Manufacture/distribution Of Marbles Outside U S

[Steph]

Just a spot to jot some notes. Might be gathered into something formal. Might not.

First will be about India. I've seen other things which I thought about noting then didn't. Seeing the Indian publication made me decide to start keeping track of them.

My searches have been focused on PDF files recently, so sometimes the links will be bandwidth intensive. I'll try to remember to give a heads up when links go to the larger files.

[Steph]

This link goes to a prospectus of Shri Balkishan Agarwal Glass Industries Limited.

LONG document. 218 pages. 829kb. Link

file address: www.sebi.gov.in/dp/balkishandraft.pdf

I haven't read much of the document. I gather that it includes background which it thinks investors or some agency might find useful.

On pp. 52, 53 there is information about the manufcature of glass marbles in India. I've quoted the section below and highlighted in red the parts about glass marbles. Basically it seems to say that glass marbles are made by small businesses. Also, it gives me the idea that marble makers might not be well-documented.

The two sections of text about glass marbles are duplicates. No idea why, but maybe because this is a draft document. I just copied it as is.

GLASS & GLASSWARES INDUSTRY

The Glass Industry comprises of glass containers and hollow wares, tableware, flat glass (including float glass

sheet, figured and wired & rolled glass), vacuum flasks, refills, laboratory glassware, Fibre-glass etc. On the

basis of utility, the two broad market segments of glass industry are consumer glass and industry glass.

Consumer glass is further segmented into tableware and container-ware, under tableware there are number of

items like tumblers, ashtrays and bowls. Tableware segment of the Indian glass industry is dominated by the

unorganized sector. Container-ware is mainly bottles, jars, etc.

Industrial glass is mainly sheet flat glass. There are other end-products like vacuum flask and refills, glass

beads, false pearls, optical lenses and clinical thermometers. The Glass industry in India has been de-licensed

however items like block glass, glass beads except industrial beads, simple glass mirrors, glass bangles, glass

hollow wares produced by mouth blown and/or semi-automatic process, glass marbles of all types and

ophthalmic lenses manufactured from glass blanks are reserved for the small scale sector.

The glass industry in the country comprises about 50 glass units in the organized sector and about 500 small

scale glass units, who together produce a diverse range of products from marbles and mirror to glass containers,

sheet glass, vacuum flask, laboratory glassware and fiber glass. The organized sector in this

industry consists of 10 units of sheet glass manufacturers, 10 units of vacuum flasks/refills manufacturers and

another 5 units in laboratory glassware manufacturing. Although the country at present is self sufficient in every

aspect of glass and glassware manufacture and production, there is a need for modernization in the glass

industry, to make it internationally competitive and technologically innovative.

Background of the Modern Glass Industry in India

The present day glass making industry in India revolves around a range of items from bottles, bangles, beads

and glasses, to laboratory glass and scientific glassware. On the basis of utility, the two broad market segments

of glass industry are consumer glass and industry glass. Consumer glass is further segmented into tableware and

container-ware, under tableware there are number of items like tumblers, ashtrays and bowls. Tableware

segment of the Indian glass industry is dominated by the unorganized sector. Container-ware mainly consists of

bottles, jars, etc.

Industrial glass is mainly sheet flat glass. There are other end-products like vacuum flask and refills, glass

beads, false pearls, optical lenses and clinical thermometers. The Glass industry in India has been de-licensed

however items like block glass, glass beads except industrial beads, simple glass mirrors, glass bangles, glass

hollow wares produced by mouth blown and/or semi-automatic process, glass marbles of all types and

ophthalmic lenses manufactured from glass blanks are reserved for the small scale sector.

The glass industry in the country comprises about 50 glass units in the organized sector and about 500 small

scale glass units, who together produce a diverse range of products from marbles and mirror to glass containers,

sheet glass, vacuum flask, laboratory glassware and fiber glass. The organized sector in this

industry consists of 10 units of sheet glass manufacturers, 10 units of vacuum flasks/refills manufacturers and

another 5 units in laboratory glassware manufacturing. Although the country at present is self sufficient in every

aspect of glass and glassware manufacture and production, there is a need for modernization in the glass

industry, to make it internationally competitive and technologically innovative.

Locational clusters in Indian Glass Industry

Due to historical reasons some area of the country have developed expertise in a certain aspect of glass

manufacturing which has resulted in manufacturing clusters in different parts. Some of the noteworthy glass

manufacturing clusters are as follows: Banaras is the main center for the production of glass beads with

Purdilpur, also being known for its black glass beads. Firozabad, in Uttar Pradesh, is known for the production

of glass bangles and utilitarian glassware. An entire community of skilled craftsmen is located here and is

engaged in making high quality glassware. Firozabad also produces fragile and lightweight glass beads. Tanjore

has become famous for traditional ornate paintings made on glass using gold and depicting deities.

Glass is a transparent product made chiefly from sand (silicon dioxide), limestone (calcium carbonate) and

sodium carbonate. It differs in color and density depending on the addition of several other elements and oxides.

[Steph]

I have some indication that marbles for codd bottles were made in Australia. Still working on confirming that. The problem with confirmation is that it might be that in fact such marbles weren't made in Australia. I've seen discussions out of Australia about how they weren't able to compete with glass balls from China. They were government level discussions. So maybe they hoped to make the glass balls but never did. dunno yet.

Also, I've seen references to different places making glass balls for fiber glass. One in the U.S. which I've never heard anyone else mention but I think also some overseas.

And I've seen several references to toy marbles being made elsewhere, maybe the Middle East.

LOL. Sorry about the vague nature of this post, but as I said, this is just a spot for notes. I actually forgot I started it, or I would have made the notes when the information was still fresh. I'll have to remember this the next time I hit the info.

Oh yes, don't forget the 1956 article about marble factories in Hong Kong. Making cat's eyes and clays. The first was opened in Sept. 1954, I believe. Here's where I said a little more about that: New Cat's Eye Historical Data, (new to me)