Mark Buffa wishes to apologize to anyone offended by this color discussion.
First of all I want to apologize to anyone that felt offended by my statements. That was not the intent of the statements, just that what conversations where taking place where not considering all the factors for defining Carder Colors. Hopefully some of this will be clearer (no pun intended) after the talks at the Symposium this fall. I rarely speak up in these conversation and it looks like I put my foot in mouth. Again, I apologize if I offended anyone.
Regards,
Mark

Carol Ketchum comments on the subject of color:
My brother, Steve, who is a “color expert” with LexMark, in Lexington, KY has been part of an international color consortium panel meeting in various places over probably the last 10 years. While trying to explain to me what he did, he printed off a piece of paper which looked “cobalt blue” to me, then explained there were something over 800 defined colors on that piece of paper which I failed to see then, and with significant eye sight loss since then, I’m sure I wouldn’t do as well now, but I always “think” I know which Steuben color I’m seeing. I suspect I’m not alone. Carol Ketchum

Rande Bly wants to compare two green moss pieces.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cardersteubenclub/sets/72157614213951251/
To do so you can go to this web site page and click on the Moss Green labeled pieces. You’ll see Rande’s comments on the page. You can respond directly to him at randebly@yahoo.com
Rande Bly, next responds to Thomas Dreiling on his request for information on the color “Smoke”.

Tommy
When you refer to Smoke do you mean the Dark Topaz with a hint of root-beer and you can see the green from the uranium in the glass?

On Crazing, Marshall Ketchum says:
The question regarding crazing in Steuben arose at a Carder Steuben Symposium about 10 years ago. The reason wasn’t known but the consensus was that it was either caused by or was made worse by a vase holding water for long periods of time. It can be much worse than what I would call micro crazing. I once saw a Bristol Yellow 6287 fan vase where the effect was so bad that I could have used a thumb nail to flick off pieces of glass from the inside surface. The thin sections of glass had separated and were held onto the surface only in one small spot. I should have bought the piece as a curiosity but they wanted essentially full retail for it at the time.

Then Rande Bly responds to Mark Amato’s piece of glass:
I am very sorry to say your vase is “sick”. It has picked up a permanent spider webbing or spider thread effect. Frank Blake offered the explanation
“That the chemical content of hard water is such that it deposits this alkaline effect on the porous lead crystal“.

I have seen this in a few Steuben pieces to different degrees. It forms a pattern that almost does look intentional. Under magnification the markings do appear to be internal very close to the surface. This is due to the lead crystal being porous. It almost takes on the appearance of miniature fractures. They seem to glisten with a silvery appearance because they effect the refractory principals of the glass.

I have heard that glass is a liquid not a solid and that gravity will have an effect on it even in its semi solid shape. Over the years a pane of glass in a window will become fatter at the bottom and thinner at the top?

As far as I know French Blue is no more susceptible to this damage than any other color. I had a Topaz and an Amethyst piece that both had it. One was so faint it could barely be seen.