Here's a set that doesn't come along too often, and not because of a rare EIN or an oddball colour or anything like that. These four were removed from a Bell Telephone Company of Canada lineman's collection. In his first years on the job this fellow was involved in disassembly of an open wire toll lead and some local distribution circuits in the Cayuga, Ontario to Tillsonburg, Ontario area. He said he saw many thousands of insulators coming down from use and actively gathered up a small collection of them for a period of time when he was first entering his career. With such terrific provenance and all their original soot and rust, these four are rare in a way that we may just take for granted these days. It's unfortunate that with each passing year, less and less information is available about the origins of so many of these pieces we all enjoy collecting.

From left to right in this set, you'll get:

1.) CD 106 Hemingray, with the MADE IN U.S.A. embossing in the front and No. 9 in the rear. Nothing rare, but some good soot and rust on this one. Four partly flaked drips that I can see, but otherwise in good shape.

2.) CD 113 HEMINGRAY, with No. 12 in the front and PATENT / MAY 2 1893 in the rear. This one is a creosote lover's dream as its pinhole is still chock full of the stuff for that added nostalgic effect. Lots of soot and rust on it as well. 2 flaked drips that I can see, and a third with an open bubble on its tip.

3.) CD 115 Hemingray 10, with MADE IN USA in the rear. This one has a top that is a bit flatter than I recall seeing before, and has absolutely killer rust deposits in only the lower wire groove. The dome and upper wire groove are clean so it still passes light well. I guess this one was also used with just one conductor, as so many exchanges probably were. 6 flaked drips but otherwise in good shape.

4.) Hemingray No. 16 CD 121. Another piece with a generous amount of creosote in the pinhole as well as the rust and soot on the outside. I see 14 partly flaked drips, a couple associated with a small flake below the No. 16 embossing in the rear. There are also two 7 mm BB pings on the rear crown, one on the rear lower wire ridge, and one tiny 3 mm one on the front lower wire ridge.

I'm now asking $15 USD plus shipping for the set of four. I just thought I'd offer them in case someone else is as soot crazy as I am. I'm always happy to trade for early Canadian glass or Canadian-made porcelain insulators. I have a long-standing want list of Canadian-made porcelain posted, [id=505519866; please click here to see it]. I accept PayPal, or personal cheque from any member of ICON or any collector with whom I have dealt before. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or for more photos, and look through my other items or unsold sales stock to combine shipping on items.