[meteorite-list] Re: Odd uses for meteorites - Not

From: Daniel H. Fronefield <dfronfld_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed Aug 9 10:28:22 2006
Message-ID: <1155133699.44d9f10332f02_at_webmail.hiwaay.net>

Having used meteorite extensively for making knives, I can tell you that
Gibeon will bend some, but not well. Cracks and breaks will happen as all
irons have inclusions and micro-cracks. Heating to a forgable temperature will
make the widmanstatten pattern disappear, and unless the person forging it is
skilled, you'll end up with a crumbled mass of metal scattered all over the
ground (don't ask how I learned that) <G>.

I see nothing paticularly odd in using meteorite as the bolsters, handles or
in the blades of my knives (or as guitar picks or jewelry, etc.) I slice
them, polish them and display them on a usable item. What do most collectors
do? Slice them, polish them and display them on a shelf. I also melt Nantan
and other cuttings from iron meteorites and add carbon to create a hardenable
steel with a "wow" factor. Can anyone really tell me that there is a better
use for these cuttings (created by "normal" meteorite preparation)? For
rusted, silicated, crumbling Nantan?

I would be willing to bet that normal preparation of meteorites for
distribution, i.e. cutting, breaking, polishing, etc. has "wasted" more
meteorite than all the the other "odd" uses combined.

Dan

Handmade Knives by D. Fronefield
"Specializing in Meteorites and other exotic materials"
http://hiwaay.net/~dfronfld
Received on Wed 09 Aug 2006 10:28:19 AM PDT