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And this is what we are talking about: Real, authentic Glass Fishing Floats!

To the Community of Glass Fishing Float Collectors.

You are now about to read an attempt from me to put together some of the information about norwegian glass fishing float markings, which I have learned over years.
From old fishermen, from books and readings, from own collecting activities, and from a lot of useful information which my collecting friends and visitors has sent me.

I assure you; It has taken a lot of time, a lot of searching and a lot of patience to make this document.

Though any effort has been made, I make no guaranties that the information is accurate, and I apologize if there should be any mistakes, wrong conclusions and even incorrect information. But I feel it’s time to put something in writing so we can all read it, start a discussion and exchange information and knowledge to the benefit of all collectors.

So please inform me of anything that might be changed, corrected or added. If you do have photos of other markings, thats great. Let’s see what we can obtain in the time to come.

In fact, I believe this is the only way we can wind up some more information on this subject…

THE GLASS FISHING FLOATS

It is not easy to find any information about the production and use of the old glass floats. What I have here is mostly found on the internet, in local books about the fishing in the old day, information from other collectors, both in Norway and worldwide.

Different markings

As you know there are huge number of markings when it comes to glass fishing floats, and it often is difficult to know who produced them and what glass factorys that actually used the different markings.
From time to time I get information and pictures of glass fishing floats, and again and again I see that there are new facts coming up.

As you also might have seen, there are many loose ends when we talk about the early production of glass fishing floats.

There are many different markings around, and many of these are unknown from registry, and therefore you will find many interesting theories about these markings.

From collectors all over Norway (and other countrys) I am getting letters and notes about the markings and what factories that produced them.

One thing we do know:
The inventor of what we know as the real, glass fishing float, is the norwegian merchant Christopher Faye from Bergen, Norway.
This was around 1840/1841, and the glass float was developed through cooperation with one of the owners of Hadeland Glassverk, Chr. Berg.
The first time these ”modern”glass fishing floats are mentioned, is in the production registry for Hadelands Glassverk in 1841. The registry clearly shows that this is a new type of production.

But: It seems like there was some kind of production of Glass Fishing Floats even before that time.
In the beginning of the 1800’s, the Schimmelmanns Glassverk (1779 – 1832) produced some sort of glass floats, produced of dark brown and very thick bottles glass. Floats from this production is found in the ground where this factory was located, but are unmarked.

Can it be that there has been attempts from other factorys to produce something for the industry from the basis of the bottle production?

Can use of bottles as fishing floats been the start of this industry?

In my ebook "Norwegian Glass Fishing Floats" I have collected a lot of information about this theme, and in addition to descriptions of Norwegian Float Markings, you will also get more than 80 close-up photos of european glass fishing floats. If you are interested in buying you will find out more on my sales site.

NORWEGIAN GLASS FISHING FLOATS

First of all, lets take a look at the map showing the location of

the old Glass Factorys in Norway.

This map was sent me from a glass float collecting friend, and shows the oldest Norwegian Glass Factorys and where they were located.

The map was presented in a book "GLASSBOKEN" by ADA POLAK, published in Oslo in 1958 by H. ASCHEHOUG & CO

There are long traditions for the fishermen along the coast and fjords of Norway to use the old, real glass floats when fishing with nets, and even today they are quite common to be found in the old boathouses.

From time to time I go to these fishermen to buy old floats, and it's always exiting to come home with my catch, to see what's in the bags and boxes. Most floats are common, and many are without any markings. But, and thats the fun, I find amazing and rare glass fishing floats that I have not even heard about before.

There are always something new, and things to add in my ebook about the norwegian floats.

A lot of collectors from all over the world has now bought my book, and a lot of them has written to me and told me they liked it. I hope you will too...

Now let's move on to the Markings, to get a closer look at some of the Glass Fishing Float Markings and learn a little about the producers.

The Moss Glassverk AS was established the 18. January 1898, and the 22. December that year the production started with one melting oven. The production was manual with 32 Glass Blowers.

In 1907 the company had two ovens and 65 glass blowers! At that time there were many Norwegian Glass Factorys, and the most important people in the foundation of the Moss Glassverk was Anton Thorstenson at Liljedahls Glassbruk in Sweden, Mr. Wegerberg in Schous Brewery in Christiania (now Oslo) and mr. Oppegaard at Christiania Brewery union.

Two other important Glass factorys in Norway at that time was the Bergen Glasværk and Laurvig Glasværk. The competition was tough. In 1913 the Moss Glassverk and Laurvig Glasværk is making a cooperative agreement, and late the same year Bergen Glasværk is joining them. In the 1920's there are great problems with the supply of coal and other materials, and the production is often stopped. In 1926 the Laurvig Glasværk is shut down, and in 1927 is Bergen Glasværk doing the same. Moss Glassverk is producing through these tough years, until the company in 1988 is bought by the PLM AB in Sweden, and the production is closed down in 1999. Now, in 2006, all the factory- buildings are all removed

This is one of the markings of Laurvig Glassværk, in Larvik, Norway. Besides Moss Glasværk there were two other important glass factorys in Norway around 1900: The Bergen Glasværk and Laurvig Glasværk.

The competition was tough. In 1913 the Moss Glassverk and Laurvig Glasværk is making a cooperative agreement, and late the same year Bergen Glasværk is joining them. In the 1920's there are great problems with the supply of coal and other materials, and the production is often stopped. In 1926 the Laurvig Glasværk is shut down.

Laurvig Glassverk is also supposed to be the manufactorer of this marking: The dotted "L".

These are some markings of Bergen Glasværk, and later Flesland Glassverk, established in 1875 in Flesland near Bergen. In 1927 it was closed down. In 1937 the company was reestablished as Flesland Nye Glassverk, and later it changed it's name to AS Flesland Glassverk. After a huge fire in 1956 the factory was permanently closed.

As to all other markings, I have an open mind, so if you do have other information to these markings, or to other possible markings from these factories, please take contact

One of the most common markings when it comes to Norwegian Glass Fishing Float markings is the plain B
It seems there is little doubt about the fact this is a product of the Bergen Glassverk in Bergen, Norway.

I wish it was that simple! Because, there are different B markings too. One is the letter B alone, one is the same letter in a more oldfashioned style with a dot, and then it is the B.V.

The most modern type B(see the left picture over), I am almost sure it is Bergen Glassverk. When it comes to the more oldfashioned style it can also be Bergen, but then it also can be others, like Biri who had a large production of glass fishing floats. It can also be Bjørum glassfactory, but as far as I know the glass production workers used their own markings here, and therefore can have produced a lot of the uncommon glass float markings.
There also is a rather unknown glass factory, Berger, which produced glass from 1857 – 1875. But I do not know if they ever made glass fishing floats.

This is the marking of Aasnæs Glassverk. Aasnæs Glasverk was established in Namdalseid in Nord-Trøndelag in 1813. In the first years about 40 persons were working in the factory. In the beginning the production was mainly glass for windows, then bottles of all kind, and from the 1840's they produced large quantity of glass floats for the Fishermen.

The men was working two together, and the daily production of one team was about 100 of the 4" glass floats.

The Aasnæs Glasverk was operating from 1813 til 1883. It was the biggest glassfactory in the district , and probably the most important . At the most about 50 people was working at the factory, producing glass for windows, bottles, farmacy equipment and many exclusive and beautiful items for home.

I have information that also AV was used as a marking for Aasnæs floats, but I am grateful to any information or corrections.

The photo of the Aasnæs float is taken by Inger Marie Hanssen, an other norwegian collector of old glass fishing floats.

One very common marking among Norwegian Glass Fishing Floats is the CM marking. This is supposed to be Christiania Magasin in Christiania (OSLO).

Christiania Magasin did not own their own production, but their Glass Fishing Floats seems to have been produced by different glass factories.
It is known that Drammen Glassverk produced fishing floats for CM at the beginning of the 1900’s, and I am told that also Hurdal Glassverk produced CM-floats. (Then again: Others are telling me that the Hurdal glassverk was closed down in 1808).
The CM marking is quite beautiful, and the letters are big and old fashioned. I have so far only seen these floats in dark green color, but of course there can be other types.

From the infosites of Wikipedia i have found that this was originally the Drammen Glassverk, owned by the same ownership that was behind the Hurdal, Biri and Hadeland Glassverk , which in 1898 became the AS Christiania Glassmagasin.

I'm sorry to say that I have not been able to find out much about this factory so far, or if it really is a brand, or if the producer was some other glass factory.

This is the marking on glass floats from Vallø Glassverk. In the 1860's and 70's there was a strong growing in the brewery-industry in Norway. As a result there also was a constant lack of bottles. This was the time of the first part of industry revolution in Norway, and the times were good for the industry. Foreign investors looked to Norway and all sort of industry expanded.

In 1875 there was a new glass factory opened in Vallø in Norway, not far from Larvik. Most of the workers came from Sweden. The same year about 75 - 80 people was working at the factory, and in the time from august 1875 to april 1876 there was aproduction of 4716 bottles a day. Later on this numbers were increased to 5436 bottles, until the top in 1878 with 7000 bottles per day.

The products were extremly good, and in 1875 the factory received both silver and gold medal at the world exhibition in Paris. In spite of that, there was problems selling the products, and in december 1878 the factory had 849 848 unsold bottles. The production of glass fishing floats at Vallø Glass factory is not mentioned, but we assume the glass floats was a secondary production. During the summer and fall of 1879 it is clear that there is no hope for the factory, and on sept. 16. in 1879 the factory is closing down.

The population in Vallø about that time was as follows:

1865: 263 persons, 1875 : 478 persons, 1900: 282 persons

This is a float marking I recently found, and I do not know where it was produced or the meaning of the letters. The float was presented on my site for some time, and then sold to a collector in the USA.

One explanation is that some factories let their workers (glass-blowers) make their own signing on the floats at a time when the factories themself did not have or use own markings.

As I told you in my NEWs site, on my trip to Veidholmen Island in Norway in march 2006, I found a very special glass float marking that you can see on this photo.

I look like it says I E, but then there are some dots on top and bottom of the "I", so I don't know for sure what the letters stands for.

I have searched the internet for information about it, but so far I found nothing. If you can help me with this I will be very grateful!

This is supposed to be the marking of the Survigs glassfactory in Norway.

We have come to a to an almost unknown marking S, and until reacently
I personally had not even heard about it.
From the collector I.M. Hanssen in Norway I have got both the information and photo of this glass float, which is supposed to be produced at the Survig Glassverk in Norway.

Another new marking and again the photo and information is delivered by Inger Marie Hanssen

It looks a bit similar to Bergen Glassverk markings, but as you can see on the Bergen marking on this page it is not the same design on the letter.

The floats with the B. marking, (B with a dot) looks very old. It can be Bergen glassverk, but can also be Biri, Berger or Bjørum.

Thanks to Inger Marie Hanssen I am able to show you another marking that at least to me was unknown until recently. This H is supposed to be the marking of Holmen glassverk in Norway.

The H marking is quite rare, and I have only seen it a couple of times.
It might be Hadeland Glassverk, but it can also be Holmen glassverk. From other collectors I am told Holmen was closed down i 1840, and the glass quality and color of this float makes it look like it’s produced at a later time.

Hestviken glass factory also produced glass fishing floats, but as far as I know there is no proven markings from this factory which was started in 1849 and closed down in 1857.

Information I have received says that Hovik Glass Factory (Hovik with a slash over the letter O) started glass float production after the fire in 1870, and might have produced this marking.

Then it is the Hurdal factory. I have different information about this: Some says it was closed down in 1808, and others knows for sure that the factory produced CM floats for the Christiania Magasin. If that is right they might also have produced their own floats with an H marking.

I did believe it was Bergen glassverk at first. Then someone told me it was Biri Verk, also in Norway. The picture I have received from Inger Marie Hanssen, and she is not sure what this marking can be, but it's now confirmed that Biri Verk really produced glass fishing floats.

So, what have we got here? Biri?

At the Bjørum factory the glass-blowers marked their floats with their own markings or initials, which can explain some of the many special markings with few floats. One float is marked FE, which is believed to be the marking of F. Erich who was a glass producer /glassblower who came to the Bjørum factory from the closed down Biri.

Bjørum had a quite large production of glass fishing floats.

Biri had a huge production, and according to a registry in 1875 they at that time had stored 175 000 glass floats.

It is believed that Biri only used B.V as marking on their glass fishing floats .
The Berger factory I know little about, but I take it in as a possibility because of the B.

Please inform me if you have additional information.The B.V marking is old fashioned, and therefore I assume it is from the early days of Norwegian glass float production. I believe it is Biri glass factory, but as earlier said it can also be Bergen or Bjørum.

This marking is not common, and it has no verified information of produser or country. Some collectors believe it to be from Namsos, Norway, and that the NN means Nye Namsos (New Namsos) referring to a factory that was shut down and reopened.

However, collectors from the Namsos area have not heard about this, so we must conclude it's a marking that needs some investigation.

The NN marking I have seen twice, one of them is actually on my Glass Fishing Float Sales-site at the moment, and there are different opinions of what this marking means.

The first information I got was that this was the Nye Namsos, meaning
the new Namsos, which refers to production made after the old factory was destroyed in a fire.

As said earlier I do have some information about the Høvik glass factory starting glass float production after the fire in 1870, and can therefore also be the producer of this marking.
Hestviken is another possibility, but their existence was limited to a short periode so that’s more unlikely.

And here it comes again; A map. This map shows where I live in Norway. As you can see, at the Western Coast of Norway, and real close to where Real Glass Fishing Floats were commonly in use.