Marvelous Mibs Marbles Collectors Zone

Doogle · Joined: 25 Aug 2009 Posts: 200 Location: Bishop, California

These are some marbles that I pulled from my collection that I believe have oxblood. For sure, I know the large Akro patch just under the large dark iridized marble is oxblood.

I am begining to see that the Akro oxblood seems to be the type setting maker of this color. I am also reading that other makers used the same name for thier versions of oxblood.

Can anyone circle any of these marbles that would qualify for "true" oxblood and also point out other makers and their versions of oxblood?

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Alan · Joined: 27 Dec 2007 Posts: 114 Location: Maryland

The photo that you posted is too small to identify oxblood in any of he marbles. You need to post a large, higher resolution photo.

Doogle · Joined: 25 Aug 2009 Posts: 200 Location: Bishop, California

sorry about that. Please ignore this post until I get a better picture.
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lstmmrbls · Site Admin Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 696

I do not believe any makers used the name Oxblood. It is believed by many that true Oxblood glass(characterized by micro crystalline copper) was only made on purpose and used by MFC, Akro, and in early German handmades. There is similar colored glass found in several makers marbles but many do not believe it to be true Oxblood. Some of the new runs of Jabos also can contain a true Oxblood glass(made by remelting a goldstone glass) although Jabo did not make the glass.
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Peace,Galen

Doogle · Joined: 25 Aug 2009 Posts: 200 Location: Bishop, California

Galen, thank you! That is what I am really looking for, and I should have said that from the start. Being a rookied at this, I kind of knew the photo would be iffy and and a dumb thing to post....but oh well. I am having a problem with reading about Vitro, Jabo, and other imports that they have taken the name of oxblood and kind of melded it into a color that works for them in a discription. I am sure a lot of newer collectors, including myself, have a little blood pressure rise when we read "oxblodd" in the description of a photo'd marble, and then run to our collections to see if we have some of these verified (false provenance?) marbles and to feel lucky and maybe we should buy some more, because they do tend to be really inexpensive compared to other true oxblood. I know that this is buyer beware territory, but new collectors, and I have said this before, with the economy in the tank, and this includes me, would rather put money into a marble then the books, which is completely foolish, but the dang books are not cheap!

I think what I am trying to do is show that their is an active market for "oxblood" marbles, that really aren't true oxblood, and that new, wet behind the ear types like me need to take a deep breath and settle down. It is still very hard to resist falling for the marbles that claim to have oxblood, and it seems to me that more liberties are being taken now with that claim. I have a lot of Vitro, newer ones, that have a weird washed out brownish-red color that has been desciribed as oxblood.

What really has helped me so far is the last responce that actually explains how the true oxblood was made. I know that in time I will be able to tell the difference, but if the term is allowed to be morphed into more generic non-oxblood glass formulas, then I can see were the confusion is only going to get worse.
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lstmmrbls · Site Admin Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 696

Real Oxblood glass is also often next to impossible to ID from a picture unless it is on a marble type that it is known to be found on. Another trouble is in making True Oxblood glass unless mixtures are just right and temperatures cooling times etc close to perfect all sorts of variables of the glass can show up.

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Peace,Galen

David Chamberlain · Joined: 18 May 2009 Posts: 214

Doogle,

You sound like a decent chap. I've some extra copies of a couple of Sturtz's books in which he expounds on the subject of oxblood. I could send them to you, no charge, 'on me!' email me dlcmib@yahoo.com or call (831) 462-1873 and provide particulars for mailing. O.K? David Chamberlain