Japanese Glass Floats

Giant Tohoku Rollers

2007-11-29T17:50:00.000+09:00

Giant Tohoku (GT) rollers are so named due to their larger size compared to other rolling pin floats. The standard length of both Tohoku and Hokkaido rollers is approx 6". Of course there are variations of that size however, 6" seems to be the normal length. GT rollers measure 9.5 inches. With all rollers, the length can vary due to the perfection of the glass blower.

Giant Tohokus come from the Tohoku region of northern Japan. They are extremely hard to find in the field. In mainland Japan, most of the old fishing shacks have fallen and been replaced with new ones. In the process, the floats were discarded and have since disappeared. Although roller floats are still used in Hokkaido, they are long gone from the ports in northern Japan.

All of GTs in the pic measure 9.5" in length. They are shown compared with a standard Tohoku roller. All of my specimens are almost pristine in condition with wonderful swirls, a full spindle and 2 of the only 3 known champagne colored GTs.

Torpedo Rollers

2007-11-12T12:13:00.000+09:00

A couple months back my digital camera died. Finally have a new one, ready to upload some new posts and keep this blog updated on a more frequent basis.

This post is about the popular Torpedo Roller. These great floats come from the Tohoku region of northern, Japan. They are always found mixed in with normal Tohoku rollers. With the exception of Kanji rollers, it seems to be one of the most favorite styles of rollers. While "fairly common" in float collections in the states, they are extremely difficult to find in Japan. Probably because they are so old and the fishermen who used them and their shacks are long gone.

The picture is my collection of torpedo rollers. The upper right roller is the most common color torpedo found. My favorite is the purple one that I recently aquired in a trade. Thanks Tom!

Conversation with an Ebay Black List Seller

2007-07-29T08:41:00.000+09:00

I recently had the opportunity to exchange emails with one of the members of my black list. I thought people might find this interesting. All of the below comments are exact. None have been changed.

From the conversation I'm sure you will see why I made my black list.

On a side note....I welcome all comments good or bad. I will not moderate the comments and change them in any way.

Here goes....
1. My initial message to luckjrio (ebay fake seller):
Not meaning to call you out however....the floats you are selling are Chinese reproductions. Would you please list accordingly? Thanks 2fishin2

luckjrio response:
“They are absolutely not reproductions, they came ashore and were collected by GI's serving in Japan. Most of them are covered with sea life and filthy before I scub them. I am so sick of people who style themselves as some kind of expert and share thier unwelcome opinion based on other peoples listings. Good luck expert. JR “

2. My second message to luckjrio:
JR, First I take GREAT issue saying GIs collected them overseas. I am a retired GI who lives in Japan and has done so for the past 16 years. I know they did not come from Japan as you have said. I have collected floats here in Japan for almost that same amount of years. Am I an expert? No however, I know for fact they are Chinese reproductions. I know this for fact from direct conversations with 2 other people who bought the imported the same floats from China and sold them in the US. Selling reproductions is not a bad thing. Just be upfront in the facts. Wanna know more about my "expert" comments, check out woodysglassfloats.com 2fishin2

luckjrio response:
“First of all you are absolutely full of it. I am also a veteran, thank you very much. This is a fact, I do not know why I even waste time dealing with people like you, find a chat room or some friends. I simply do not care about your opinion. If you suspect they are not real than by all means DO NOT BID (it is not compulsory). Secondly get a f-ing life you loser. I pity guys like you who sit and throw stones either because you are threatened by someones success or you are a complete narcisist who thinks your opinion matters. Take your so-called expertise and hang it. Why don't you mind your own F-ing business? I see tons of stuff on EBAY which in my mind I question, but I don't offer my unsolicited opinion, I just do not bid, luckily I am too busy leading a positive and successful life, you should try it "expert". Best Regards JR”

luckjrio follow-up response
“By the way what makes you think that you have any credibility to tell me what to do or how to run my business? Good Luck "expert".”

2. My last message to luckjrio:
Not telling you how to run your business. Just wanted to let you know that the floats you are selling are Chinese reproductions period. Wanna know where I get my "expert" advise, check out woodysglassfloats.com specifically check out my blog where I call out people who sell fake floats. No need to respond again.

luckjrio last response:
“ Again you are incorrect. Secondly what kind of loser spends their time "calling out" what they consider fake fishing floats on a blog, tell me you are making this up. By the way if they are reproductions explain to me the barnacles, attached crustations, and wear and tear on both the glass and the rope rigging. Are you suggesting that they make these items in China and then set them adrift to be collected once they have been to sea. You are by far the most pitiful ebayer I have come across in five years. Good luck with your player hating blog you complete fool. I pity your horrible life. Sorry. JR”

Contrast

2007-07-17T08:50:00.000+09:00

Due to its strange shape, the Japanese roller float seems to be the most desirable float among collectors.

The first Tohoku roller floats were made in northeastern Japan for the open water shark fishing industry. After that fishery was closed, rolling pin floats were later adopted for a variety of other purposes. Roller floats are still commonly used today in the octopus fishing industry.

Although normally found in typical aqua colors, on occasion they can be found in other rare colors.

Recent Trip Photos

2007-07-16T18:48:00.001+09:00

Above are the rarest rollers of the trip. These will all end up in my display case.

New Style Roller. Texture is rough and mottled like 3 piece mold floats and full of bubbles. 5 1/2" in length X 1 1/2" in diameter first myself or Walt has ever seen.

Recent Trip Photos

2007-07-16T18:28:00.001+09:00

During a recent glass float hunting trip to mainland, myself and Walt Pich collected some very rare rolling pin floats. This picture shows a few of the more unusual floats we collected during the trip. 2 of these floats are one of a kind. Most of them are very unusual to rare.

Although it might look as though "there's a float around every corner," its definitely hard work digging up old floats like these.

Favorite Marks

2007-07-16T17:37:00.001+09:00

Few of My Favorite Marks

UL--TO

UC--Big Dai

UR--Small Nishitani

LL--Unknown

LC--Brushed Dai

LR--Small Star

BT--KS

Chrome Floats

2007-07-14T14:56:00.000+09:00

These very special floats get their name from the chrome almost "oily" finish they display. The set to the right is one of only 2 full float sets known to exist. These floats like the also very colorful snakeskin floats, seemed to have been made for the octopus jig fishing industry in northern Japan. Floats are 3" in diameter. Super Rare!

Colored Dot Marks

2007-07-14T13:58:00.001+09:00

Typical Small Cranberry Dot Floats with Marks

UL--Asahi

UR--Oteru

LL--Yama San

LR--Maru Naka

Typical Small Blue Dot Floats with Marks

UL--Large Triangle with Clan Roof

UR--Boxed Hon

LL--Asahi

LR--Small Triangle with Clan Roof

eBay Seller Black List

2007-07-13T11:08:00.001+09:00

The purpose of this particular entry is to list eBay sellers who are selling obviously fake floats. eBay sellers who sell acknowledged reproductions, curio floats or replicas will not be listed. If you see a seller who I have missed and you would like them "reported" on my black list, drop me a line and I will investigate. If you are a seller and feel you have been wrongly listed, email me and again I will investigate. Check back often, I will keep this updated on a regular basis.

THE BLACK LIST

west2572

caraluca300

luckyjrio

isaiah321

jenniferd4690

aries14

Personal Thoughts and Observations

2007-07-13T10:53:00.001+09:00

Let me preface this topic with these simple words; these are my opinions and mine only. Luckily for all of us in this modern age of computers, blogs and Internet websites let us express our own thoughts and opinions and share them with more people than ever before. If any of the below information offends you, then probably you are meant to be offended.

There are several popular ways for float collectors to acquire floats; yard sales, antique shops, on-line auctions, beachcombing both in the US and abroad and directly through other collectors. Collecting is collecting either through purchases or trades, period.

Value of floats is mainly determined by the individual collector who is seeking a float. After all, it is the buyer who knows how much he is willing to pay for a certain float. Probably the number one characteristic driving value is availability of the particular float being sought. While there are many other factors involved, availability and uniqueness of a particular float are the key factors. A good example would be Jumbo Se marked rollers. 12-15 years ago this float was rarely found in collections and would sell for $1500-$2500. Now, the float is found in most serious collector’s collections and the price is somewhere around $800 for perfect examples. Float prices are ever changing and even the median value cannot be determined by prices listed in books. Statistically, median value is determined by taking total value of prices paid for a given type float and dividing that value by the number of floats included in the total value price. With that said, the only data for accurate median price can be statistically determined by sellers not by collectors. As much as I hate to say it, probably the best source of current market value is from eBay. If you want an accurate assessment of median value, gather data from eBay sales reports and you will find good market values. Of course there are always extreme highs and lows in float price sales reports however; it gives good current market values.

Accurate float history whether European or Japanese, is best collected and reported from where the floats originated from. In no way can you gather history or usage or for that matter any information at all from garage sales, antique stores or auctions. Data from those sources is usually indirect. Firsthand, direct knowledge comes from people collecting floats in those the countries where the floats originate from.

The majority of my float knowledge has been gathered from fishermen and old abandoned shacks in Japan. However, I must first give credit to the most knowledgeable person on Japanese floats, Walt Pich. If there is any one person to call an “Expert”, it would be him. Although Amos Woods did a fantastic job in the early days of collecting float information, Walt has far exceeded him in knowledge obtained. The majority of Mr Woods’ knowledge was gained from collections where Walt’s has been in the field of countries from where Asian floats originated, mainly Japan. Unfortunately for most collectors, so much of the information Walt and I have learned from field research in Japan cannot be shared. If Walt and I were to share most of the information about floats, collectors would be there in droves looking for those rare floats.

In closing, there are many misconceptions about usage and history of floats in Japan. Bottom line, the only way to get this knowledge is from active field research/collecting, talking to the fishermen who use them and actually seeing them in use. This type of knowledge cannot be obtained from yard sales, US beaches or antique shops.

Colored Dots

2007-07-08T11:00:00.000+09:00

A favorite among float collectors are floats with a different colored sealing buttons. They too, are one of my favorite type of floats. Standard colors are cranberry and cobalt blue. There are other different colored sealing buttons such as amber and shades of green however, floats with blue and cranberry dots were not happenstance but part of the manufacturing process. Sizes of these float range from 2" to 12" in diameter. The larger floats have only been found with blue sealing buttons. Smaller floats 2" and 3" in diameter can also be found with cranberry sealing buttons.

The small floats also have marks where the large guys do not. Breaking the rule of no marks on large floats, a recent find in Japan had a 10" cobalt sealing button float with a rare Ka Tsu mark. Super rare, a one of a kind float indeed!

Small blue dot floats have been found with asahi, boxed hon and triangles with clan marks. Cranberry dot floats have oteru, yama san, asahi, and naka marks.

Recent Trip Photos

2007-07-06T10:15:00.000+09:00

Pumpkins Compared

Walt Pich holds up the gem of the trip; a 12" Japanese Cobalt Float. Lucky Dawg!

Anybody for a Coke?

April 07 trip results left side.

April 07 trip results right side.

10" Blue Dots. One of them has a rare Ka Tsu mark. Makes the float one of a kind. Super Rare!

Blodget Blues light and dark

All from one old shack.

Special rollers of the trip. Bottom roller is a new style roller!

Our favorite rollers.

Recent Trip Photos

2007-07-06T10:04:00.001+09:00

A Float Yama. Yama is Japanese for mountain. All of the floats are 15" in diameter.

Walt Pich aka WI, in person.

Recent Trip Photos

2007-07-06T09:29:00.000+09:00

A beautiful pile of rubble, only a vulture could love.

From the midst of the above rubble comes 3 treasures; 2 torpedos and a clear, fat cranberry nubbin roller. Shack was from 50 years ago.

Fakes and Ebay

2007-07-05T11:38:00.001+09:00

Never one to shy away from a good challenge, I thought it might be fun to tackle to subject of fakes. This topic is directed to all the sellers on ebay who are auctioning obvious fake floats and onion jugs which are "guaranteed genuine and authentic." In past years I contacted a few of these sellers and explained their "guaranteed genuine and authentic" floats were nothing more than fakes from China. Most of them gave the answer "they didn't know they were fake." Several of the same sellers are still listing those same floats. The floats I am speaking of are approx 9" in diameter with dark colored nets. All are found in bright red, cobalt, purple, orange, green and yellow. Some sport seahorse, anchor, wheel and other crazy symbols on the sealing button. THESE ARE FAKES!

Basket O Sausages

2007-07-05T10:44:00.001+09:00

Rare sausage floats supported by a layer of "normal" sausages.

Sausage Marks

2007-07-05T10:32:00.000+09:00

For some reason there are very few marks found on sausage floats. This picture shows the only 4 marks in my sausage collection. Sorting through hundreds of sausages and correspondence with other collectors has shown no other marks. This doesn't mean there aren't any, just I am not aware of any.

The upper left pic shows the most common mark found; sa ichi. Upper right shows a 2 dot mark which is on my rare blue sausage. Bottom left shows a single one dot mark. Last bottom left shows a ta mark. Both dot marks and the ta symbol are rare.

Special Sausages

2007-07-03T20:02:00.001+09:00

In my mini sausage post, I listed another type of mini sausage. The 3 floats on top in the picture are just those floats. Although the dimensions of 3 1/2" in length X 2 1/4" in diameter are not much less than the normal sausage, the floats are definitely from a different company and glass blower. Much more colorful than the norm, 2 of the ones in the picture have wonderful amber swirls.

Also shown in the picture are 3 other special sausages. The far left one is green with amber swirls and a blue nubbin. The clear one is the same size as a norm sausage but completely clear. My best colored sausage is a norm size in a great blue color with a 2-dot mark. All of these sausages listed are one-of-a-kind and super rare.

Double Sausage

2007-07-03T19:22:00.001+09:00

The double sausage is probably the most well known of the unusual sausage floats. The picture shows the 2 different sizes of this type float. The large one is 5 1/4" in length by 2" in diameter while the small one is 4 3/4" in length x 1 3/4" in diameter. These floats are found in the same color as the standard sausage, green.

My friend Walt Pich wrote in his book, Glass Ball the origin of these floats a "mystery." No sooner than the book was published did the mystery get solved. Double sausages are definitely from Japan and again come from a single northern region. Although not rare in collections, the challenge of finding one of these old floats in Japan is daunting.

Football Sausage

2007-07-03T19:10:00.001+09:00

Here is another interesting member of the sausage float family. Its been nicknamed the football sausage. They seem to come in 2 varieties; square and round shouldered. Breaking the rule of sausages coming from specific regions, these guys have been found in 2 different areas of Japan.

These 2 floats measure 4 1/4' in length X 3 1/4" in diameter. The only ones I have found or know of are pink/clear in color. The float on the right has a pink tone while the left one is completely clear. Extremely rare!

Mini Sausage

2007-07-03T18:59:00.001+09:00

Opposite in size of the jumbo sausage is the mini sausage. These little guys measure 2 1/4" in diameter X 3 1/4" in length. They have only been found in clear colors. Interesting fact is they have been found still in use in a single fishing port in Japan. I consider these to be extremely rare and very unusual.

Even though I have called these these clear sausages minis, there is yet another type of mini sausage. It will be listed in another post.

Jumbo Sausage

2007-07-03T08:24:00.001+09:00

Jumbo sausages are so named due to their larger size. As with their smaller normal cousins, jumbos have only been found in clear and aqua green. Although a lone single jumbo was found elsewhere, most jumbo sausages come from a small region in Japan.

As you can tell from the picture, they are much bigger than a normal or medium jumbo sausage. The clear one measures 9 1/2" X 3 1/2" the aqua is 9" X 3 3/4." Extremely rare with only 5 known to be in existence.

Medium Jumbo Sausage

2007-07-02T09:25:00.000+09:00

The medium jumbo sausage derives a portion of its name from the medium jumbo roller. Reason is that this rare sausage float is just not quite as big as the biggest sausage, the jumbo sausage.

As with the bullet sausage, this rare style float was found in another very small town in Japan. All specimens are the same aqua green color and have dimensions of 7 1/4" X 2 1/2."

Bullet Sausage

2007-07-02T08:58:00.000+09:00

One of the rarest forms of sausage floats is the bullet sausage. Although most examples are in near pristine condition, these are very old floats.

All known bullets have dimensions of 7 1/4" X 2 1/4" and are the same aqua green color.

They all were found in only one small "burb" in Japan. Searches of the fishing villages in both the immediate north and south of this burb have never resulted in any more finds. Evidently, only a very few fishermen ordered this specific float for their fishing many years ago.

Sausages

2007-07-02T08:42:00.001+09:00

Sausage floats were named by beachcombers long ago. Japanese beachcombers call them "straw bag" floats. I agree with Walt Pich, they look more like "short cylinders."

Sausages are old. I have found them everywhere other floats are found. They are always found mixed in with other floats both round and in piles of rollers.

Typical sausages such as the 2 shown in the picture have dimensions of 4" X 2.5." Colors are generally aqua, green, and clear. Probably the richest colored sausage was a steel blue one found by Walt Pich.

Pumpkin Sealing Buttons

2007-07-01T09:20:00.001+09:00

Crude as they can be, pumpkin sealing buttons seem to follow the same course of manufacturing technique as the float bodies themselves.

Unlike the Japanese floats where the sealing buttons were pressed with irons, the pumpkins seemed to have had a simple patch of glass applied to the hole while the glass was still hot. This might account for the fact that many pumpkin sealing buttons seemed to have been drawn in during the cooling process.

The collage above represents several different type sealing buttons found on pumpkin floats

Pumpkins Compared

2007-07-01T08:57:00.000+09:00

During the manufacture process, Japanese floats were formed and blown in round shaping bowls. Depending on the size float being blown, the bowls ranged in sizes from 1 3/4 to 18".

Pumpkins on the other hand were not shaped in bowls but were blown "free-handed." This manufacture technique causes the many variations in sizes and shapes seen in the pumpkin glass floats.

The floats in the picture illustrate just a few of the different shapes found in pumpkin floats.

Pumpkins 3

2007-06-30T12:15:00.001+09:00

Pear Pumpkin

11" Diam X 12.5" Tall

Pumpkins 2

2007-06-30T12:05:00.000+09:00

12" Diam X 9" Tall

Pumpkins

2007-06-30T10:48:00.000+09:00

Sometime in the mid-90s these strange floats began showing up on Sea of Japan beaches in mainland, Japan. A year or so later they started washing up on the beaches of the Pacific coast of Japan and finally several years began showing themselves to beachcombers on northwest United States beaches.

100% not Japanese, history and location of manufacture is pure speculation. Due to the fact that they have not been found in Taiwan, China, South Korea or Russian ports from beachcombers there, process of elimination, and found mainly on the Sea of Japan coast in Japan, speculation is that they may be from North Korea.

This particular style float was so nicknamed due to it being similar in shape to garden pumpkins. These unusual floats are characteristically out-of-round with huge, protruding sealing buttons. Most have several crude glass patches with ribbed surfaces attached to the side for which the purpose is unknown. Much more colorful than typical Japanese floats, the floats span the color spectrum from jet black to clear. Sizes range from 7" to 18."

The float in the above photo is the cornerstone of my pumpkin collection. It was acquired from a great guy in northern Japan, Brad Blanke. 9" in diameter and a full, rich cobalt blue it is almost purple in appearance.

Japanese Glass Floats....A Start

2007-06-30T09:51:00.000+09:00

After much procrastination I have finally started this blog. My goal is to share some of the info I have learned about Japanese glass fishing net floats. I will attempt to showcase the many different floats I have collected over the years along with other interesting information.

My disclaimer is I am no expert. I will only offer my opinions and some facts based on the collection and research I have done over the past 15 years of collecting floats from where they originated, Japan.