Tenn. Black Marble

["George Graham" <georgergraham@zzzzzzzzzzz>]

Bill,
thanks for the update on Tenn. Black quarry.

The first stone I learned to carve was Tenn. Pink, and then the black. After
those I did a piece of vermont marble, and was glad to know that not all
marble is the same!

I've used Tenn. Pink a number of times and encourage you to get a piece. Its
just as tough as the black, but not as brittle. You don't have to pick the
little shards out of your face, really. It has a very predictable
carvability to it. That's not to say its easy, but once you get the feel of
it, you can carve with confidence. The color is outstanding. It ranges from
a pale beige pink to a rich mellow reddish beige.

I went to the black marble quarry in an old step van. It looked like an ice
cream truck. The men got a real laugh when they saw me bouncing up the hill.

But they were great to work with , and I got some real good Blocks.
Everyone should see the crane they use. Its something left over from the the
last century. But hey, it works!
Thanks much,
George Graham