Little Cutie Arrived Today

[Chetlaham]

Adorable none polarized NEMA 1-15p. When I saw the price for $2.81 and free shipping I had to get it. Its obviously not listed as it has no strain relief clamp or mechanism and the inside is rather cramped for an underwriter's knot plus the blades are not 100% aligned but I still find it a cool novelty to have being reminiscent of those old vintage cord caps.

A molded version of this cord cap with a grip skirt would be really charming today for practical use.

Anyone else care how their cord caps look?

 

[circlew]

At least it's dead front construction, so no exposed terminals like the old kind that had the slip on fiber cover that came off easy. When I was about 4, I unplugged a floor lamp in our TV room. I took the cover off and messed with the wires. Before my mom could stop me, I plugged it back in, and sparks shot out, making a blister on my hand. Blew a fuse, making the TV go out. Had to wait till dad came home to change it, so no TV until later that day. Needless to say, I didn't do that again. At least I didn't stick a screwdriver in the receptacle like my sister did.

 

[Chetlaham]

Old Stuff was really scary. Especially those tiny 2 prong plugs or those domed plugs that you essentially had to pull them out by the cord since you could not grip the cap itself.

Even modern stuff like Edison screw base sockets are risky. Unsleaved or unrecessed plugs, poor gripping receptacles, ground pins that easily break off, ect IMO are holding back safer, more practical electrical systems. But none the less I think the NEMA 1-15 flat blade design is the most compact and practical in world.

 

[fan-of-fans]

That is a nice one

I like these flat ones that Lowes sells in white or black. I got a floor lamp awhile back that someone replaced the original molded plug with the black version.

Some of the fan, radio and lamp restoration sites have a wide variety of vintage style plugs for sale. Some very ornate ones with oak leaf patterns, etc. Some are UL approved and enclosed fully, others still use those old cardboard insulator covers.

I’ve thought about using some of them for future restorations.

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www.lowes.com

 

[Chetlaham]

Thanks!

They are nice, well worth it IMO. I'm glad you posted the square/oval version to my plug, didn't know they were still being made. Good to know.

 

[combo52]

Old-fashioned plug

It’s too bad there’s no federal law prohibiting the sale of non-UL listed electrical devices.

Here in Maryland we do have a log in the sale of such things.

Maybe you could donate it to a fire prevention museum they might find it interesting.

John