Black Moai, quick question

There are countless threads in the forums about black Moai mugs, and many with pictures.

Unfortunately many of the ones that could have answered my questions have broken picture links, so my apologies if you've heard this one before.

Are there any OMC Matte Black Moai mugs without any markings except for a sticker, with concave bottoms?

Thanks in advance for checking your treasure and letting me know.

Yes there are, I have two or three myself. OMC offered many - probably all - of its mugs and bowls without locale-specific markings.

Thanks a bunch, I couldn't tell if they were concave or flatbottom on the pictures I could see, and the rest were just borken links.

I have one with a deeeelicious nicotine patina in my collection ( I avoid handling it right now and wash it once a month to cut the stank) that mystified me.

Thanks for all your price updates on OOGA MOOGA by the way.

Is it hijacking a thread if you have a similar question??

I bought the Moai mug on the left last week thinking it was an unmarked OMC even though it seemed different. Got it home and compared to a marked OMC and this guy is more than little different. Standard OMC Moai on the right, new unknown Moai on the left. Anybody have any ideas on who the maker is for the contestant on the left??

Classic Silver Line Boats

[ Edited by: SilverLine 2008-10-03 05:37 ]

Mmmm... I've one that has a glossier finish.

Yes there are!

Left to right: Kemoo Farms, Lelani, Luau Fresno, Islander Phoenix and unmarked.

PTD

Nice, I keep looking for one of these in the wild.. :lol: Maybe today will be my lucky day.
Now I'm getting greedy. I want one of each of the above. :D

Good thread. Here are three more variations. Two from the Fireside in Wisc. and one from the Tikis in Ca.
The one on the left is from the Tikis and marked on the bottom. The two on the right are from the Fireside.The one in the middle is made by OMC. The one on the left is not marked by the maker and has the not so defined lips as the mug that Silverline found only in a smooth glaze. Thanks for the great post.

This thread is starting to bring out the details I was wondering about.
I can clearly see the consistency of the mold that Psycho Tiki D displays.
I have that Moai, OMC mold, matte glaze and a concave bottom.

Uncle Trav answered my next question before I had a chance to ask it, and that is:
"has anyone seen a black version of the mold used by some of Trader Dick's Striped Moai?"
These are different from the "Trader Dick's OMC Moai Tall" and are identical in form to the OMC MOAI short (bottoms may vary).

The mug on the left (viewer's left) of Uncle Trav's set of three is just like the Trader Dick's striped Moai in shape and size except that the Trader Dick's Striped Moai mug has a flat bottom (AFAIK, if you have a concave one, speak up -- see example picture below)

All of these are distinct from Silverline's mystery contestant for the following reasons:

1. Size
2. No distinct parting of the lips
3. Chin is flared and more pronounced on other mugs
4. Break line of cheek is squared more on left and right of face, and is flatter from where the eye and brow meet to the top of lip where there is a distinct break in the slope of the face midway down the bridge of the nose on all other mugs.

You have a real curiosity there Silverline.
Is it flat or concave on the bottom?
Anyone else have that mold?

Ke nono au, e kala mua mai, i keia manawa ho'i.

[ Edited by: coruscate 2008-10-04 11:47 ]

[ Edited by: coruscate 2008-10-04 11:55 ]

On 2008-10-03 06:13, Bongo Bungalow wrote:
Mmmm... I've one that has a glossier finish.

The Tikis also had glossy Moai in red and white. I seem to recall a glossy blue as well but I can't say for sure now. Tiki Kate has a Tikis Moai in a mottled yellow posted on OM.

On 2008-10-04 05:32, uncle trav wrote:
Good thread. Here are three more variations. Two from the Fireside in Wisc. and one from the Tikis in Ca.
The one on the left is from the Tikis and marked on the bottom. The two on the right are from the Fireside.The one in the middle is made by OMC. The one on the left is not marked by the maker and has the not so defined lips as the mug that Silverline found only in a smooth glaze. Thanks for the great post.

That's a nice example of a Tikis moai you have there. The one I have was made late in the mold's life; so much so that you can barely make out the markings on the bottom.

The glossy Fireside moai is interesting; I hadn't seen this version before. Looks like it was cast from a different mold; it's profile shows obvious differences from the other two.

LOL Tiki!

[ Edited by: LOL Tiki 2008-10-04 13:04 ]

On 2008-10-04 11:44, coruscate wrote:
Uncle Trav answered my next question before I had a chance to ask it, and that is:
"has anyone seen a black version of the mold used by some of Trader Dick's Striped Moai?"
These are different from the "Trader Dick's OMC Moai Tall" and are identical in form to the OMC MOAI short (bottoms may vary).

---

Ke nono au, e kala mua mai, i keia manawa ho'i.

The Trader Dick's Striped Moai is not an OMC product. I know that it was made in China so it may be from Dynasty. It has a flat, slightly recessed - not concaved - bottom. It's thin and inferior when compared to an OMC Moai.

The medium Trader Dick's Moai is identified as an OMC product on OM but I believe this is incorrect. It's from the same mold as the Stiped Moai and posseses the same inferior qualities.

The small Trader Dick's Moai is an OMC product. It looks similar to the medium Moai but some obvious differences give it away. The "Trader Dick's" badging on the back is on a white, oval field (identical to that of the tall Moai) and it has a concaved base. It is essentially a small version of the tall Moai.

I shall call him... Mini-Moai. :)

LOL Tiki!

[ Edited by: LOL Tiki 2008-10-04 13:33 ]

Ok,

Here's another one, a little different from the rest, notice the ear notch is distinct.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Black-Moai-tiki-mug_W0QQitemZ170270058042QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item170270058042&_trkparms=39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A10%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

A while back (couple of years), someone here had found an industrial mold for these, with the manufacturer's name....for a while that mug then bore that name, but now that might be lost knowledge ...it is for me, for sure. :)

I think the mug in that auction looks a lot like a home-made Duncan mold mug, much like mine.

Ha, great, not lost at all, thanks, Silverline! That earmark mention made me think of it. Good to be reminded --it's a real find!

On 2008-10-10 15:26, SilverLine wrote:
I think the mug in that auction looks a lot like a home-made Duncan mold mug, much like mine.

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2008-10-10 15:39 ]

Good catch, the nose flare and the ear notch are a clear match in my opinion.
Thanks for showing the mold, fantastic find!

I have three black Moai mugs with no labels or markings. I am trying to figure out which if any are OMC and/or OMC lookalikes. One has glaze drip marks. I have weighed all three and the weights are 18.3 oz, 16.3 oz, and 12.7 oz.

My theory is that the two heavier ones are OMC and the lighter one with the glaze drip marks is the lookalike.

Does anyone have an OMC with an OMC label who could weigh it? Anyone with a KNOWN lookalike who could weight that one? Anyone with both able to weigh both and compare?

Thanks to anyone who is able to participate in this "trivial" expedition.