Test Results :: Khaki

1 - Plain, 2 - Reduced, 3 - w/ Silver Foil, 4 - w/ Silver Foil, reduced & encased, 5 - w/ Khaos frit, 6 - w/ Terra frit, 7 - w/ Silver glass frit blend (Elektra, Gaia, Nyx), reduced, 8 - as a floral, 9 - w/ Copper Green, 10 - w/ Black, 11 - w/ Ivory

General Impressions
CiM Khaki is way more appealing than I suspected it would be, which is good because finding a new colour to love is a beautiful thing... but it's bad because my test results are so mixed and I'm feeling pretty conflicted about them.  In the rod, in my glass storage box, I suspiciously regarded it as a boring elephant-coloured opaque.  And it is still elephant-coloured to me, but I'm sure not bored by it the way I thought I might be.

Reduction
Reducing Khaki alone darkens the colour slightly.  (Bead #2)

Reactions
With Black, Ivory and Copper Green, Khaki is a pretty stable colour and doesn't do much that's unexpected in terms of colour reaction, although these colours all seem to spread on it a little, and the Khaki seems to sink into them.  (Beads #9. #10, #11)

Khaki does do lots of fun things with silver and silver glass though.

It's reactive with silver in such a great way, getting all kinds of good, fumed colour.  (Bead #3, #4) Reducing and encasing the silver fades that "caramelization" out, but Khaki is fairly silver-friendly.

The interesting thing about these two beads (Bead #5, #6) is the way the Khaki sort of curdles at the edge of the silver glass.  Hey look!  More failure to strike silver glass.  This is not Khaki's fault though -- it's all me!   I've got other things to think about, so I'm not worrying about it for now.  I had good colour going into the kiln, but I've still got the kiln turned up a bit high, and I think that's unstriking my glass.  I know it's me and not the Khaki when I look at the frit bead I reduced. (Bead #7)

Khaki, Triton and I are going to have some fun this Saturday.  I can't wait!

Compatibility?
The only other observation I have about Khaki is that it really seems not to like Effetre Black.  (Bead #10)

I've been using the same 1/2# of Effetre Black for the last six months, so I don't think the Black is at fault, and I don't think there's any way these cracks are my fault. The bead is practically crumbling. I've spent a lot of time this week thinking about whether or not to keep using Khaki after seeing this, but I think I've resolved to proceed with caution -- and certainly to avoid using these two glasses together again.

Out of all the beads I made with Khaki last week, this is the only one exhibiting this unfortunate problem, so I don't want to just quit using it... but if I have any more problems with it I'll have no choice.  I'm really hoping that this was because of some clumsy or stupid thing I did and that it won't happen again.

Update - 25.01.2010

I talked to Kathy / CiM who said one of the original production runs of Khaki was shocky and could have led to the breakage I experienced.  The problem has since been corrected and she said anyone who thinks they have that original shocky batch of Khaki can feel free to trade it in for a better batch.  Just email her at info@creationismessy.com.  I intend to re-run my tests when I pick up some Khaki from a newer production run.

 

Update - 10.03.2010

I want to post another quick update, because I re-did my test with Khaki and Effetre Black with a newer batch of Khaki and had no problems at all.  The newer batch is more workable, and less prone to splintering and shocking, too.  Good news, because I need this colour.     

 Here are some fun beads with Khaki: