Make the Connection

[Ron Kelley]

Fayette was once one of the Upper Peninsula's most productive iron-smelting operations. Fayette grew up around two blast furnaces, a large dock, and several charcoal kilns, following the post-Civil War need for iron. Nearly 500 residents—many immigrating from Canada, the British Isles, and northern Europe—lived in and near the town that existed to make pig iron. During 24 years of operation Fayette's blast furnaces produced a total of 229,288 tons of iron, using local hardwood forests for fuel and quarrying limestone from the bluffs to purify the iron ore. When the charcoal iron market began to decline, the Jackson Iron Company closed its Fayette smelting operations in 1891.

[Garguy]

Slag glass from the furnace

[Ron Kelley]

Right Steve, I have had a few pieces of slag from the Fayette Iron Smelting opperation for a few years. I just knapped this point this morning. I thought the slag would knap like obsidian. It's a fooler: It didn't knap like obsidian. This is some tough material.

[beatup1354]

well done on the point and the history Ron

[Ron Kelley]

Thanks Brett, It's an interesting historical site. Much of it has been restored.

[Hal Gorges]

Excellent work on tough stuff..A special one for sure 👌..Thanks..

[Ron Kelley]

Thanks Hal, I do enjoy knapping the odd materials.

[Narrow Way Knapper]

Bravo! Neat tribute Ron. 👍👍

[Ron Kelley]

Thanks Caleb, It's fun when I can connect a knapped point with something special.

[Narrow Way Knapper]

Where does the slag glass come from in the process of smelting iron ore?

[Ron Kelley]

Hey Caleb, The limestone was heated hot enough to form the slag. I have one piece that is half rock and half slag. The limestone on the Garden Peninsula near Fayette is very pure limestone.

[Hoss]

That is pretty cool Ron thanks for the history and as usual you made a fine point there.

[Ron Kelley]

Thanks Matt, I know that many people have mistaken slag glass for obsidian. They do look very similar but knap very differently.

[Ron Kelley]

Some of the slag glass from Fayette is green. These small pieces are wave worn. The second picture is half & half. The third picture is a couple of small pieces of iron from the Fayette smelter.

[Hal Gorges]

Cool👌

[LongStride]

Ron Kelly is Jedi Master naps slag from a 150 year old blast furnace, congratulations, came out nice

[Ron Kelley]

Thanks LongStride, I am always looking for something different to knap. Now I have # 95 on my knapped lithics list. I guess I can call this a lithic: It was limestone.

[Ron Kelley]

I bet I would get some looks if I told people I knapped Limestone. :-)

[OnewiththewilD]

We find a bit of it here too, along the bay and theres a section of a river i know of that i sometimes find slag at too.

[Ron Kelley]

Hey Jay, Did you ever try knapping it?

[OnewiththewilD]

No, the pieces are usually too small or irregular to do anything with. I find slag rock and slag iron too sometimes

[Ron Kelley]

A lot of slag has so many holes in it that it would be impossible to knap too.

[paohrocks]

Great story and congrats on being able to knap the slag...that's impressive! Knew a guy who used to bring me black slag, he claimed it was obsidian from a Hopewell workshop...

[Ron Kelley]

Thanks Chris, Your friend has a great following. :-)

[Ron Kelley]

Today I knapped another point from the Fayette Slag Glass.

[oldrocks2]

Well done and unique really special pieces

[Uncle Trav]

Awesome pieces Ron and love the history connection. Always enjoy being in the UP. Heading up to the Soo at the end of the month to watch the big boats. Keep up the great work.
👍👍

[Narrow Way Knapper]

It sure is unique looking. Nice one Ron.