill. Thanks !

Dave yes i agree the Alox shear is probably original Alley. I think most if not all the Alox machines were from Alley or maybe one from Ravenswood which was also Alley design. Nancy Frier's grandfather had close ties with Ravenswood and Alley. When her grandfather bought the first used machines here in WV. Seven expierenced marble workers left WV and went to St.Louis to help make the marbles. Nancy said they stayed with Alox and never came back to WV. Her grandfather bought the machines at about the time that Alley and Ravenswood switched over to the newer type faster machines. Alley was making a lot of one inch swirls in 1933 at Pennsboro and after that at the Pennsboro location. Also early at St.Marys. I am not sure if i have seen a one inch Alley from the earlier Sistersville location ?

The yellow one could be Champion but i am not 100% positive. In Ednas #3 box or third picture check the two rows of clear base and white. Champion did the same marbles in different single color swirls,also blue or yellow or green. I don't remember any red,browns or orange. I don't know the blue one ??

Best wishes Scott. Keep the fight going with the health issues. I was hoping to see you again at Canton in Feb.

Not a Alley Caligraphy. Just a Alley double flame. Flames on both sides which is not uncommon for many Alleys,from all four of his locations. I am not sure that i have seen a white base and blue Caligraphy ?

Good info. Four Jabo operators for each machine. I could easily see two but i am not sure what four would be doing ? Jabo is like most things today less human workers. Like Lowes today, try to find some help there. Find that 8 penny coated siinker nail on your own. They have it someplace in the building. I can take some pictures of the above marbles that we made. But i am gone all of Saturday and most of Sunday. When the glass stream just touched or rubbed the side of the shear opening. You could see the stream starting and trying to fold over on itself before hitting the shear plate or knife balde. With the glass stream hitting on the top or edge of the shear opening. You could definatley see the stream make a fold over on itself before being cut. With the glass stream falling a decent length to the shear opening,it was twisting on the way down. But as it hit the side of the shear opening,it stopped twisting immediately and began trying to fold over before it hit the shear plate or blade. So still my same old three questions. #1 Why do the several WV swirl companies and Jabo marbles usually show no cut lines ? #2 Why do the larger vintage companies making patch ribbon type marbles usually always show cut lines ? #3 Why does CAC have some with no cut lines,some with one cut line and some with two cut lines ? This is for the majority of production over the years,not the fewer numbers of exceptions. How may Cat-eye type marbles show cut lines ?

Did the larger vintage companies have a operator dedicated to each machine in operation ?

If you ever noticed at Jabo. Almost all if not every machine operator kept a pry bar at the machine near the shear end. They used this to reposition or realign the machine to the glass stream. To align the glass stream in the center of the shear opening. This was done every half hour maybe each hour or sometimes more often. Most of us has seen patch ribbon marbles from Jabo. But these were not the usual standard production. When the machine got out of alignement with the glass stream the operator ASAP would align the glass stream back in the center of the shear opening. Jabo's normal majority of production was swirl marbles. But many of us has seen Jabo patch ribbon marbles with a single cut line showing or double cut lines and swirls with a fold or cut line showing. The norm at Jabo was keep the glass stream centered as best possible. The norm production at Jabo was swirl type marbles with most not showing any cut line.

We did not alter the shear in any manner. We did not alter or change any equipment. If the glass stream was positioned in the center of the opening into the shear. We made swirls with no cut line showing. If the glass stream was positioned just slightly to the side of the opening into the shear. So that the glass stream just touched or rubbed the side of the shear opening. We made patch ribbon type marbles with a single straight or slight curve cut line. If the glass stream was positioned so that it hit slightly on the top edge of the shear opening. We made patch ribbon type marbles with two cut lines opposite each other. We did not do this once or twice. But several times all throughout the 12hr. night shift. Daves comment the next morning was how did you guys make those ? The put the 3/4 machine back under the tank and went back to making the routine 3/4 swirls.