Marvelous Mibs Marbles Collectors Zone

Ponkochan · Last edited by Ponkochan on Tue May 20, 2008 12:44 pm; edited 3 times in total

Dang, I've been meaning to post this earlier this week but am just now getting around to it. Sad

I've got an "Oxblood" Sparkler listed on ebay right now (ending tonite is why I wanted to post this earlier) that belongs to my brother. He and I both are 99.99% certain that it is Akro. Smile

Roger (browseforantiques here) sent me an email and gave me some valid reasons why he would've guessed that it was German. Although I can see where he's coming from.........I'm still convinced it's Akro. So I thought that it would be a good topic to post here and get some other opinions. Whatever you say, I'm going to send the "winner" a link to this, just in case they want to change their mind. Smile

I'll start off with telling you why we're on the Akro side of the fence.

1) He bought it from someone in W.V. that is a pretty knowledgeable Akro collector and has many dug Akros. Of course, that in itself doesn't mean that he couldn't be wrong too. It's just one part of the equation. Here's the one that I have listed.

2) The glass quality seems different than the German Sparklers that I have. Even the ones without any "orange peel", the quality of the glass is different than Akro glass. It's hard to describe but you can see it/feel it "in-hand". I took these pictures during the daytime, so that I could use the sunlight as a backdrop. I think it gives a better idea of the glass itself.

Then here's some more pictures of it next to the same German Sparkler, as shown above.

3) Looking at the construction, the green/blue "filament ribbons" are Akro colors and can be seen in these examples of other Akro Sparklers. They are also kind of 'fluffy' (if that makes any sense) like these others. It also does the "looping thing" with the white filaments. Here it is again, on the top row left, next to 3 Akro Sparklers.

4) Roger mentioned that another reason that he would've guessed German is "the way the oxblood is set off from the main part of the core in strands."

Here's the picture of a German Sparkler that Roger sent me to show what he's describing.

Although it does have "oxblood" strands set off from the main part of the core, there are some that are in the core filament itself. Here are some more new pics taken in the sunlight, that might show that more clearly than the auction photos do.

Here are some "Experimental Oxblood" Akros that show a construction similarity with the filaments set apart and some on the surface.

5)Although some may not see this as an ID "clue", it even has the Akro "eye", similar to the two Akro Sparklers beneath it here.

6) Last but not least Smile

, here are some pictures of it in a group of Akro Sparklers. It's in the bottom row.

Ok, so what do you think? (I won't be mad at ya, if you agree with Roger and not with me! Wink

) I just want your honest opinion.
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Lizzy

lstmmrbls · Site Admin Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 696

Here is another version of your marble Lizzie I had 6 but sold all the nicer ones. I thought they were german made when the very nice striped transparents were made.(shown) But you sure make a great case for them being Akro! Peace,Galen

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Peace,Galen

Ponkochan · Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 8:25 pm Post subject:

Galen, I'm thinking that there's a German version & an Akro (I've heard Master on this also) version. Here's the ones that Craig (spara50) posted and I think that there are subtle differences between mine & his.

Another reason that I think Akro on mine are because of the shear marks/seams. It has the short, stubby 'eyelashes' that I've seen on Akros that weren't cut with the 'dull shears'. Smile

It's hard to see in the pics below but they're there. I haven't noticed that on the Germans. Most of then seem to have "rougher/cruder" shear marks.

EDIT: Included these pictures that I'd forgotten earlier.

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Lizzy

tankgrrl29 · Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 9:11 pm Post subject:

first i want to say that i have a lot of respect for roger's experience and
input, esp with the "foreign" marbles, but i am voting akro on this one.

first reason is that the foreign sparklers seem to generally be constructed like
the center of an onion, with any "stringers" coming off of the "slice".

i don't see that construction on this marble.

the other reason is because of this...if you replace the oxblood with other colors
(this project was less successful than i hoped Razz

), i think it looks more obviously
like a sparkler (imo, anyway):

browse4antiques · Joined: 06 Aug 2007 Posts: 552

I agree that the shape of the main body of your marble apears to be Akro. The reason for my suggestion that it might be German was because of the oxblood being largely in a separate outer layer of strands. That aspect of it appears to be typically German. While it seems that the Akro sparklers have a fairy uniform construction, the German ones show up in a great variety of sizes, glass quality, construction and colors. So it would not be unresaonable to expect to find some with construction that is similar to Akro. Note also that the German ones can have different versions of "oxblood", ranging from one that is pretty much indistinguishable from Akro's, through to colors that are more red or more purple than"oxblood". The German one of yours that you show alongside appears to be on the red side of "oxblood". ... Roger

I Love Marbles · Joined: 11 Aug 2007 Posts: 83

Hi Lizzy, the marble you started this thread with is an Akro Agate.
Scott

orbboy · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 217 Location: Ontario, Canada

I'll go Akro on the first marble. Germans are close but the glass is different and the green is just not quite the same. I thought this one was Vitro for the longest time.

browse4antiques · Joined: 06 Aug 2007 Posts: 552

Hi Dave, When I first contaced Liz about her marble I suggestd that she ask you about it, knowing that you have experience with German sparklers and that you are an Akro fan (to put it mildly). But as which do you classify the one that you pictured? ... Roger

orbboy · Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 217 Location: Ontario, Canada

Hey Roger
Chris sent me this one about 7 years ago. At the time we thought it was Vitro, but we were newbies and there was not to much known about the Akro digs at the time. I have to go with Akro now.

tankgrrl29 · Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 7:56 pm Post subject:

lol @ scott.....he's the Decider....koo-koo-ka-choo Laughing

very insightful post, as always, scott!

now i gotta run home to see what the heck marble dave posted.
(gah! i hate not being able to see pics anymore from work!! this is great for my productivity though lol!!)

edit: we thought vitro on that one? silly noobs LOL!