Does anyone know what these are?

[lexdigger]

I dig these all the time, usually in plain white. I call them insulators for lack of a better term, but I'm not really sure what they are. This one is unusal being glazed with an almost Bennington look to it. Any ideas? Chris

 

[bevyn]

looks like a vile to me but what do i know

 

[CALDIGR2]

Chris, that an early tube that is used to pass an electric wire through a surface such as framing on a building. Before enclosed wire like Romex was invented all wiring was the "knob and tube" method. The knobs were nailed on top of surfaces and the wire placed on them and tubes used as explained. The Rockingham one are scarcer than the plain white ceramic ones are.

 

[lexdigger]

Thanks Mike. So I guess it is an insulator of sorts? This one was dug in a layer of 1920's/30's trash, but could be a little older. I've dug a thousand of the white ones, but this is the first one I've dug with the glaze on it. Chris

 

[diginit]

We throw tons of those away from remodel jobs. A hole is drilled into the 2x4 and the insulator is inserted, the wire in then fed through to separate electricity from the combustables. They make great targets. Thats about it.

 

[bottlenutboy]

the non glazed ceramic ones make a good knife sharpener also thats what we do with the ones we have......ceramic is the sharpening medium used in all knife sharpeners with a few exceptions

 

[CALDIGR2]

I was gonna add the knife sharpener part, but forgot to do so, Spencer. You are 100% corect on that one. I keep a couple of the big ones from transformer banks in my huntin' bag.[]