CD 152 VS. CD 153

[Sand_pontil]

What differentiates the 152 http://www.ebay.com/itm/CD-152-BROOKFIELD-/390553224426from the 153 http://www.insulators.info/photos/photos/153-brkfd-010-green.htmIs it that the wire groove is deeper on the 153?

 

[Sand_pontil]

The 154 looks even more similar to the 153 http://natsulators.com/insalbum/photos/154dom020lto.htmlThis is going to be tough to get the hang of.

 

[botlguy]

Agreed that it is tough to tell some CDs apart at first but it will come to you. Take a look at the CD 133 & 134. Took me a long time to tell those apart.

 

[BillinMo]

Yes, I think all insulator collectors find there's a learning curve to getting the hang of CD numbers. There are LOTS of little mold variations and it's important to remember that consolidated design numbers represent a general group, not an exact match... emphasis on the "consolidated." I couldn't really point out one difference between the two CD assignments. The CD 152 Brookfield is very common and Western Union used this as their standard in the 1911-1922 period. Hemingray produced a similar insulator as their No. 40, also very common. CD 153 is a "transitional" piece, an evolutionary step between CD 152 and 154. I imagine the mold makers were aiming for the 152 style but gave it a larger, more squared-off groove and beefed up the narrow 152 dome to make it more breakage resistant. We have to remember that Woody developed CDs long after insulator production, so what might be a minor difference to the manufacturer might be two different CDs to us today. Most CD 153s you'll find are Gayner products from the 1920s. Brookfield produced a CD 153 but it is quite scarce. Whitall Tatum's version of the 153, I think, was intended to be a more compact 154, but we'll never know for certain. By the time the CD 154 came on the scene in 1922, Brookfield was out of business, so they never produced a 154. That's probably way more info than you ever wanted! I'll just say there's no substitute for attending insulator shows, seeing lots of insulators in person, and talking with seasoned collectors. Personally, I am all for having information available on the net, but I sometimes think the online resources showing CD numbers aren't the best way to learn about the system. The Briel Price Guide (or a used older price guide, which will probably be cheaper) lets you match CDs with embossing and eliminate a lot of the guesswork.

 

[BillinMo]

Oh - also, here's a link to the NIA site that shows just about all the CDs in scaled and consistent photos. I'm sure it'll be much better than trying to make sense of a bunch of ebay listings. http://www.nia.org/general/g_natpt.htm

 

[botlguy]

If anyone is interested, I have an older (2003) copy of the Insulator Price Guide I'll send to someone free if they will make a contribution to this site. Use the honor system. It's well used but in decent condition with lots of my scribbling and notations. Email or PM me. If more than one interested I will choose by random pick.

 

[Sand_pontil]

Thanks for the replies guys. The NIA list is going to be very helpful. Im really excited to expand into this area of collecting. More opportunities for exploration which is great because I live in an area of high gradient rivers so not much bottle diving here.