What is tru-Stone ??

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philb

philb

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Hi,

Ive been looking for some info on Tru-Stone!

Seems like no one wants to give away the secret of what it actual consists of and how its made etc!

Anyone got and links or help!

Cheers!
 
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As I understand, Tru-stone is 80-85% pulverized rock (whatever the blank is called - turquoise, malachite...) with the remainder being a resin binder. That makes the material easier to work and shape.

Chris
 
So how do they make it look like the original rock? I mean if its been crushed to powder, how do they get the veins into it? For example the gold veins in turquoise?

Cheers!
 
They mix in some strings of black...turqoise has black strings not gold, far as I can recall. Just a guess but if you mix up the rock and binding agent and then mix up a really thick black mix, you can pour in the black and pull it into a string.
 
Originally posted by philbaldwin
<br />
Ive been looking for some info on Tru-Stone!

Seems like no one wants to give away the secret of what it actual consists of and how its made etc!
Click to expand...

There is only one place I know making the stuff and that is here in Arizona. I was at their factory last week and picked up a batch.
They have been at this a long time. For at least 30 years. I don't believe they would give up the secret, this is their living and they have some great products. We use a very small portion of the different types of materials they make.
 
Originally posted by PenWorks
We use a very small portion of the different types of materials they make.
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Where does most of their material go???
I have only heard of it here (penturning). Guess I don't get out much.
 
Originally posted by kirkfranks
<br />
Originally posted by PenWorks
We use a very small portion of the different types of materials they make.
Click to expand...
Where does most of their material go???
I have only heard of it here (penturning). Guess I don't get out much.
Click to expand...

Area 51, with some to the Bermuda Triangle[:D][:D][;)]
 
Cav, I have given that some thought. I think when I am laying on my death bed, one of the things that will cheer me up is when I cross over, I will finally know who shot JFK and what the hell went on in Area 51 [:D]

Some of their products go into the building trade. You know the modern type sinks that are large bowls that sit on the counter. Well they have sculpted large sinks bowls in all sorts of their material, damn nice looking. Their background was from the turquoise jewelry business. A large portion of turq. that is mined, is low grade and has to be stabalized. So they stabalize a lot of turq, then it is shipped over sea's to be cut and ground into heeshee, spheres and other type of jewelry, then shipped back here to sell. Most of the hard stuff is used in jewelry, wether fine or costume.
 
So it does actual contain a percentage of precious stone? Just stabilized with resin?

So I wouldn't be lying if said to a customer that it was actual 'turquoise'! As i may have some interested from supplying a few pens for sale at a jewellers.
 
Originally posted by philbaldwin
<br />So it does actual contain a percentage of precious stone? Just stabilized with resin?
So I wouldn't be lying if said to a customer that it was actual 'turquoise'! As i may have some interested from supplying a few pens for sale at a jewellers.
Click to expand...

Phil,

A person can get into trouble by saying that it is actual "turquoise". IF it "contains" turquoise, one could say that it "contains" turquoise, but not that it "actually" is. Saying the former is deceitful. No one will probably take it to court, but there have been lesser things people have sued over.

IF you are going to sell something based on what it contains, even with what reputable people here say or know that it contains, it is much safer to get first hand knowledge from the mfg than quoting someone else.

I feel certain that this forum would not tolerate someone offering a pen blank for sale here, stating that it is turquoise, when it only "contained" turquoise. A quick way to get banned!

A Jewelers would know for sure if something were "actual" versus "contained".
 
Hank --the last Tru-stone I sold was to a Jeweler---------I tell folks it's "Stablized Stone" which really means about as much to them as it does to me.
This does let them know that there is more than just stone and I feel that it is very honest.[;)]
 
This might help clear up some confusion as to what this material is and what it contains. I visited the RT Research Corps website and I think they summed up very well what the material actually is without trying to make it out to be something it is not. They state the following:

"<b>About our block</b>

Our imitation stone block is produced from approximately 85% natural stone ore. In our facility the ore is pigmented, compressed into blocks and impregnated with approximately 15% acrylic gem resin for structural integrity."

So we can relax when we honestly tell our customers that the material is approx 85% natural stone ORE.
 
Right...

I'm not sure you could really state that the Turquoise TruStone, for example, has Turquoise in it, only that it has natural stone ore (from some stone). I've generally tried to be careful not to claim too much :)

-Barry
 
I think Barry might be right on that. I read that they have stone ore and are pigmenting it, if it was the actual precious stone it would be naturally colored. Although they may be pigmenting it to just give a even, consistant, repeatable color.
 
I like the word "cultured" to describe powdered materials cast into a binder material. I think the word is probably appropriated from the pearl industry, but a legitimate second definition of the word is "produced under atrifical and controlled conditions."

I've been involved in making "cultured" alabaster figurines, "cultured" bronze name plates, and even "cultured" sandstone. The outside of a large portion of my house is covered with "cultured" field stone.

I've been telling buyers that the pens are made of "cultured" turquoise, malachite, etc.
 
O)k cheers guys!

It seems no one knows what to called it! Although im liking the 'cultured' one! Sounds like its been carefully produced!

I might drop a few emails and see whether just a general ore is used and then coloured, or whether a specific ore is used for each material and is just coloured to make it uniform?

Cheers again!
 
I guess I just don't get what the big fuss is over unless some of ya'll are trying to price and sell these pens for something they are not.

When I made my first few truestone pens I thought they were going to be something special since they were harder to turn. At a recent craft show a lady was debating between a truestone pen and an acrylic. When I tried to play up the truestone, I could tell the explanation was falling on deaf ears, she just wanted a pretty pen! They could have been turned from moon rock or river rock and I doubt it would have made any difference to her.

Now, I don't try to sell them as anything special, instead I have the truestone pens on display right next to the other acrylics and resins and priced accordingly since the blanks are only a few dollars more than most synthetic blanks I buy so I don't make a big deal over them.
 
George - sometimes it would just be nice to have an accurate portrayal of the material by other pen makers. A year and a half ago I was contacted by a woman who wanted to know if I could repair a malachite pen. She also wanted the nib repaired and some good quality ink. I told her I would take a look and see if I was capable of undertaking the repair. It turned out that what the woman had been told was "real malachite stone under resin" was Tru-Stone. She was extremely disappointed at the news, but ended up very happy that I could repair her pen and viber her a new nib.
 
George,

To clarify the point a little - in which you don't get what the fuss is over, lets look at it from a different point.

What if - Your wife goes out and buys you a diamond ring (because you are a great guy.) That ring has a 1 carat zirconium and several miniscule diamond particles or diamond dust in the finish. Now, if it was advertised it was "Diamond" and the salesman said it was a "diamond" ring, I am sure she and you would be highly upset when you found out it was not what _you_ consider a diamond ring. It DOES have diamonds in it. It is true that it is a "diamond" ring . . . This is the issue here. It is wrong to sell something as one thing when in fact it is something else, even if the difference is minor.

Wrong is wrong whether it is diamond dust in a zirconium ring and labeling as "diamond" OR selling a 90% turquoise dust in a dust binder as "turquoise stone". Also wrong in my strong opinions is deliberately using words that the customer will not understand to make them think they are getting something that they are not, and then saying that their ignorance is not your fault.

A few months ago, there was a discussion about the possibility of selling any olive wood as "Bethlehem" Olive Wood (BOW), since no one can really tell where the olive wood is from just by observation. There were several posts telling how deceptive that is as well as illegal. Some people buy BOW because of where it originated and the personal value they place on "Bethlehem". To sell California OW or Jerusalem OW as BOW is wrong and illegal. So is selling crushed turquoise powder in a binder as real turquoise. Or diamond dust . . .
 
Hank, I hear you and don't totally disagree with your examples, but who is passing truestone off as "REAL" stone? It certainly isn't the manufacturer or any of the resellers I am aware of.

A quick visit to RT Research's web site (http://www.rtresearch.com/) will dispell any myth that they are passing off their products as "REAL" anything!

Right on their home page where you can't miss it they proudly announce "<b>Imitation stone products are now in!"</b>

If it is being represented as being anything else, it is somewhere between the manufacturer and resellers and the person buying the pen!

Phil, It looks like you may never find out any more than what is given on their website as the process of making it is a secret and rightfully so, but do let us know if they provide any more details as to actual stone ore used, type of coloring etc.
 
Originally posted by Texatdurango
<br />Hank, I hear you and don't totally disagree with your examples, but who is passing truestone off as "REAL" stone? It certainly isn't the manufacturer or any of the resellers I am aware of.

Phil, It looks like you may never find out any more than what is given on their website as the process of making it is a secret and rightfully so, but do let us know if they provide any more details as to actual stone ore used, type of coloring etc.
Click to expand...

Phil originated this post and on his third reply had said the following:
So it does actual contain a percentage of precious stone? Just stabilized with resin?
So I wouldn't be lying if said to a customer that it was actual 'turquoise'! As i may have some interested from supplying a few pens for sale at a jewellers.

Following this, my posts have been directed at using words that mislead. The posts took a turn in some people's posts towards defining what was in the Trustone, not at the mislabeling aspect that could have occured. In considerable experience, mislabeling, whether from misunderstanding or intentional, should be addressed. If it not addressed, then the fact that the mislabeling was _not_ addressed, - that will give credence to the mistake as being factual or truth.

Therefore it would be incorrect to say that it is "acutal" turquoise.
It would be correct to say that it contains "turquoise" and the "blue" comes from actual crushed or powdered turquoise.
 
thanks guys.

All I really wanted to know was whether they actually contained real stone, of the origin they were portraying!

Seems ive opened some-what of a small hornets nest!
 
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