Keith Glein
Nice stamp of maker's mark WP #202 'Maru Chisai' 小, which means small.
This is a pre-WWII mark and is considered uncommon.
This float measures 4 1/4 inches in diameter.
Found in Hawaii.
Here's a good example of the 'heavy' mark of WP #25 'Dai' 大.
This netted float is 2 1/4 inches in diameter.
Found in Hawaii.
Here's an undocumented maker's mark that has the four symbols A ア Sa サ Ha ハ Ra ラ with a circle in the middle. This is a partial stamp with the Ra symbol only partial showing.
The four symbols appear with one in each quadrant of the seal button. The circle is quite distinct in the middle.
This float is 2 1/2 inches in diameter.
Found in Hawaii.
Stunning deep blue float stamped with WP #3.
The embossed Kita mark with the back-to-back double FF is quite clear.
This measures 18 3/4 inches around and is 6 inches wide.
Two WP #6 maker's marks. One of the Sen 仙 or 'TY' is stamped on the seal button. The other is stamped on a separate ID seal. Separate ID seals are quite unusual on 4 inch floats.
This float also has an old sisal net that's is very nice condition.
Found on Hokkaido Island, Japan.
This Blue Dot float is 2 1/2 inches in diameter and has a 1 1/2 inch blue seal button.
This float has excellent provenance having come from the ex-Col. Rich Richardson collection.
Lightly stamped maker's mark WP #194, commonly known as the 'Christmas Tree' mark.
This float measures 4 1/4 inches in diameter.
Found on Hokkaido Island in northern Japan.
This tiny 2 inch float has spiraling Blue Swirls that Curly Q in its base.
Found in Hokkaido, Japan.
This mark is quite rare and it does not appear in any of Walt Pich's field guides. The unique maker's mark is 'Hinode Sakura' which means 'Sunrise in a Cherry Blossom'. It's been commonly referred to as the Sunrise float.
This green float measures 4 1/4 inches in diameter.
From my limited research, there appears to be only 3 of these floats known to exist in collections; with this recently found float (pictured) being the third one. Of course, no one knows how many more of these floats may be tucked away in storage or hidden in attics over the past few decades.
I've read that these floats may have been produced in the 1920's. If that's the case, then I think it may be less likely that many more of these floats will be found in Japan. This assumes that the same analogy that applies to Kanji rollers holds true for the Sunrise floats. This logic goes that over time these floats get used up at their source and the beachcombed floats are the ones that are most likely to have survived. Again, this is just an hypothesis. If you have evidence either way I'd love to hear it (just write and post a review below).
This float surfaced in Ocala, Florida in 2017.
This 5 inch Double Ball float has an Inner Ball that's 1 inch wide at its widest.
The inner ball is a bit opaque but that's not too unusual for double ball floats.
It also has maker's mark WP #130 サ. It's a partial mark that can still be made out but it has been sucked into the middle of the seal button.
This float also has some straw marks in glass from the manufacturing process.
Found on Hokkaido Island, Japan.
This 5 inch float from Norway has a really unusual color.
It's mostly clear but has pinkish orange cast that I think is really attractive.
The producer of this float is unknown as the float is unmarked.
It was used for fishing in the Lofoten Islands, Norway.
This lovely float definitely stands out in any float display.
Found by Olaf Raabe in Norway. Olaf found two of these at the same time and has never found another one before or since. This is one of two known examples of this color.
Undocumented maker's mark 'Z' Shi シ Sa サ.
This stamp has the Shi シ symbol next to the Sa サ symbol with the 'Z' centered on top of both of them.
This float measures 3 inches in diameter.