Glass floats

Today's uninteresting topic would be on Glass Floats.

This is dedicated to my darling daddy, because he is the bestest on earth, and I love him and his million other floats.

So, what does everyone know about floats?

Nothing?

I pretty much guessed it right.

Have you even heard of glass floats? or floats?

No?

Well you're in luck. I'm about to embark on the briefest lecture you'd ever hear on floats. It's free, so don't complain!

My dad is an avid beachcomber. He goes to the beach around 2-3 times a week, and it's not that pathetic polluted Lido Beach you get at Straits View. We're talking about 2 hrs drive up north into the forest with the four wheel drives roaring away. We're talking about nothing but trees and bugs and wild boars. Dad loves his little road trips because it brings him peace and solace. Everyone has their own venue for relaxation, for instance, mine is trying to max out his credit card without him beating my ass, and I guess this is his, albeit slightly dangerous as he is always travelling alone.

When I was younger my dad used to bring me to the beach and get extremely sunburnt to help him pick up shells. Hence our house is FILLED with shells of all sorts.
After shamefully picking up ALL most of the shells that the beach has to offer, my dad came by these special looking glass balls also known as glass floats.

UNFORTUNATELY, FINDERS KEEPERSSSSSSSSSS!




These glass floats were used by fishermen in the olden days, and they can also be found with trademarks embossed on them. So if we closely scrutinise the glass float, we can see the manufacturers trademark on the seal button or on the side of the glass or top of the glass opposite the seal button.


Can you see the trademark? No? Me neither.


This one has a better marking of a Japanese manufacturer.

Anyhoos, these glass floats are extremely unique and rare as many people do not know its worth and the history and years and years of roaming at sea and not being discovered till later years.

I am proud to safely say that my house is the only one in JB, or the entire Malaysia, that has the most floats contained within. If I'm wrong, kindly point me the direction of homes which also contain glass floats so we can befriend them and widen our seemingly little knowledge on these precious things.


This is only a section of my garden and pond which portrays the hanging of the floats.


My mum holding up one of daddy's most prized possessions. A Japan Glass Float. This is distinguised by the intricate rope nettings.

I painted a treasure chest for daddy so he could store all his mini glass floats within. It is placed directly in front of the door so whenever people come visit, they will awe at his amazing (glass) balls.


Yes, we collect Nautilus shells too :)

We usually get numerous nautilus shells on the shores after monsoon seasons as the currents underneath the sea would pull the shells which were hidden underneath the sand for ages up to the surface and be slowly swept to the shores for us to collect. Glass floats are usually found after monsoon seasons as well as they are usually compressed under sand and held underwater.

Most floats are shades of green because that is the color of glass from recycled sake bottles (especially after long exposure to sunlight). However, clear, amber, aquamarine, amethyst, blue and other colors were also produced.

The most prized and rare color is a red or cranberry hue. These were expensive to make because gold was used to produce the color. Other brilliant tones such as emerald green, cobalt blue, purple, yellow and orange were primarily made in the 1920s and 30s. The majority of the colored floats available for sale today are replicas.

One of the rarest glass floats that my daddy has found, and treasures the most, is the rolling pin float.

These are rare because they are made in Japan, so only used in the seas around Japan. The fact that my daddy found them in Malaysia, meant that these babies made a reallllllllllllllly long trip down South East Asia and into my daddy's pockets.


Daddy on his usual beachcombing trips. With him are plastic floats which take over the use of glass floats because of their vulnerability to breaking. These plastic floats are not as glamorous as the glass ones, but they serve a better, more durable purpose than the glass ones. Hence the glass floats have become an almost extinct treasure and a top collectors item.


Me with daddy's glass balls. Yes, yes, laugh on.


Daddy looking extremely accomplished and satisfied with his find-of-the-day.

So I hope with the little knowledge that I possess (even though daddy has amply tried to educate me on this subject, I, having short attention span, would usually pay attention to the spiders crawling up and down his hair), that you learn something new today, and learn to treasure these glass floats (if you stumble across them) and not foolishly cast them aside and break them.

Keep these floats if you find them! Who knows one day it'd fetch a high price as an antique of the sea!

Sigh, I should really start paying attention to what daddy says, because I cracked my head trying to remember what he told me on these floats.

I would lastly like to thank everyone who has contributed their pictures onto the internet for me to quote as a source to my brief lecture :)

X