Electrical insulator including an insulation shell having hardware members secured thereto by cement containing graphite fibers

An electrical insulator comprising, in combination:

• an insulator shell having a semiconducting glaze surface,
• first and second conductive hardware members disposed on opposite sides of said insulator shell,
• first and second cement layers securing said first and second hardware members to said insulator shell;
• said first and second cement layers being in electrical contact with said semiconducting glaze surface;
• said first and second cement layers having graphite fibres admixed therein and being electrically conductive and defining a current flow path from said first hardware member, through said semiconducting glaze surface, and to said second conductive hardware member;
• and a conductive tar coating disposed between said first and second cement layers and the surfaces of said insulator shell to which they adhere.