Very cool! Hmmm. Has he tried to contact some of the antique telephone collector organizations? I bet they would totally know where to source it from. Here’s one group (there are several)…

http://atcaonline.com/

Comment by renovation therapy — April 10, 2008 @ 7:44 am

Wow. This is the first time in our search for information about the elusive speaking tubes that any internet searches have revealed anything close to what we were looking for. We purchased a home in Ohio built 1901. We too have the speaking tube system depicted in the print ad attached to your inquiry. However, we have an actual speaking tube – pictured in the ad. It’s exactly like the one pictured and we think its made of nickel plated tin. It is in perfect working condition, however, we have only one and are therefore on the search ourselves for a mate. We are looking into having someone make one for us. Let us know if you are interested and if we find someone to make it, we’ll let you know. If you happen to find a source, please let me know as well.

Thanks,

JMOster

Comment by Jody Oster — April 22, 2008 @ 9:06 pm

I am looking for 2 tube2 also. I called House of Antique Hardware and they suggested two sites but no luck so far. I wonder if someone could build them. The original equipment is still in our walls (the house was built in 1913) but when my parents did some re-modeling the tubes got lost. I am restoring some of the original push button switches and and want to put the tubes back in place also. So please let me know of any sources.

Thanks,
nmichaud

Comment by nadja michaud — April 24, 2008 @ 5:32 pm

Did you see this?

Comment by RH — April 24, 2008 @ 6:02 pm

Glad to see others like us! We have a 1904 Victorian in Oklahoma and there is a speaking tube from the kitchen to the master bedroom. We also need some more of the mouthpiece units. Ours is exactly like the one in the ad. Please let us know if you find anyone who has them or can reproduce them! Thanks again, Kive

Comment by Kive Kerr — April 27, 2008 @ 9:03 pm

So, it looks like others are looking for the mouth pieces. I will be meeting with a jewelry maker to see if she can reproduce the original for a reasonable sum. If you need to replace a section of the lockseam tube, we found that shower curtain rod fits perfectly if you bell out the end a bit. It’s cheap too. Good luck. Will let you know on the reproduction possibility.

Comment by Jody Oster — May 5, 2008 @ 10:27 pm

Thanks, Jody. Please do let us know how it goes!

Comment by RH — May 6, 2008 @ 7:18 am

Met with the jeweler today and she is interested in giving it a go. The easiest/cheapest way to make reproductions is out of brass sheet and/or standard brass tubing and we will need to find the whistle mechanism (as opposed to making it). There is a lot of hand work involved, soldering etc. The lever and spring should be available or easily fabricated. I think the whistle mechanism is similar to what is on the whistling tea kettles and perhaps this is available in bulk but i don’t know for sure. I plan on taking the prototype/original and making some exploded,detailed prints but this could be expensive and the original is tin, I think nickel plated. The original is also lockseamed, meaning it was made out of flat stock, soldered lengthwise as opposed to standard tubing. I am told that nobody makes stuff out of tin anymore and there is a place here in Ohio that will nickel plate brass. If I could reproduce the original out of brass or nickel plated brass, what do you folks think is a fair price? Modern tube vs. soldered flat stock??? I’m thinking that I will have one made either way but it would get increasingly cheaper as the number goes up. Should we bring back the speaking tube? Give me some feedback.

Comment by Jody Oster — May 9, 2008 @ 10:47 pm

Yes. More and more people are restoring old homes. I just ordered some old-fashioned push-button light switches and the matching wall plates, so speaking tubes comes next. I would be interested in buying two tubes. Someone suggested to me that ship suppliers might have these also. Apparently they were used on ships before telephones and electronics. Let us know when and if you get some prides. I am in Indianapolis.

Comment by nadja michaud — May 13, 2008 @ 5:47 pm

I would be interested in 4 to 6 of the tubes at least. Please let me know and we’ll go from there. Thanks, Kive

Comment by kive kerr — May 18, 2008 @ 8:34 pm

How did things go with the jeweler? My husband and I also need 2-3 of the speaking cones for a craftsman style house we bought this year. We have one cone now. I too would be interested in commissioning a few to be produced.

Comment by Maureen — August 30, 2008 @ 9:12 pm

OK. The jewelry maker is a no go. However, I’ve got what I beleive is a better source who will consider making these. I’m willing to start the process by providing drawings, measurements, etc. I am reluctant, since I have just one, to send my only one to the source for reproduction. Do any of you have more than one that you might be willing to donate to the common cause? If not, I’ll go forward with the drawing and see what we can do. I will need some feedback as to how many each of you would like and in what material (mine is nickel plated tin, which is what I would ask the source to make). I have no idea (emphasize) about the cost, but it sems to me that if I let him know the total of what I need, he might be more flexible with the price. Well, what do you say out there?

Jody

Comment by Jody Oster — October 1, 2008 @ 9:05 pm

I have the exact same tube as pictured – both ends and am wondering if anybody knows if there was a backing plate or an instruction card that came with the original speaking ends.

Comment by John — October 5, 2008 @ 2:21 am

Are you interested in selling them?

Comment by Jody Oster — October 7, 2008 @ 6:51 pm

If someone can get them made I would buy 2 of them. I prefer the tin since it seems to be authentic. Let me know when you have a price. thanks Nadja

Comment by n. michaud — October 9, 2008 @ 10:31 am

John, The backing plate or trim piece was usually made on site by the carpenter. As for an instruction card, there weren’t any. It is pretty plain to see that if the speaking tube whistled then someone on the other end wanted to be heard. The little trigger would move the whistle disc out of the way so the sender and the sendie person could communicate.
I was the one who had the illustration at the beginning of this thread. I am still trying to locate 2 of these illusive pieces of hardware. I’m very interested in the fabricate new ones idea.
Vince

Comment by Vince — October 17, 2008 @ 11:12 am

I have three tubes in my 1899 NYC brownstone exactly like the above illustration. The threee mouthpieces in the kitchen are intact and functioning but the three on the upper floors are missing. I would be happy to buy or participate in having some made.

Edward

Comment by Edward — October 28, 2008 @ 3:44 pm

I wonder if anyone has access to the information at the Smithsonian or at the Maritime Museum. It seems to me that either of those might have samples or plans or something about these tubes. Didn’t old ships pre-electricity use similar tubes? Again if someone can get tubes made I want to buy 2. Thanks

Comment by n. michaud — November 3, 2008 @ 11:14 am

Count me in! We have a 1931 2-family house that required new walls after a frozen pipe water disaster. Inside the walls we found the tin pipe leading to the basement and a hole at the front door. We hope to find the connecting pipe in the basement ceiling. A neighbor gave us his speaking tube. A bit bent, but seems otherwise to be in good condition. But we have nothing for the other end and would like it. If no-one has fabricated this yet, I have have connections at the university to someone who could. lonniechu@gmail.com

Comment by Lonnie — January 19, 2009 @ 11:07 pm

My granny has a house built in 1885 and we recently found the old speaking tube. I would also be interested in purchasing two mouthpieces for her if any find them or someone who could make them. Thanks.

Comment by Jeremy — March 15, 2009 @ 1:28 pm

I own an 1892 Victorian house in upstate NY. I have four of these speaking tubes in my house. One at the front door and one in the kitchen which lead to two tubes on the second floor hallway.

Only one was missing in the kitchen when I bought the house. A visit to the local salvage yard and now both sets function perfect. The best place to find them is in architectural salvage yards or occasionally one will come up for sale on EBay.

Comment by Pete Mack — March 28, 2009 @ 9:00 am

We need 2 like displayed in the left hand picture above. We have looked everywhere(salvage yards, antique stores, resoration hardward web sites, EBay). No luck.

I’ll would love to join in the production of these. Let’s do it!

Comment by Maureen — July 28, 2009 @ 3:16 pm

i found a pic of one on http://www.oldnautibits.com/stock_php/ship_fittings.php

also some “tin” maritime ones from ebay in england.

http://cgi.ebay.com/lot-of-31-origional-1917-nautical-ships-speaking-tubes_W0QQitemZ180405216297QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2a00fd2429&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

if you find any copper ones please let me know

Comment by Carol — September 14, 2009 @ 9:15 am

i have been looking for almost 18 years. i am very interesting in the idea of having someone remanufacture these units. i would need at least 3

Comment by kevin — January 17, 2010 @ 2:53 pm

I’m so happy to have found this site! For research on my second novel, could someone who has used a speaking tube kindly try to describe the quality of the sound when you are listening from the kitchen? (For example: is it distant? Is there hissing? Crackling?) Anything at all would be enormously helpful. Thanks.

Comment by Dylan Landis — April 9, 2010 @ 5:07 pm

What is the status of speaking tubes? I am glad others are interested in this subject. Have been looking for two ends for about twenty years. Please comment of the success of finding such items.

Comment by Harvey — September 26, 2010 @ 9:25 pm

This reader has just discovered this site, and has need of both end mouth pieces for a speaking tube. I am wanting to share in production of these items. Thanks, Richard Ross, Wash,D.C.

Comment by Richard Ross — April 6, 2011 @ 2:35 pm

I have had no luck finding any replacement mouth pieces since my last comment in Oct 2008. Let me know if anyone else has.

Comment by Edward — April 7, 2011 @ 8:54 am

I am the one who started this thread in May of 2008 and I regretfully am still on my quest. Since 2008 I have attained 2 different speaking tube mouthpieces. One is very similar to the original photo that I put up in 2008 and the other is a little more ornate because it is made out of brass. I would be fine with either accept for the need for a twin mouthpiece for each that I have. I have also looked into having new mouthpieces made to fit into the old tin pipe. I wasn’t too thrilled with the firm that I was going to contract to do the work for me. My idea was to mass produce about 100 mouthpieces in order to both keep the cost per piece down and to meet the high demand for these elusive speaking tube parts. I will now look to a new vendor for manufacturing and maybe the next time you type “Speaking Tube” into a search engine you will be directed to my site where the new mouthpieces will be for sale.

Comment by Vince Griffin — April 7, 2011 @ 2:42 pm

We bought an old 1904 Craftsman and had a tube in one bedroom upstairs we never knew where it went. Its not as ornate as this – more of just a brass cone embedded in the plaster. Just like everyone else, during a kitchen remodel we found the other ends. we have 1 to that bedroom, and 1 to our finished attic, and if you just yell really loud you can hear and talk. I’m interested in 3 mouthpieces, if we can get this going. Email me any time at jamie@jamiemathy.com Thanks!

Comment by Jamie Mathy — October 15, 2011 @ 10:29 am