Reproduction Marbles: Sulphides & More?

[marble wife]

s

[machinemades]

I didn't see the sulphide in hand, but I am sure after rework, it must have lost the natural as made flow on the glass surface it would have when it was first made. A pontil on an antique handmade, specially a wonderfully ground pontil, is a very desirable future. However, it is ultimately a flow that old craftsmen could not avoid. Contemporary masters do their best to produce perfect marbles today. That is exactly why it would be wrong to try to place a pontil back on a reworked sulphide. I can't think of a reason other than trying to deceive a potential buyer.

Sami

[clydetul62]

Some people have even put pontils on fakes after buying from artist. A well known case comes to mind a few years ago with some of Fred Wilganowski's work. A person was using etching cream to create pontils and passing as old. Here is a great marble that a person was just messing around. This marble somehow got into a digger's hands and then passed off as a dug marble. The buyer paid good money. He was an experienced collector that was fooled until he met the maker at a show and was told he made the marble. The maker did try to buy it back but the collector refuses to sell. Who wouldn't pay good money for a dream marble such as this?

[Pene-lope]

Sue,

Pen is fine. No I don't really have a background in antiques, like them a lot. One of those fortunate people who has always been able to distinguish diffrences by touch. And you are right, I don't understand how other people can't. Often when I try to explain I get looked at like I have a third eyeball in the middle of my forhead. I am also one of those annoying people that can just look down and find a four leaf clover. Maybe they go together.

But I would have to "handle" a lot more marbles before I would trust myself enough to buy an expensive one without guidence. At the moment my buying logic is -is it cheap enough I won't hate myself in the morning and is it pretty enough for me to live with even if it is nothing but a pretty marble.

Question on those maroon and yellow marbles is that the "9" that I keep reading about on handmade marbles.

[richsantaclaus]

Sue,

I don't mean to speak for Rich and he proved his ability to restore a truly hopeless old marble, but it would be the wrong direction to try to place the pontil back on that marble. Would it be even possible?

Sami

Hi guys, it's Rich.

Sami - of course it is possible and very easy to make a pontil mark. Also, if you put the UV light on the sulfide I "fixed" it glows yellow-green just as the original old glass did back when it was made. It still had the same surface feel after I reworked it as it did before the "fix."

I choose NOT to try and re-invent the old marble back to it's original condition. I am not going to even go there because I was not the maker of the marble to begin with. Back then when the marble was first made, the technology wasn't what it is today and I certainly respect that.

You just have to see that my love of glass and the vintage guys asking me IF it were possible to "fix" an old marble brought me into the fold here. For me, it's all about the glass and getting to a point where I can control it to do what I want it to do.

You also have to realize, under intense heat, the glass will do what IT wants to do no matter what skills I try to bring to the torch!

If you have time, check pout the "fix" on the swirl marble I did - it's the 6th one I have worked on too!

[m!b$]

We can complain about them being made, or we can try to learn about them.

"Better to light one candle than to curse the darkness."

[Steph]

Norbert Geitner, Germany, circa 2004.

A little less than an inch in diameter.

[david Chamberlain]

Any idea why the Marc Capel Posts were Edited down to a single 's?'

The examples that Alan showed on the other page of the chap with 20 years experience all seemed to have what I would have described as exceedingly sloppy execution when it came to finishing them off symmetrically at the pontil area. I've always found wide open pontils unattractive unless they were meant to be as some sort of element of the marble.

Re. Norbert Geitner's 1"- sulphides I would like to ask him........"Why?" With that skill it's already obvious that you can climb mountains but why not channel it into something new and novel. Scary! Anyone would want an unusual sulphide that's under and inch.

David

[richsantaclaus]

I can answer "whY?" one would like to make a sulphide - it's a total creative challenge!

I have tried to make 3 of them with NO success!!!!! I want to make a sulphide where NO bubbles at all are in the clear but have had nothing but headaches from the 3 I have tried.

The 1st one has a "bubble-wrap" look where the little kitten with a ball of string seems to be covered with the bubble-wrap!

The 2nd one, I changed the COE of the glass and when I put in into my kiln to anneal, it looked perfect BUT the next day, it looked as if rolled down Mount Everest and cracks were all throughout the clear. It is SO bad, you can't tell the eagle figurine is inside!

The 3rd one is again totally wrapted in a bubble-wrap look even though I covered the little bear figurine using a different encasing method and a slower cool-down ramping in my kiln!

Right now I am at a loss as how to make a sulphide marble!

IF I ever "get it to work" for me and IF I plan on selling it - I will SCREAM to the world that it is a contemporary made sulphide so no one would ever accuse me of not telling the truth about it!!!!!

[marbleus1]

quote:"It IS an original piece... It has experienced serious damaged... If it can be fully restored, why is that wrong??"

My dad would not let me answer - because.

David

Rich can you tell?

qoute:" I can't think of a reason other than trying to deceive a potential buyer."

It IS an original piece... It has experienced serious damaged... If it can be fully restored

Easy on me now, not unlike Sue my immediate response "what ya doing there Willis".

Upon reflection, I have not as yet answered the question in a way that could end my own

debate.

truedat mib$

[david Chamberlain]

I appreciate your detailed and considered answer to my "Why?" In retrospect I think my 'why' implied quite a bit more than just the mechanical challenge. More of the existential 'Why' as posed by the character played by Julian Sands in the movie "A Room With a View." I probably should have been more specific..... I wonder what Norbert is screaming to the world. David

[I LOVE MARBLES]

The amber is a California sulphide, the rest are German.

[I LOVE MARBLES]

one more.

[richsantaclaus]

Question: When I encase a copper penny, for example, am I making a sulphide?

I've been doing that for at least 3 years and before my marble show, I never even heard of a sulphide before!

Also, I have never seen that movie so I am missing your point. (Not had TV for 30 years either!)

[marbleus1]

When you repair a marble, Can you tell? best case scenario

David

[david Chamberlain]

I don't have TV either and have had extended periods in my life without it. It can be liberating. But I am an early morning NPR junkie. I've made up for the no TV by in the past 2 years picking up frugally almost 500 movie DVDs. I know, a bit insane but a good movie is worth seeing over and over again. Later, David

[richsantaclaus]

When I do a marble repair, I can tell since I do not leave any punty (pontil) marks and make it as smooth as the glass will allow.

Currently, I have done about 100 repairs and I think I am getting good at it - but it does all totally depend on the glass and how IT behaves!