All,

I have used Stoney Knoll Archaeological Supplies a few times for 
hardware fabric in the past. Since their primary business is making 
archaeology screens, I am sure they would prefer to sell the whole 
thing, but in 2011 they sold me some excellent mesh (both 1/4 and 1/8 
inch) that is still with me today and shows no  wear. I do remember that 
(at least in 2011) they got their high grade mesh from China because 
there were NO American producers making it any longer.

They are also a small family business, which, from my perspective, is 
always good. On that note, I encourage buying the whole setup because 
they make an excellent product. (I may sound like an advertisement, but 
I have no direct connection except as a past and current customer and 
because the owners and I have similar interests in the archaeology of 
the Maine coast.)

http://www.stoneyknoll.com/

Cheers,
Ben

On 3/23/2013 11:43 AM, Tim Bennett wrote:
> Hi everyone,
>
> Does anybody have a good source for 1/4 in hardware mesh?  I did a quick search on the Listserv archives and there are a couple of mentions of it, but that was quite a few years ago, at least what was returned on the search parameters.  The 1/4 in mesh/hardware cloth that is sold at big box stores such as Home Depot, Lowes, Menards, etc is not suitable for archaeological work, at least what is sold in my area of MI.  The product they offer is made in China and is not woven and is very thinly galvanized.  This screen is rendered useless after about 2 days of use.  I did quite a bit of searching on the internet a couple of years ago but it seems that the only 1/4 mesh out there is the China made non woven stuff or high grade stainless steel, brass, etc that is mostly for commercial/industrial purposes.  I have a chapter member that is in need of building some screens so if anyone has any sources of archaeological quality screen, it would be most appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Tim