Akro Slags

[Road Dog]

Here is a variation of Slag I collect. They are Akro and are full of bubbles. The bubbles are all the same size and very tiny.
The larger ones are 1" dia.

 

[Marbleguy]

I have excavated variations of those..

Working old dumpsites in Trona,Ca it's practically all-Akro here. Have found so many since I first began digging in March of 2003 I keep having to buy new display cases. One marble of interest was dug at great depth from a strata I'd estimate pre-1920. It's a green clearie that glows like a searchlight under UV light. Websearched it,found one similar being sold on Ebay as an early Akro marble.

 

[Road Dog]

Sounds Kool! Got some pics? Akro had quite a few types that glowed. Here is my favorite type of Dug Akro. These are all 3/4" or more.

 

[Cappy Z.]

Fantastic!

More photos whenever you get the chance. And more history! Beautiful glass!

 

[Road Dog]

Early on Akro Agate sold repackaged M.F. Christensen marbles. George Rankin and Gilbert Marsh set up shop in a shoe store conveniently located close to the MFC factory. This was in 1911 and for the next 3 years all Akro Marbles were actually MFC marbles.
In 1915 Akro was a major player along with M.F. Christensen.
Up until the late 20’s marbles were formed by gathering boys and rounded in helical grooves in two cylinders offset from one another. 1928 marked the end of hand gathered marbles at Akro Agate. In early 1928, a patent was applied for consisting of a double set of cylinders and a duel feeding system. This machine more than doubled the production of the machines. Machines which a man named John Early had worked towards a way to deliver glass globs to the grooves for rounding. Akro as far as I know did not make Slag marbles past the early 1930’s. By this time their famous Corkskrew marbles were in full swing.

Here is a pic of two Akro Slags. Exact same glass color(formula) only the marble on the right is Handgathered. Notice the "9" and it has a tail as well as a cut-off mark on the base where it was separated from the gather.

 

[Cappy Z.]

When I was in a museum in NC, Franklin, I saw a stunning facted gemstone. After reading the placard I realized it was a piece of CocaCola glass someone faceted.

I wonder if your marble could be faceted and if the glass is hard enough(?) as was the cola glass.

Sure would make a spectacular gemstone!

Thanks for the photos.

 

[Marbleguy]

Marbles with grooves on them..

I've dug marbles with grooves pressed into them. Is this from the early marble-making machines? The marbles appear to have been put thru while still hot/maleable a mechanical device trying to make them round,but some marbles wer'nt centered well enough.

 

[Road Dog]

Most grooving on marbles even modern is from the glass too cool during the shaping process.

 

[Road Dog]

In "slag world" under 1/2" and over 1 1/4" are much harder to find and have higher values. Of course there are exceptions to this when you get into certain colors.

 

[allen]

awesome colors on those marbles !

 

[silvercop]

 

[Monty]

I've always wondered how they made marbles, especially agate ones. Monty

 

[walnuthead]

Beautiful.

 

[lab rat]

Re: I have excavated variations of those..

It's a green clearie that glows like a searchlight under UV light.

That sounds like a 'vaseline glass' to me! Made in the 1920's & 30's, the glass was doped with uranium to make it glow under the kind of lighting homes had back then. The glass was typically pale yellow to green. Lots of things were made with uranium glass- pretty common to see ornate candy dishes in antique stores. I found my vaseline glass in a heap of catseyes by using my UV light-- the marble glows like a halogen headlight! (You can see the picture in a different post.)

 

[Road Dog]

Here are some Vaseline Glass Slags. Some are Handgathereds.