# stoneware insulaters?



## rlo (Jan 17, 2008)

have y'all ever seen this before?  I have only seen them in glass. 
  I also found an 8ft. long wooden auger(?) I think. the paddles on it are wooden & they spiral up the wood core they are imbedded in. will take a pic tomorrow & post it.


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## rlo (Jan 17, 2008)

another view


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## rlo (Jan 17, 2008)

found at the same place.


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## Ryan (Jan 17, 2008)

Hi there, cool finds. Usually we refer to them as porcelain, and they are generally, but not always, more modern and more common than the glass ones. That one you have there is a shape a little different than any I have, pretty neat. The glass one looks like a common 'pony' insulator as they call many of the small ones. But even on really common glass insulators be sure to look for milky or amber swirls in the glass as that can turn a fifty cent insulator into a $50 or $100+ piece real quick. Also pretty neat you got the side pin, though it looks kind of beat up people love to use those for displaying their insulators. You can save up 10 or 20 side pins (not the straight ones) and get a few dollars for them on ebay.

 Thanks for sharing, I haven't recovered any insulators from the wild for a long time...

 -Ryan


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## Brains (Jan 17, 2008)

i call em mud, not implying that they arent good insulators by saing so but it's easier to say mud than ceramic. I would say 1920's-30's for that one, and around 1905-1910 for the hemingray 12. Not too rare, but good finds of course. keep lookin around that spot.


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## Ryan (Jan 17, 2008)

P.S. I believe the porcelain insulator you have there would have been used for power lines, the cable would have sat in the saddle groove on top. I also think it is called an eared or helmet insulator, for obvious reasons, and they are in general tougher to find than many other porcelain insulators. I believe it is one of the more common helmets, but still a relatively uncommon insulator to find. The small Hemingray you have was probably used for local (in town) telephone lines.


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## rlo (Jan 17, 2008)

thanx all for the info. I appreciate it


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## GuntherHess (Jan 17, 2008)

Here is a blue ceramic I found. It sold for more than I expected , not sure why, I always figured they were pretty common?


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## tigue710 (Jan 17, 2008)

I'm still looking for that elusive New London insulator... what did you get for that blue Gunther?  I like that glass one Rio, looks a little different then most of those Hemi's


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## BeachComber (Jan 19, 2008)

I have found several ceramic insulators along abandoned railroad lines. Many of which are marked with CPR. Back home, in Bermuda, I usually find ceramic insulaters that are dated any wheres from 1899 - 1909 and are stamped with the British Broad arrow mark. I love finding them, i think they are a key addition to the stoneware section of any collection.


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## Ryan (Jan 19, 2008)

wow Matt that's a real neat one. I don't have my porcelain insulator books handy but every porcelain shape has a different number, assigned by collectors. Some are much more rare than others, and like bottles, they are often fairly common in one color (usually a form of brown) and the price can change dramatically for any rarer colors. Although some blues are common, some are very rare. That one you have there has an attractive 'drippy' glaze, probably of older manufacture and adds to desirability like crudeness in a bottle. Although most are unmarked, many collectors know who the manufacturer is by the glaze and shape etc. and can therefore pinpoint a date range on them. In general early porcelain is most valuable. As the more attractively colored glass insulators have gone up in price, more people are turning to porcelain to add some color to their shelves, as they are still fairly affordable even in nice colors.


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## GuntherHess (Jan 19, 2008)

> what did you get for that blue Gunther?


 
 I think it sold for like $40-50. I was figuring about $10-15 when I listed it. 
 But you can fit everything I know about insulators in a gnat's shot glass.[]


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## JGUIS (Jan 19, 2008)

Gunth, your was called sky tone.  It was camo to make the insulators disappear in the sky background.  Early beautification project if you will.  Most of your price was in that.   The first one posted here is pretty common, usually stamped THOMAS on the top.


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## buster (Feb 5, 2020)

rlo said:


> another view


I have several like yours including some large sizes


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## buster (Feb 5, 2020)

rlo said:


> found at the same place.





rlo said:


> have y'all ever seen this before?  I have only seen them in glass.
> I also found an 8ft. long wooden auger(?) I think. the paddles on it are wooden & they spiral up the wood core they are imbedded in. will take a pic tomorrow & post it.


I have this wood and metal auger it fits perfectly on all my glass and ceramic insulators.


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## buster (Feb 5, 2020)

A few of my favorites.


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## hemihampton (Feb 5, 2020)

Some of those I've never seen before. Cool. LEON.


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## Skadman4 (Feb 12, 2020)

buster said:


> I have this wood and metal auger it fits perfectly on all my glass and ceramic insulators.View attachment 202185


I have seen the ones with a wedge and to be pressed into the top of the poles, but not a screw in type. Pretty cool.

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