Quarrying Frontier Flagstone
The Frontier Flagstone is quarried in the rolling plains of central Montana, near the town of Harlowton. All stone quarries differ depending on the type of stone and the nature of the deposit, and the Frontier has some unique characteristics. We customers visit the quarry they often ask “What kind of equipment do you use?”, How deep do you have to go?’, and “Does this wind ever stop blowing?”.
Quarrying
The sandstone beds we quarry are typically three to ten feet below the surface and are removed with excavators. Under ideal conditions, shown below, the individual layers are visible within the sandstone bed and these thin layers split out into large flagstone sheets. Unfortunately, “ideal conditions” are the exception, not the rule.
Splitting and Sorting
Flagstone slabs removed from the trench must be hand-split and then sorted into thickness ranges of 1″-minus, 1″ to 1-1/2″, and 1-1/2″ to 2-1/2″. This is very labor intensive, particularly when the individual flagstone layers are difficult to split apart.
Finished Products
Frontier Flagstone comes in large sheets that must be stood up in special pallets. Smaller pieces of flagstone (called “Patio”) are packaged flat in pallets. We presently have a large inventory of beautiful flagstone. Download a Frontier Product Guide.Beautiful Floors and Patios
Frontier Flagstone has a very attractive color range and an interesting variety of textures. It works well for both interior and exterior applications. Frontier Flagstone is a made-in-Montana product that has been used in some of the finest homes in America. See more Frontier Flagstone photos at the Select Stone website.