Glenn Polasik, Green Bay, Wisconsin, writes: At a flea market I picked up a CD 166.2 that I cannot find in the book. I hope you can help me. The color is ice blue. It has a large glass button under the dome, smooth base, and on the front of the skirt is a good size glass button, and on the back of the skirt is another same size glass button. Do you have any idea as to its rarity? Thank you.

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In reply to Glenn Polasik: Unfortunately there is little comment that can be made concerning the CD 166.2. It is an unidentified and unembossed style, probably made by the same works that made several other unmarked insulators that bear a strong resemblance. The one that I have seen did not have the glass buttons on each half-mold; but they are a fairly common feature of a number of the early molds. As to its rarity, insofar as I know, very few of this number have been located, so it would be a scarce item with or without the buttons.

From Robert L. Hutchison, Napoleon, Ohio: I'm a lineman for a telephone company in northwestern Ohio. The other day while taking down an old line I came across an unusual C.D. 102 Star. It is very much like many others I have, except that there is a very small star on side opposite of the side where there is a star regular in size. I have never seen any others. Please let me know if you have. And could you tell me the rarity of this insulator. Color light aqua. Thank you very much.

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In reply to Robert L. Hutchison: The CD 102 Star pony with the very tiny star on one half-mold is not extremely rare. It's a desirable and interesting variation; and anyone's guess as to the reason for the tiny star.

Doug Polak, Fort Wayne, Indiana, states: I have a question about a "Star" insulator I have found. It is a CD 162.3 deep groove double petticoat. Everything is normal, except there is no inner skirt! Is this a common error, or a rarity? Please advise me! Thank you.

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In reply to Doug Polak: The insulator which you are listing as a CD 162.3 is probably a CD 134. Although the diameter of the Hemingray No. 18 which was used for the CD 134 drawing in the "Reports" is 2-7/8 inches, there is considerable variation in that number, and the Star CD 134 is probably 3 inches or so across the base. Also the CD 134 has a fuller, deeper groove than the CD 162.3. If this explanation doesn't fit what you have, contact us again with a more thorough description. It's always possible that you do have something different!

From Lew Hohn, Rochester, N.Y.: Picked up the enclosed insulator (drawing) recently. As you can see, it is quite a bit different from regular CD 202. Would like to find out more about it? Any ideas as to maker. Lack of threads and the drip point in top of pinhole sort of suggest American Ins. Would appreciate any info. you or others may have. Being primarily a porcelain collector, I am not completely familiar with out of ordinary glass insulators.

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In reply to Lew Hohn: The CD 202 "K" has been known for some time, but no real evidence of its source has been found. That style was, of course, made basically under the May 22, 1894 Fred Locke patent; and perhaps the makers of the "K" did not have rights to use that patent and were not anxious to identify their insulator fully!

Jim Crutchfield, North Augusta, South Carolina, writes: I have recently acquired a Hawley insulator (CD 102) with two "dimples". They are located on the side of the insulator just above the base. What explanation can you give for this? Could this be the result of a faulty mold? Perhaps this is also the reason for the inconsistency in the size of the letters that are embossed on this insulator.

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In reply to Jim Crutchfield: The "dimples" in the glass are called "folds". They are the result of partial cooling of the surface of the glass during the slight time required for the molten glass blob to settle into the mold. Thus the surface of the glass at that point does not quite fuse properly, or does not quite fill out against the mold as it should. Folds are common in old insulators; but modern insulator presses are timed so precisely, and the glass is delivered to them under carefully controlled temperature, so that folds are rare in newer insulators.

From Richard C. Wiesman, Sterling Junction, Massachusetts: I have a couple of insulators I just acquired and can't find them in Milholland's book and was wondering if they are anything special. Here is a description of both: CD 155 Armstrong DP 1, light lime green (A-encircled) SB; CD 121 No Name looks like AM TEL & TEL CO. blocked out, has a double one or 11 on top with glass between, making it look like a solid piece of raised glass. The Armstrong is the most unusual because it mentions Armstrong using light green and flint up to 1946, and after just flint and amber (from Milholland's). The one I mention is dated 1950 (50 with no date after). If you can help me I would appreciate it. Thank you.

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In reply to Richard Wiesman: Although it is true that most of the Armstrong insulators (other than the dark ambers) are of pale tints or nearly clear, there was a time in 1950 when some DP 1 were made in colors. There is the light green of which you speak, also a greenish amber which is fairly dark in some cases. These colors seem to have occurred only during that one year, and only in the one style. Rather than a deliberate choice, this almost certainly resulted from a variation in glass formula, perhaps a shortage of decolorizer. They were sold to Western Electric and put in service on Bell System lines along with the others; and probably everyone but collectors has forgotten about the episode.

I have seen the CD 121 that was made in an old Am Tel. & Tel. Co. mold. It looks very much like Brookfield glass; but probably the answer to this one will never be known. You can also find the AM. TEL. & TEL. Co. made in that same mold set with the shop number 11 on the crown.

Jim Woods, Collinsville, Illinois, writes: I have a few insulator finds I would like to get some information on. I have a CD 191 A.T. & T. Co. in small letters that has a mold line over the top. It's a definite mold line and not a mold flaw. I don't find anything on these listed in any books and wonder if many exist.

I recently purchased a CD 164 H.G. Co. dated. However, instead of PETTICOAT on the back, it says PETTICOAY--a definite Y. Have any of these been reported?

I have a CD 162 with a 3/8" vertical bar on each side. Underneath the bar on one side and very light appears KCGW. This is apparently the same insulator as on Line 1824 in Milholland's 1975 Price Guide. I have seen a second insulator with a little stronger lettering.

Last, an insulator I traded for some time ago. It's a CD 152 "B" in deep green amber blackglass. The primary color is amber. Have any of these been reported?

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In reply to Jim Woods: The H. G. CO. CD 164 with PETTICOAY error is listed in the book Insulators with Embossing Errors by Frances Terrill and Warren Olson. It's on page 49.

Unfortunately, no one knows who made the K.C.G.W. insulators or who used the molds later to make these that you describe. Quite a few of both have been located; but they are fairly old, and far from common. They go very well in a collection! Some day perhaps we will have the complete story on these.

During the early 1900's the Brookfield's Old Bridge plant used a great deal of cullet, or scrap glass, primarily bottles. As amber glass mixed with the green, the streaks and swirls of amber were created; and from time to time there are insulators that are almost pure amber. This occurs in all styles that were made in large quantity during that period. Detail of coloring changed frequently during production and was of no concern to them at that time. Not many years later, however, the major buyers became very much more particular and eventually insisted on clear, or nearly clear, glass. Incidentally, I was looking at a CD 152 "B" in amber, exactly as you describe, only last Saturday on an old Western Union wire in a small community in central Texas!

Without seeing the A.T.& T. CD 191, it's difficult to guess just what you have. It's true that not many are found with the two-piece mold characteristics.

From Fran E. Beauchamp, Hurley, Wisconsin: On a recent outing collecting insulators I came across an H.G. CO. that was embossed with petticoat on the back of the skirt. It was in the usual aqua, but upon better inspection it has a B on top of it instead of the usual H. Up until now I thought that all H.G. Co. were made by Hemingray, but now I am wondering.

To make this insulator even more different, was a double lined backward S above the wire groove half way between the front and back. Maybe you could give me more information on this type of insulator.

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In reply to Fran Beauchamp: The H. G. CO. that you have is Hemingray. The B is the mold letter, rather than an indication of the maker (as it is when appearing on Brookfield insulators). That mold set has letters from A to N. The letters aren't always in the same place; and sometimes the letter appears in two places on the insulators. Yours should have another B (possibly faint) below PETTICOAT on the skirt. That is the first mold set for that style by Hemingray.

The double backward S would be a coincidence, just a slight fold in the glass that took that shape.

Matt Leissring, Santa Rosa, California, writes: I have an interesting piece of glass here. It says NO. 9, but nothing else. It is similar to a CD 106, but the groove is not in line with the base. It has a few bubbles. It was found on a side pin on a tree near Santa Cruz. Being a pale aqua, I think it was made by Hemingray at Covington, Kentucky. The glass is too smooth to have been made in Muncie, Indiana. What do you think?

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In reply to Matt Leissring: Your No. 9 CD 106 is not familiar to me; therefore I can't give an answer. From your description, I would not think it is a Hemingray, but it may be. There are a couple of other good possibilities but none of them could be verified without examining it. Meanwhile, I can only say that you do have "an interesting piece of glass", as you stated!

From Clifford W. Kennedy, Penryn, California: At left is a drawing of an insulator I found along the R.R. tracks. Could you tell me anything about it?

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In reply to Clifford W. Kennedy: Your CD 131 is most interesting! As you probably know, the 55 FULTON ST. address dates it during the period 1868 to 1882. However, when only the July 25, 1865 date appears, it can be assumed that the insulator was probably made during the earlier part of the period. That patent, covering the internal thread feature, was re-issued February 22, 1870; and the tendency is to find that later date on the later insulators. However, this is not a positive dating, but only a general consideration. The L.A.C. is, of course, Louis A. Cauvet, to whom the patent was issued.

Up to this point, the insulator is quite a desirable item, but not really rare. Now, however, comes the skirt lettering TELEGRAPH No. 1. That is altogether a different matter, and nothing can be added except to say that, since you said you found it along "the R.R. tracks", better go back and look for more!