The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

I have hundreds of old floats. These are some different ones which I cant really date.
The small Perchy looking float is made of hard wood. The white tipped black float is also made of a hardwood but not sure what it may be. The quills are obvious but Im interested in both as one has whipping and other has a rather old looking eye attached.
Have a look chaps, what are your thoughts?

Thanks

They are very difficult to date, I think they are all home made.
If I was to guess I would think sometime between WWI & WWII

I'd tend to agree, based on the general design. The wooden floats appear to have the sort of brass rings found on some clocks of the period (20's/40's ish). The cut and bent quill was certainly in use in the 20's. I would look at the thread also, to see what it is made from. I doubt that you want to go down the road of paint analysis.The red paint looks like enamel to me. Could be more recent replacement, given the crude coverage. The rubber on the quills hasn't perished, so they are more recent than the quill bodies I think.The black and white one appears consistent with the period 30's to 60's? Best guess anyway.

I have one of the type on the bottom row + one from the row above - furthest right which came from my Uncle together with his Allcocks Viking - originally brown stain model and his Aerialite reel which was loaded with pre-nylon line - green in colour (sorry cannot remember what it was called). Anyway I do not think the floats I had from my Uncle were home made.

The floats were set up with a length of gut, lead shot and hook on winders.

I would reckon the whole ensemble from Uncle was probably just pre-or post war.

Hi all, The wooden ones look continental to me in style and paintwork.Any ones guess at the others but they all look shed work to me or are old warriors repaired by DIY.They certainly have a charm and knead an outing to the waterside ! Tony

I've seen a few quills with that brass square section ring on the base as in the last image...and always whipped on in what appears to have once been red whipping. I think they might be from a semi-professional maker just from the number of them out there, but who knows for sure?