METEOR IN THE RAW

[VANDOO]

THIS METEORITE WAS IN TOWN AND I GOT TO TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT IT, HE ONLY WANTED 1 MILLION FOR IT BUT IT WAS TOO SMALL FOR MY NEEDS SO I LET IT PASS :rolleyes:
IT WAS COVERED WITH RUST AND IMPACTED DIRT SO THE METAL CONTENT WAS NOT EASY TO SEE BUT THERE WERE ROUNDED PITS THAT SEEMED TO BE MADE ENTIRELY UP OF GREEN OLIVENE CRYSTALS THEY SEEMED TO FORM TUBES THAT RAN THRU THE BODY OF THE METEOR. THE CRYSTALS BEING MORE BRITTLE MOST LIKELY BROKE AND FELL OUT AT IMPACT FORMING THE PITS AS FRESH CRYSTALS WERE EXPOSED. I HAVE SEEN SOME SMALL SLABS OF THIS TYPE OF METEOR AND IT LOOKS LIKE SHINEY NICKEL STEEL WITH GREEN CRYSTALS IMBEDDED IN IT. IT IS QUITE ATTRATIVE WHEN CUT THIN SO YOU CAN SEE THRU THE GREEN CRYSTALS IN THE SHINEY METAL. I TOOK 3 PICTURES ONE WITH ME AND ONE FROM THE OTHER SIDE WHERE THE LARGER PITS ARE AND ONE OF A PICTURE OF A SLAB CUT FROM A SIMULAR METEOR. I HAVE SEEN METEORS CUT INTO SLABS WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN FORMED INTO SPEAR POINTS BY MECHANICAL MEANS, BUT I HAVE NO IDEA HOW BRITTLE THEY MIGHT BE, TO CLEAN UP A METEOR OF THIS TYPE FOR FORGEING WOULD REQUIRE A LOT OF WORK BUT I THINK IT COULD BE DONE WITH THIS TYPE.

[nechesh]

That's very cool Barry. :cool: Just for the record though, once it has fallen it is a meteorite, not a meteor. Did you try a magnet on this one?

[Andrew]

Looking good, Mr. President. :D


That's great, Barry. Thanks for sharing it with us.

[Rich]

Meteorites are cool :-) I've two (both iron) and a tekktite. Purchased
them all. One of the small iron ones I sometimes wear on a neck chain
as a pendant. Just so neat having something iron from space, etc.

Thanks for sharing the story and pic.

Rich S

[John]

Interesting meteorite Mr President and only for a million? :confused: :D I presume this fell in the US.

[VANDOO]

THE METEORITE FELL IN KANSAS NOT TOO FAR FROM HERE AND WAS FOUND BY A PROFESSIONAL METEORITE HUNTER USING A 4 WHEELER AND A METAL DETECTOR. THERE WAS A VERY STRONG MAGNET ON THE METEORITE AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO REMOVE IT AND ESPECIALLY HARD TO PUT IT BACK WITHOUT PINCHING YOUR FINGERS. I THINK THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A LINK TO THE NEWS STORY IN ONE OF THE PREVIOUS FORUM POSTS, IT WAS FOUND VERY RECENTLY. THE TOP PORTION OF THE PICTURE WITH THE SLAB SHOWS THE AREA WHERE IT WAS FOUND, QUITE A FEW SMALLER ONES HAVE BEEN FOUND IN THE AREA OVER THE YEARS. THERE ARE QUITE A FEW SITES WHERE METEORITES HAVE FALLEN IN THE USA BUT FEW OF US ARE AWARE OF THEM.

[Rich]

Here's the best source for meteorites in the US that I'm aware of.
Robert Haag is world known as a meteorite hunter and collector.

http://www.meteoriteman.com/

Rich S

[VANDOO]

A GOOGLE SEARCH UNDER KANSAS METEORITE WILL GIVE YOU SOME MORE INFORMATION ON THIS METEORITE AS WELL AS OTHER INTERESTING FACTS.
IT SAYS THAT THE INUIT PEOPLE IN GREENLAND USED PARTS OF LARGE METEORITES TO MAKE SPEAR POINTS AND KNIVES THERE IN ANCIENT TIMES. IT HAS A ARTICLE ON THE MAN WHO WENT AND TRADED WITH THE INUIT AND GOT THE METEORITES. I WOULD ASSUME THAT THE INUIT MADE THEIR POINTS AND KNIVES BY STOCK REMOVAL AS I DON'T THINK THEY HAD FORGE TECKNOLOGY. YET ANOTHER INTERESTING THING TO RESEARCH :)

TAKE A LOOK AT ENDED EBAY AUCTION #6585616474 , BOKER METEORITE DAMSACUS FOLDING KNIFE, MADE USING METEORITE MATERIAL IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT TROUBLES AND TECKNIQUES THEY USED TO MAKE THEM. A MIGHTY EXPENSIVE POCKET KNIFE YOU SURE WOULDN'T WANT TO LOSE THAT PUPPY.

[BSMStar]

From the pictures, this is a Pallasite (a Stony-iron Meteorite)... a rare type of meteorite! It consists of olivine crystals (as a gem stone, it is also called Peridot) in a nickel iron matrix. Usually goes for around $5.00 a gram, so a cool million may not be that far-fetched for a monster this size. :rolleyes:

Being a meteorite collector, it would be a crime to make this into a edged weapon... an expensive crime at that, even before removing the olivine.

Several Pallasites have been found in Kansas. At $5.00 a gram... anyone have a metal detector? :D

[Jeff Pringle]

It's a Brenham, and the fellow who found it did alot of legal legwork before he started looking - apparently signed contracts with all the local landowners in anticpation of a good find, so the rights to search in the vicinity might just be all sewn up.
For forging, Campo del Cielo would be more appropriate, low nickel and cheap, more like 5 cents a gram wholesale....

[BSMStar]

TAKE A LOOK AT ENDED EBAY AUCTION #6585616474 , BOKER METEORITE DAMSACUS FOLDING KNIFE, MADE USING METEORITE MATERIAL IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT TROUBLES AND TECKNIQUES THEY USED TO MAKE THEM. A MIGHTY EXPENSIVE POCKET KNIFE YOU SURE WOULDN'T WANT TO LOSE THAT PUPPY.

As the auction stated, this knife was made from one of the most commonly transformed meteorite to edged weapons (especially by the local natives)... the Gibeon nickel-iron Meteorite from Namibia, Africa. This meteorite is fairly malleable and easy to work with. If you were going to try this, this would be the meteorite I would suggest. There is a lot of history in edged weapons making with this one. Just heat and beat into shape. :)

I have even seen a local made spear tip that was polished and etched... that still had the Widmanstatten pattern! obviously, it was not forged as this knife was. The knife almost exibits pamor.