The receiver was real heavy. And when you dialed a number, the dial made a ticks-ticka-ticka sound as it returned to its normal position.

The great thing about the old phones is that if you wanted to end a call dramatically you could slam down the receiver, and the person on the other end of the line would hear a sharp *whack!* sound. It was a way of telling someone to fuck right off without having to say it.

The pre 60's models were heavy enough to double as an excellent weapon if necessary!

I also always liked the sound of a rotary dial.

That was important in Florida during hurricane season.

and in the words of George Carlin, "when you dial a number on your phone, do you ever let your finger get the free ride back?"

Steel bodies. Weigh a ton. Still work, but take 48 volts to ring.

Who’s gonna start…..

Just for display. One of the desktop crank handle ones without buttons. Had to go through an operator. They can give you a buzz. Decided to see just how bad and cranked it while holding the wires. I disconnected the wires to the crank so the grandkids wouldn’t get shocked.

Edit: I like the old Eiffel Tower rotary desk phones the best. They do make modern replicas that work..

and the phone booths that gave you some privacy when making a call.

Sometimes, like when I'm tired but need to make a call, I catch myself waiting for a dial tone (yeah, I'm that old).
I'm no good at juggling my cell phone, especially when prompted to push a particular button or series of buttons. Between aging ears and aging eyes, moving the thing to push buttons made for way too many errors. So when I saw an ad for a handset I jumped on it. It's comfortable, familiar, and I can use the keypad while listening or talking.




.

I had one for an old cell phone but it didn't fit my new one. Thanks for reminding me. I could hear so much better and also be heard. It was designed for a human body.