Cac Guinea Question

[david Chamberlain]

Actually Ken my "relevant" reference wasn't directed towards you; it was to Scott. Couple sweet bullet-molds you've got there.

One of these days I'll maybe have the opportunity to help sell some of the Mother Lode of Czech. Bullet Molds that were uncovered in the mid-1990s at that thrift shop in Monterey CA. I keep getting teased about the ones I haven't seen or bought or handled on commission. I'll keep you in mind. Not all of my prices are outrageous! David

Edit: I should add that the Mother lode only consisted of 126 Czech Bullet Molds total but they were sweet.

[BuckEye]

I think the barber told me there were six glass hoppers with shards of individual colors coming down into one nozzle or frit I guess and then move over clear/blue/amber glass.

Revelation:

It almost seems to me as if the glass shards were laid on a table in whatever amounts or configurations and the a punty of clear glass rolled over them picking up the shards and then stretched and then cut almost like cane marbles with just the outer layers. This would give the appearance of stretched glass just like on all guineas as they were cut by machine or not. As far as cobras go, I bet they just rolled the shards and then folded the glass in half on top of itself so the color remained within the clear and then made the cut as it was fed into the rollers!

Think about it

[BuckEye]

Thats the only reason how you could get both globs and stretches of the same color glass on one marble either on the surface or in the interior.

[david Chamberlain]

Popeye Collector, Unfortunately I'm not making it to Amana. Travelled out this year and too much to do what with a major need to tackle the cottage(1916) this summer big time. Scraping, sanding, filling, sanding and painting outside. Shake work. New front steps. Screening the porch(again). Then there's inside: wallpaper, paint, sanding floors and finishing, and so forth. Gawd, it scares me some when I spell it out like that! Maybe Amana in 2011 when I head back for a 50th College Reunion. Possibly doing a marble presentation. I've just had my fill of driving the Buick for those long hauls. Albuquerque to California and back is about my speed these days. David

[popeyecollector]

I have a 1" strand of cobalt glass that is sprinkled with frit (colored glass pieces) that was found at a CAC river bank dump site. The thing looks like a straight pretzel with sharp chunks of colored salt sticking to it. The frit is just on the surface - not pushed in. Seems as if those glass pieces must have been sprinkled or blown on - rather than having a gather of glass roll over a table of glass pieces.

That is the way it looks to me ...

[Kokoken]

I would love to see a pic of that shard. I have some large pieces also but on all of them the frit is on the surface smooth as glass. Monday I will try to post a pic or two. One of them even has a nice seam on the end of it.

[david Chamberlain]

I love this; it's feeling like a cliff hanger! David

[popeyecollector]

I knew the request would come for pictures. Unfortunately, David C. is not the only one with a demanding schedule. When the dust settles - I will put my strand pictures a CAC thread.

[david Chamberlain]

When you do cross-reference to this thread wherever it may be at the time or just boot this one back up to the top and have it right next to your Picture Post; that way it would be easier for everyone to put matters into context. Just a thought. David

[smitty]

I've always thought on the same lines as BuckEyeDr as to the process used for making guineas. Part hand gathered and part machine rolled. We know that C.A. made hand gathered marbles, there are many examples of a swirled "9" pattern and a cut line. My guess has always been this: A glob of either clear, blue or amber was gathered from a furnace, then rolled onto a table of frit (which could vary in size, probably finer near the bottom) Then possibly reheated slightly and held over the rollers as the glob would be cut while dripping. The first cut would result in a single seam with a possible window on the end of the glob. Each cut after would result in a double seam until the process would need to be started over, maybe 4, 5 or 6 double cutlines per every single, I don't know what the percentage is, but it would be interesting to find out. This is just my best guess after studying quite a few guineas and I have no documentation to back it up.

[smitty]

They also did make a few large experimental guineas. This one is 1 inch!

[BuckEye]

Steve, to your knowledge, do all guineas have at least one seam then? whether hidden or blatantly obvious?

Craig

[lstmmrbls]

Is the barber still alive??????????????

[david Chamberlain]

It's suspect. He's a bit of a legend already. I think I was hearing apocryphal stories about him as far back as the early 1990s. No one has ever said anything to the contrary and I'm sure I would have heard of his demise. Just now he was at least resurrected in a Post. David

[smitty]

yes, I would think that all authentic Guineas would have at least one seam. And yes, the barber is still cutting hair.

[1DanS]

Is there a creek behind his shop?

thanks.

[lstmmrbls]

I ask because I wonder how a guy that was still alive would remember or know what was going on inside the CAC factory when it was still up and running. That was a weird sounding sentence as a guy would have to be alive to remember. Just can't think of a different way to make the statement.

[BuckEye]

yeah he is in his 60's and there is no creek behind his place that I saw

[david Chamberlain]

Often ol' timers have repeated the same thing so many times that they begin to take on the semblance of first person narrative in the telling. That's my only guess. I have heard so many marble tales over the years that have been ascribed to The Barber. David

[Kokoken]

OK here are 3 big guinea pieces that definitly are part of a stream. All of the frit is smooth everywhere. Note on the end of the one piece there is a definite seam on the end.

I like Smitty's idea on method of construction. Also, some one posted a pic of a great blue and orange cobra in one of the prior posts. It is spectacular !!!

[ann]

yeah he is in his 60's and there is no creek behind his place that I saw

Hmmm, I'm 62 and was born in 1947 . . . so he was born, at best, in 1940? Wow, heck of a memory. . . .

[Kokoken]

It is not his memory unfortunately. It is imagination from what others had told him.

I still like Smitty's theory on method of manufacture. Does anyone have ideas as to why so many guineas have minute "rust" spots on them ?

[lstmmrbls]

Neat pieces Ken. I am still at total wonderment as to how it was done.

[richsantaclaus]

Would you consider this marble a Guinea?

It's the same marble with light reflections on it.

[david Chamberlain]

Looks more like a Murrini sphere, you know millefiori. David