Panthertown!

[Steph]

When @klay-taw-n posted his introduction thread I fell in love with his marbles at first sight! 

I searched him out on ebay and now these are mine!  And they're even better in hand than they were in his beautiful pictures, because they FEEL so good.  Their texture.  Their weight.   They're great.

While I've had many earthenware marbles I wasn't familiar with stoneware.  Now I'm a fan.  




This bullseye marble needs a video to show it to best effect but I'll try to make do with three views.  A work of art. 






P.s., this 3/4" glazed marble is itching to be a shooter in a game of Ringer, if I can find 13 glass marbles that I'm willing to shoot it at.  My thumb kept trying to flick it.  I'm going to put most of my new mibs up onto a shelf to keep them pristine, but I'm saving this one out (and one other) to play with. 



 

[bumblebee]

Those are neat! Patterns resemble vintage rubber balls but look made of sandstone.

[Peltier Mibber]

Great looking for sure.

[klay-taw-n]

I'm so honored. They are a lot of fun to make, and knowing someone else enjoys them as much as i do makes them that much more rewarding. 

Technical note:  the difference between earthenware and stoneware is primarily a difference in firing temperature. An earthenware clay body consists of materials that melt at a lower temperature, and so they don't need to be fired as hot in order to become solid, however not all the materials vitrify (fuse together in the heat) so it leave's the clay porous, lighter,  and more susceptible to break (terra-cotta being the perfect example). Earthenware often relies on the outer layer of glaze to put a compression on the clay in order give it any kind of strength.  Stoneware is fired a few hundred degrees hotter, and generally is composed of clays that all begin to slightly melt at the peak temperature, and fuze into a tight impenetrable stone-like surface. Stoneware shrinks more in the firing process, and when handled properly makes a nice smooth matte surface that is stronger than earthenware without the necessity of glaze. 

[Royal3]

Gorgeous work - and thanks for the primer on clay firing, that’s enlightening!