Black Rod $10 per lb in stock agian!!

[sanity7975]

http://www.dichroicimagery.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=ar-bla


Best black rod around at this price!!!!!!!!!!

[sanity7975]

this shit is really nice black glass you should try it!!!

[Dom]

I would but 10 dollars a pound is major taxation for black rod.

[sanity7975]

but you will pay $40 for ga color
interesting

are you buing in bulk maybe we can work something out?

or are you just talking????????

if you are serious you should email me rossglass@cs.com

otherwise just post some more ......

[Skye Perry]

I would but 10 dollars a pound is major taxation for black rod.
$10 a pound for black china rod is a bit pricey considering it is $6.50 a pound normally from winship designs .The only problem is they don't have the 16mm rod that i use for making figures so I waited until ABR did a sale at $8 a pound and got 30 rods .It is better than using Jet black for these applications at $50 a pound .

[Abe Fleishman]

Jet is Only $45 A POUND. LOL
Abe

[Lambs Bread]

plus jet rocks out with its socks out love that jet asnd no refractory brick in it either

[sanity7975]

no brick in this $10 black either

where you getting birck in your shit from ????

shady

[Skye Perry]

plus jet rocks out with its socks out love that jet asnd no refractory brick in it either
Jet is the shit .I already use a 5 pound bundle in a month or two for my dicro tube pulls . The china black has to be to hot when worked and the dicro is prone to burn out but for large horns and figure's i use the china black .Its less exspensive for me.Jet black is by far the best black produced in the states . I only pay 32.00 a pound for jet black from glasscraft as i am part of the best price club and get 30% off all my color from them . I get china color from the same person glasscraft buys it from and his black looks like crap square tubes and all .

[mer]

no brick in this $10 black either

where you getting birck in your shit from ????

shady

are you really guaranteeing that there's no stones (birck?) in any of your chinese black (or any color for that matter) and there never has been? i know it's all gotten a lot better with each batch but the occasional stone is a problem that i've never seen any company eliminate entirely, especially the chinese stuff being made by companies with less experience than the americans.

maybe the black has gotten better and the latest batch you have may be really good.

that being said, i think that calling other sources "shady" because their chinese color suffers from the problems that all color has to deal with is disingenuous. i've never heard anybody else try to claim that one distributers chinese color is of any different quality than another, just that it has improved from batch to batch.

you're implying that you have access to better quality chinese glass than your competition? really? please provide details to back this up.

i could go on...

[Dr. !@#$!]

I got 10 Lbs. of this black, used about 2Lbs already and seen NO stones or refractory material at all... I just don't get how people can bitch about $10 a LB black?. Even if half of each LB is crap its still a great deal.

[glassman]

[QUOTE=sanity7975;366117]but you will pay $40 for ga color
interesting

QUOTE]

Ross (and others who make the same comparison)

There is a qualitative difference between paying $10 a pound for Chinese glass and $42-$52 for Glass Alchemy glass that is made in the US.

By purchasing US made glass, you are preventing 1 more manufacturing job from going to China (the US has already lost 20,000,000 jobs to China) and doing your part to balance the trade deficit. When customers purchase Glass Alchemy Boromax® glass, they are also supporting a quality product, investing in continued color palette research and development and investing in the use of clean energy.

Glass Alchemy works hard to keep our prices low and has made the decision not to pay $1.00 per day in China for labor, but to provide good jobs in the US. We have also made the choice not to pour high levels of pollutants into the air; instead we invest in clean energy and use 100% renewable power. Glass Alchemy takes great pride in and invests directly in the glass community. When was the last time China sponsored a flame-off or an artist?

Glass Alchemy has sponsored gallery showings, Beads of Courage and other community activities; we have provided information free of charge for years even though the costs to uncover the information and execute our sponsorships have been expensive. The glass movement has progressed as a result of the collaboration between Glass Alchemy and its customers. We have a long term vision for this industry. All of our investments, as well as a large portion of the color pallet will become a thing of the past if people continue to consider Glass Alchemy glass and Chinese glass as one in the same. (For those that think we are part of the Fat Cat class that makes millions, we are more like “Joe the plumber” making $20-$40,000 in a good year. This isn’t a good year.)

Customers have the choice to buy responsibly everyday. Chinese imports have put US based glass companies and your color palette at risk. Remember, you get what you pay for.

Henry

P.S. – I have never been motivated to have a blog. This comment motivated me. Check out our website next week at www.glassalchemy.com to continue this conversation.

[sanity7975]

proof is in the glass try mine!!!!!!

Its great!


The point of having a varied product line is to give artists a choice not to hurt american companies. Providing economic options to our customers is a priority of our to be competitive in our market. We are distributing what people want. IF they dont want it then....it will go away on its own . All business is supply and demand! If we dont carry it some one else will, we are just fulfilliug our responsibility to our customers by carrying these products! Let the customers decide from there.

[michaeL25]

I agree with you glassman and i'm trying to not contribute to that problem, however sanity is right as well, he's simply providing the service that the market requires.

Not a dig to you or anyone, but take an inventory of say, your clothes and electronic items, and see how many are made in China or another country which exploits workers. Chances are all or most items will carry that tag. This goes beyond glass. It takes a very consious effort to purchase ethical goods.

Glassman, how come GA doesn't produce clear? That way a glassworker could make an entire piece using goods from the US.

[jr23]

Mike you read that GA does not make millions and to start pumping out quality clear in all the necessary types would take 100's of thousands. You don't realize the clear market and the color market are two different things. The reason China does both is the same reason you hate them cheap subsidized labor,goods and power. And Global demand. You might have to get over that American made clear.In a world economy like the powers that be want us involved in a totally us clear company would go under before they started.

[michaeL25]

I totally understand that. It seemed as though glassman was very pationate about losing markets to China, especially in glass. Everyone knows we need clear to go with color though. Leveraging some of the existing infrastructure of an american color company to make clear (totally guessing here) would not require a significant investment. The clear would have to be of superior quality to imports of course; american products will never win on price, but can and will succeed in quality. Clear is cheep and I wouldn't mind paying more for a superior product. For my market as a glassmaker, the ability to say my products are of complete american materials and labor would more than offset this additional cost.

[Dom]

that being said, i think that calling other sources "shady" because their chinese color suffers from the problems that all color has to deal with is disingenuous. .

I think he was just signing his post. lol

[jayc]

WOW!!! Go henry GA the shit Think about all the imported glass peices wholesalers can get for dirt cheap making us have to sell dirt cheap for quality work.
out
jayc

[boxfan willy]

I am not taking a stand either way. I use the shit out of GA, NS and chinese TUBING, not rod. I also appreciate the consistency I get from American colors and I remember what I paid for Chinese black when it explodes in me.

That said, it was a lot easier to be able to justify the value of my pieces before the Indian and Thai production shops started buying bulk American color. Their stuff looked way "swaggier" when it was all boo-boo colors they made in country. I remember a lot of undereducated shop owners showing me pieces with Crayola Orange all in it, wondering why I was telling them I charge the price I do because of $40-$50 an elbow color cost(this was 2-3 years ago when American colors first started being very prevalent in import glass). They are buying pieces for $3 and $4 that should have $.75 to $1.00 worth of color. Something doesn't add up here, because the same piece cost me $4 to make before I even get a Big Mac or the kids some new shoes or, god forbid, pay my mortgage. You can believe that our Indian brothers and sisters are not paying $40-$50 an elbow for the same color and sell a $4 fully worked I/O piece.

In the end, I am trying to find a good balance of supporting American made glass and supplies while trying to maintain competitiveness with imports and American made prices. That means chinese color tubing, chinese for blowtubes and punties, using more efficient buying practices, caulking the windows, recycling coffee grounds, etc.

Rant ended,

boxfan

[steven p selchow]

I bought a few pounds of black asian glass 2 years ago, and still haven't made anything with it, it was 12-13 mm rod. I remember paying $7 a lb for it, which is why I bought it, The reason I mention it, is because I picked one up today and looked at it, it was grainy and rough, and now after boxfans comments, Im wondering if it will explode in my face..I heat it up tomorrow and see.

question..should I preheat it first?

I like american glass.

steve

[HOSS]

I bought a few pounds of black asian glass 2 years ago, and still haven't made anything with it, it was 12-13 mm rod. I remember paying $7 a lb for it, which is why I bought it, The reason I mention it, is because I picked one up today and looked at it, it was grainy and rough, and now after boxfans comments, Im wondering if it will explode in my face..I heat it up tomorrow and see.

question..should I preheat it first?

I like american glass.

steve

The asian color from 2 years ago, particularly the black, is pretty much crap. Constant cracking and frosts over like December. But more recently its been a different story, it has improved in just about every way. Just a few weeks ago I had the pleasure of watching Milon turn a fat rod of it into a beautiful 12" figure with no problems at all. Cesare Toffolo seems to be using the black tubing extensively, as are many other big names I'm sure. It has its limits but so do many U.S. made colors.

Anyway if you really want to test out the old stuff preheating (and extensive re-heating) would definitely be a good idea. But then I think you should compare it to some of the current batch before making any final judgments.

I like american glass too, couldn't work without it. The domestic color palette just can't be beat. But at $40-$80 a pound if that was ALL I used, I'd expect to be out of business very quickly. I think Will has the right idea with trying to find a reasonable balance to stay competitive.

[somewhere]

Glassman, how come GA doesn't produce clear? That way a glassworker could make an entire piece using goods from the US.

The start up on making clear would be in the millions. Clear Tube and Rod is still made in America. Kimble ,Kimax not only produces it here in the states they also make an artistic line which I think is as good as Simax and very close to Schott Duran.

[boxfan willy]

Let me say that I work in a hurry. If I pre heated my tubes in the oven, my problems would drop dramatically. Still, I never go beyound a simple bub with the black. I have had to many get finnicky with me towards the end when there are cooling and reheat problems. Working the black has given me more insight on how Lucio works his pieces. I am hesitant to stop or go back to work another section because of my past disasters.

boxfan

PS Lucio is God, I suck. No comparison being made!!!

[steven p selchow]

I was using the 1/2 inch clear to do some dragons, then I used the black luster fire on, which gives a silver/black glow when fired, distributors don't carry the luster anymore which was made by englehart of N.J. I contacted them and may be able to get it in a larger quantity direct. It kept the price of the piece down not using solid color, and looked fantastic for anyone who has used these, which isn't very many people here. I've used them extensively over the years like some do oil paints over blasting. I heard it was the EPA getting down on them, also going to South America to manufacture some or all of the luster line because of the nasty ingredients like cloroform..tolulene etc. Stuff sure was good, I had my own receipe of multiple overlays in combinations to get a color solid rod just can't compare to. Some of my bigger dragons I had at AGI were done with this process....I'll try to get some again. Well, off to test the chinese shit.

steve

[Paradise Waits]

I remember what I paid for Chinese black when it explodes in me.

Ouch!

[sanity7975]

steve s!
we still have the og gold from them if you ever need any!!
that new shit that someone is seeling sucks, that is what they are telling me!!!

as for the black rod that we have in stock today is very nice quality!!!

[steven p selchow]

Ok..thanks, haven't had the chance to try the stuff I got, don't even remember where I got it, pretty sure it wasn't from you though, I'll keep that in mind.

steve

[DaveJ]

hey glassman,

what country does the glass that is the base of your color come from?

[boxfan willy]

With large producers of clear glass, you have 3 choices
1. Foreign owned/domestically produced(Kimble)
2. Domestically owned/foreign production(Corning)
3. Foreign owned/Foreign produced(Schott, Kavalier, and Chinese)

I am pretty sure this is accurate.

boxfan

[steven p selchow]

With large producers of clear glass, you have 3 choices
1. Foreign owned/domestically produced(Kimble)
2. Domestically owned/foreign production(Corning)
3. Foreign owned/Foreign produced(Schott, Kavalier, and Chinese)

I am pretty sure this is accurate.

boxfan


Guess this goes hand in hand with the ones complaining about competeing with the end product of imports while using the raw materials from the same origin, good info Boxfan.

[somewhere]

With large producers of clear glass, you have 3 choices
1. Foreign owned/domestically produced(Kimble)
2. Domestically owned/foreign production(Corning)
3. Foreign owned/Foreign produced(Schott, Kavalier, and Chinese)

I am pretty sure this is accurate.

boxfan

Kimble/Kontes is a subsidiary of Gerresheimer a german company. I do think Kimble is still American owned considering it is a share holders company. What that really boils down to is who owns the stock.
Kimble is made here by Americans and sold here by Americans so even thou the mother co is from Germany I would still consider it an American co at least as much as Budweiser.

[michaeL25]

who carries the best selection of kimble?

[jr23]

I know Glasscraft carries kimble and they are located in Colorado.

[glassman]

Thanks to everyone for getting the discussion going. My post was in specific response to Ross comparing my glass to Chinese glass. Ross was questioning someone’s decision to pay more for Glass Alchemy glass, as though it is the same as Chinese glass.

A number of you have asked good questions about the way Glass Alchemy does business. We care about our community and make every decision with conciousness. We always purchase products made in the USA if we have an option, which includes most of the materials used in the manufacturing process. Like everyone these days, we have the option of looking abroad to find cheaper material, but we don’t.

Boxfan has brought up the point (thanks Wil, this is a perfect segue for me) that you see a lot of American made glass in imported products. In some ways this export is good for the US balance of trade, however it has not helped GA much. The amount of exported Glass Alchemy glass represents less than 1% of our annual sales. We refuse to provide China, India and other countries with special discounts, therefore, we have not been able to land those accounts.

For more discussion and my perspective on some of the questions raised on this thread, visit The Formula (http://www.glassalchemy.com/index.php/the-formula), the new Glass Alchemy blog.