Where were you when the lights went out. ?? The guys at our local B.C. Hydro station told me this was the result of a lightning hit. Now, the lightning didn't hit this insulator, it impacted somewhere else, nearby. This is the result of the power surge flowing through the string of insulators. I had a string of 6 of these, but have traded most away for other goodies. This was the best looking, most dramatic example of what happens in that brief milli-second between the ZZZzzaaappp and the BANG. This was the flash that insulators don't want to experience. I don't suppose there is any way of ever knowing the energy expended in this lightning strike, but imagine what it would do the the finish on your new car, your umbrella, or your putter. That would sure take care of the "hitch in your git-along"