Topic: Glass fishing float- authentic or reproduction?

[Scott13]

Hi,
I’m not sure whether this one’s an authentic early one or a later reproduction - any help appreciated.

I’d call its colour a darkish green.
There are quite a few bubbles and impurities in the glass.
It looks as if it’s been free-blown - no sign of any mould marks.
It feels quite heavy for its size.
There are a few cloudy patches on its surface- as if the glass has been etched.
I haven’t been able to find any marks.

I’ve just read the article ‘ Glass Fishing Floats ‘ by Tom Rizzo. Edited by Angela Bowey (Glass Museum)

For someone who’s never given Glass Floats a second thought it was quite an eye-opener!
Many thanks for looking 

Scott

[Scott13]

Hi,
Forgot to include -

Diam- 12.7cm ( 5” )
Wt - 476gm.

https://www.glassbottlemarks.com/glass-fishing-net-floats/

Thanks 

Scott

[glassobsessed]

Modern decorative floats tend to be pretty thin and light in weight, given the weight of yours I would expect it to have been made to be used.

Those cloudy patches you mention are interesting too, when in use the float would have been contained in a rope bag which tends to protect the float quite well. Some floats though have rough patches where they have suffered a lot of wear and occasionally you can see an outline pattern left where there is no abrasion - in the places where the rope sat and protected the surface of the glass.

John

[Scott13]

Hi John,
Yes I think you’re right, it probably was the net bag ( more than likely the knots ) which
abraded its surface in places - in which case it probably has seen the sea. I hope so.
I’m assuming it’s a European one.
I’m sure I’ve read somewhere that Nazeing used to make them.

http://www.theglassmuseum.com/fishingfloats.htm

This is the link I meant to send !

Scott

[Scott13]

Hi John,
Just realised that I completely misread your reply re what might have caused the patches - tut-tut
must pay more attention to what’s been written 
After having said that the patches aren’t really rough, they remind me of the etching you sometimes
get ( presumably as a result of a chemical reaction) when glass has been exposed to water for too
long eg in decanters, vases, etc.

I keep wondering whether the line on the seal button is some sort of makers mark or whether it’s
just a tool mark.

Scott

[glassobsessed]

One float was abraded all over leaving a ghostly kind of outline where the rope protected the glass, by far the most worn float that I managed to find.

That mark on the seal looks like it came from the shears when the button was cut off.

[Scott13]

You’ve convinced me - on both counts 
Many thanks

Scott

[Scott13]

Hi,
A good site if like me anyone’s thinking about collecting them 

http://glassfloatjunkie.blogspot.com/2010/06/glass-float-101-is-it-real-deal-or-fake.html

If I do I’m going to have to be really, really selective ..................... 

Scott

[glassobsessed]

They do make a good collection, plenty of variation in shape and colour out there. Some of the Japanese floats look great, never seen one in this country but apparently they do wash up on the west coast of America.

[Scott13]

Hi,
Nice floats John.
I think you’d be spoilt for choice if you lived on the West coast of America- no doubt you’ve seen
photos of the numbers ( Japanese ones) sometimes washed up after mega-storms!

For obvious reasons I’m thinking of only collecting authentic/contemporary ones - preferably marked,
not asking much am I. - however just to make things even more difficult I understand there
are now thick walled, marked ornamental ones coming from China. I might be wrong of course!

Scott