[meteorite-list] Fusion Crust on Irons

From: Martin Altmann <altmann_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2006 11:01:24 +0100
Message-ID: <007301c71854$53513960$4f41fea9_at_name86d88d87e2>

Hi John,

no, I'd doubt that. At those prices having paid during the last 5 years, any
additional work on the smaller Sikhote-Alins had to be avoided, else it
would be economically nonsensical.
I think to hunt them, to carry them down from the mountains, to derust them,
to transport them to Western-Europe and USA, but then getting out not more
than 150$/kg even for the nicest individuals on ebay, (additional
paypal-fees, ebay provision, currency exchange losses) as it was the case
until 1 year ago, simply wouldn't justfy to burn each piece blue or to use
expensive gun oils.
And if I look back - most Russian suppliers always sold extremely cleaned
Sikhotes, brushed, tmbled, etched and grinded down until the iron was a
shiny silver. I never liked that style, but I observed, as Sikhote-Alin was
always the first choice of non-meteoriticistical buyers, that they got
higher prices than nicer, not so radically cleaned Sikhotes, because the
laymen thought, that it would be a spot of bother, if there would be dark
spots or even spots of rust left.
I remember, that I had always to place an extra order, to get some not so
down-cleaned, where beside some rust, here and there some blue, or some
remainders of crust could be found, simply because most suppliers had only
silverware.

Now, where Sikhote stongly is raising again in price, it might be a
temptation to refurbish some of them, but unfortunately the strewnfield is
exhausted and almost only shrapnels are still found.

Thus a toast from the collectors for our Russian heroes,
who supplied and are supplying the market with the nicest and most
interesting meteorites, always bringing the price down to a small fraction
of that, what it cost before - which never should be a cause for a
collector, to disesteem those locales!
The older will remember, when Sikhote cost 5$-9$/g, a Kainsaz 50$ and how
many of us would be horny for Brahin, never complaining about its stability,
if it would be so difficult available as 10, 15 years ago, when it cost as
much as an Imilac, a Fukang, and sometimes even as Finmarken.

Buckleboo!
Martin

-----Urspr?ngliche Nachricht-----
Von: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com
[mailto:meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] Im Auftrag von
JKGwilliam
Gesendet: Dienstag, 5. Dezember 2006 05:19
An: Mike Bandli; gary at webbers.com; meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
Betreff: Re: [meteorite-list] Fusion Crust on Irons

Does anyone besides me believe that many of the Sikhote-Alin irons have
been "doctored" to look better than they really are? Over the past several
years I've heard several stories (rumors) that a lot of creative work has
been used to make some of the SAs look as good as they do. One of the
stories actually involved the application of liquid gun blueing. I've seen
pictures of some of these beautiful specimens right out of the ground and
they are pretty rusty.

Best,
John

______________________________________________
Meteorite-list mailing list
Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Received on Tue 05 Dec 2006 05:01:24 AM PST