Found a bunch of brown porcelain insulators in the woods. How old?

[FreeBirdTim]

I was detecting along a string of telephone poles in the woods today and found these big porcelain electrical insulators. They all have chips or damage, but I thought they were pretty cool anyway. They were a killer to drag out of the woods, since they weigh around 16 pounds each!

Any idea as to how old they are? They have the insulators on eBay, but none have the metal posts attached. Give me your best guess!

 

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[UnderMiner]

Likely 1920's. Only experience I have is I once found a similar looking one, same color and everything and it had a date stamp on it of 1928. Hope this helps. Pretty cool, those are massive!

 

[Wildcat1750]

Cool and different find! They'll make great paperweights.

 

[trapperart]

Congrats

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Likely 1920's. Only experience I have is I once found a similar looking one, same color and everything and it had a date stamp on it of 1928. Hope this helps. Pretty cool, those are massive

Thanks for the help! I cleaned them up and found the name "Thomas" stamped into the insulators. This company was in business from 1892 to 1957, so they could definitely be from the 1920's.

I'll be going back there again to drag more of them home. Maybe I'll get lucky and find one that isn't broken. Too bad they're all 1/4 mile into the woods! Should be another good workout for me! LOL!

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Here's what the name stamp looks like:

 

[Bruce R]

1940's and up to present , those were made to carry high voltage which didn't occur much outside the metropolitan areas before the war.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Could be from the 1940's or even 1950's, but no later than that. The R. Thomas & Sons Co. was bought out in 1957.

 

[peruna]

your comment about being a drag to haul out of the woods is likely the reason they were not hauled out in the first place... Some line crews simply drop insulators where they land after updating hardware. A really neat find.

 

[port ewen ace]

an ATV and a sled would be nice______________bet Antique Archeology would pay you a few bucks for those honkers--nice for a mad man cave

 

[ironman123]

Cool find. Good exercise getting them out.

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Good exercise getting them out

Easy for you to say! You try carrying 48 pounds of insulators for 1/4 mile though the dense woods! Had to set them down a few times along the way. Two in one hand and one in the other. Also had my Ace 250 jammed up under my armpit. Definitely bringing a backpack or something similar next time I go to this spot!

 

[FreeBirdTim]

Some line crews simply drop insulators where they land after updating hardware

Yup, I'll bet that's why they all have chips or other damage. Probably just dropped them from above! Look out below!

 

[Trezurehunter]

Those are some nice finds. I have found some pretty good sized ones that my wife uses as door stops.