| One of the most sought treasures along the west | | | | The floats initially had nets surrounding them. The |
| coast waters are glass floats. Discovering a rare | | | | ones that escaped the fishermen, usually lost those |
| color, a different shape or one perfectly intact | | | | nets somewhere along their journeys. It's fairly |
| excites many a beachcomber or treasure hunter. | | | | normally to find the glass floats, nets intact, along the |
| Seaweed, driftwood, seashells and even agates are a | | | | Japan coastline. Finding one in the Pacific Northwest |
| dime a dozen when compared to finding a glass float. | | | | waters with the net is a rarity. |
| Glass floats were used by the Norwegians as far | | | | Shapes of glass floats go from the most-common |
| back as 1840. They began by using fishing floats that | | | | round, to rolling pin-shaped (the pin-shaped are |
| were the size of an egg, tied to their fishing lines. | | | | crimped at the ends to make them easier to secure |
| Glass was used because it was economical and could | | | | to the nets), binary floats (two spheres fused |
| be found in abundance. The buoyancy also was an | | | | together), to cylinders. There are a few odd shapes |
| attractive draw as the use of nets became much | | | | mixed in there such as donut shaped, as well. |
| more popular. The use of these floats soon swept | | | | The typical round floats range from 2.2" to 15" in |
| across Europe and many fisherman began placing | | | | diameter (7-48" circumference). Anything outside of |
| their trademarks on them to identity the owner or | | | | that size range is rare. The rolling pin floats most |
| the manufacturer. About 20% of the round floats | | | | common size is approximately 4.5" and 5.5" in length. |
| out there have these markings, while the percentage | | | | The rarer ones may be found up to 18" in length. |
| of rolling pin-shaped floats is much lower. Today, a | | | | Experts believe that 40% of the floats lost by |
| trademarked glass float can be worth hundreds of | | | | fishermen are out there, drifting in the ocean waters. |
| dollars to avid collectors. | | | | It takes approximately 4 years for those floats to |
| It was around 1910 that Japan began using and | | | | cross the Pacific, but over the many years in |
| producing them, hence the most popularly-known | | | | existence, that leave millions out there, somewhere in |
| name, Japanese Glass Floats. Along the typical round | | | | the world's ocean waters. Most of those glass floats |
| float, the Japanese experimented with different sizes | | | | are said to be traveling in a particular current, known |
| and shapes to accommodate different fishing styles. | | | | as the Koroshio Current. This current sweeps around |
| Most all of those floats were green in color, since the | | | | in a figure-8 pattern, from Japan across the Pacific |
| glass used to make them were usually recycled wine | | | | Ocean to Alaska and then down the West Coast |
| bottles. Clear, amber, aquamarine, amethyst, blue | | | | from the Aleutian Islands, passing Mexico, turning |
| were also produced. The rarest color is red or a | | | | east, past the islands of Hawaii and then back |
| cranberry hue, since gold was used, making them | | | | toward Japan. |
| more expensive to produce. If you come across one | | | | When the weather and tide is right, the Japanese |
| of those, you'll want to hold onto that as if your life | | | | glass floats will be washed to shore. During storms, |
| depended on it. From the 1920's thru the 30's, the | | | | they are often found further inland on the beaches |
| colors of emerald green, cobalt blue, purple, yellow | | | | and, sometimes, they are dashed against the rocks. |
| and orange also popped up. | | | | A sad sight to see. |
| Later in the 19th century, Denmark, Czechoslovakia, | | | | Sometime in the 1950's, Japanese Glass Float |
| and Scotland began the manufacturing of glass floats, | | | | collecting hit an all-time high in popularity. As a result |
| followed by England, France, Germany, Russia and | | | | of the decline in commercial fishing and the advent of |
| the United States in the 1940's. A few other | | | | plastics, this made the glass fishing floats highly |
| materials were tried and used, such as cork, plastic | | | | sought after because of their rarity. Being an |
| and wood, but glass remained the favorite. | | | | attentive beachcomber has it's advantages. |
| The one bad thing for the fishermen is that the glass | | | | Today, you'll find glass float replicas sold in many gift |
| floats had a nasty habit of escaping their nets and | | | | shops. The real treasure, though, is finding you own |
| floating out to sea, as rotting ropes or storms took | | | | authentic ones to place on display in your home or |
| them away. Bad for them, good for us. ;) | | | | business. Keep your eyes peeled. |