Canvas Decoys. Scoter and Brant

[T Entwistle]

So a while back my father said he was going to start a project of making some canvas Scoter decoys. I told him I would also like to make some Canvas Brant decoys and asked if he would cut out some bottom boards and backbones for me. He obliged and a few weeks ago handed me a starter kit.
Here it is. Roughed out head, bottom board and a spool of wire!



I located where the head will go and attached the backbone. I will attach the head later as I have to shorten it and carve it to final shape.


My father marked the wire locations for me so I just had to drill the holes. Then start cutting and shaping the wire.


Here is my progress as of now.

 

[T Entwistle]

Here is my father’s progress on his scoters. He’s retired so a little farther along!

 

[Bob M]

Very cool stool

 

[Vince Pagliaroli]

So a while back my father said he was going to start a project of making some canvas Scoter decoys. I told him I would also like to make some Canvas Brant decoys and asked if he would cut out some bottom boards and backbones for me. He obliged and a few weeks ago handed me a starter kit.
Here it is. Roughed out head, bottom board and a spool of wire!
View attachment 56298

View attachment 56300
I located where the head will go and attached the backbone. I will attach the head later as I have to shorten it and carve it to final shape.
View attachment 56301
View attachment 56302
My father marked the wire locations for me so I just had to drill the holes. Then start cutting and shaping the wire.
View attachment 56303
View attachment 56304
Here is my progress as of now.
View attachment 56306

Mr. Entwistle,

You are making the classic style of NC & Virginia Canvas Covered Decoy. Two thumbs up! Thank you for keeping the tradition going.

My suggestion is the head. Make the head 2 pieces of wood so that the bill of the decoy is not the same vertical wood grain as the neck. This makes the bill and front of the head much more sturdy. I have been making this type of decoy for 40 years. The bottom board is the most important item in thickness and weight. ALL weight above the bottom board must be considered for a functional gunning decoy. The spine must not be high, the higher the spine and wire weight the more unstable the decoy rides. Placing most of the weight at, and just above the water line makes a very stable gunning decoy. Also where the wire goes over the top of the spine make a notch in the wood for the wire to seat in this also adds strength, and keeps the wire more stable when the canvas is stretched. This type of decoy can take a world of hard use and can easily be recovered with new canvas if need be.

Ingenuity + Functionality + Practicality = CANVAS DECOYS

The less material and overbuilding the better. Do not complicate a decoy that was made not to be.

my 2 cents

Best regards
Vince

 

[Cody Foster]

Those look great! I’ve always liked the look of a canvas decoy.

Keep up the good work!

 

[Chuck J]

Very nice, classically styled canvas deeks! Vince has some great pointers, I will defer to him as he is a much more classic versed decoy seamstress than myself. If you want to forge ahead on the head(s) you already have started you could drill and dowel the bill for added strength, but as for me anything from a long neck coot or taller gets separate head and neck, some twisty swans have up to 4 pieces...once you have a system for doing it it's not that bad and you can get much better utilization of headstock, I also sometime use thinner stock for the neck that way.

Keep it up!
Chuck

 

[Vince Pagliaroli]

Notches for the wire over the spine and stringers attached on a pair of Wigeon for my walk in rig. Chuck is a very good and knowledgeable Canvas Decoy maker and a very good seamstress. I do not sew the canvas on my decoys. Giant Canada Goose in rig of 6 that works just fine.

 

[T Entwistle]

Very nice, classically styled canvas deeks! Vince has some great pointers, I will defer to him as he is a much more classic versed decoy seamstress than myself. If you want to forge ahead on the head(s) you already have started you could drill and dowel the bill for added strength, but as for me anything from a long neck coot or taller gets separate head and neck, some twisty swans have up to 4 pieces...once you have a system for doing it it's not that bad and you can get much better utilization of headstock, I also sometime use thinner stock for the neck that way.

Keep it up!
Chuck

Thanks for the pointers

 

[T Entwistle]

Notches for the wire over the spine and stringers attached on a pair of Wigeon for my walk in rig. Chuck is a very good and knowledgeable Canvas Decoy maker and a very good seamstress. I do not sew the canvas on my decoys. Giant Canada Goose in rig of 6 that works just fine.

Vince,
Thanks for the tips. I do intend to notch the backbone for the wire, I was just working on shape and spacing before notching. I understand about the head and the grain. We were just being frugal and using up some scrap lol. I appreciate the feedback always looking for advice.

 

[Chuck J]

Notches for the wire over the spine and stringers attached on a pair of Wigeon for my walk in rig. Chuck is a very good and knowledgeable Canvas Decoy maker and a very good seamstress. I do not sew the canvas on my decoys. Giant Canada Goose in rig of 6 that works just fine.

Vince, just because you don't use a needle and thread does not disqualify you from 'The Brotherhood of Decoy Seamstresses'

 

[Chuck J]

Thanks for the pointers

maybe you already found it but there are a bunch of pick of my methods (and madness) here

Canvas decoy covering - very picture heavy

I have had a few questions lately about canvas decoys, since I was covering some, I thought I'd take some more pictures to show the steps. Sorry about some of the picture quality, I was trying to hold it and take pictures too. First off, tools: Frame: Center the canvas: Tack...

duckboats.net

I had a lot more but got PO'd at Photobucket and deleted my account, but reloaded this thread to Duckboats server.

 

[Vince Pagliaroli]

Vince,
Thanks for the tips. I do intend to notch the backbone for the wire, I was just working on shape and spacing before notching. I understand about the head and the grain. We were just being frugal and using up some scrap lol. I appreciate the feedback always looking for advice.

T.

Many years ago a Currituck Sound guide & waterman gave me advice and his family formula for making canvas / wire gunning decoys. It seems proper for me to pass along what I have learned about it over so many years. Frugal and using "scrap" wood (really no such thing in Vince World) is the soul of making canvas/wire decoys that work. Ya make do with what ya got, add yer own style, and if it works then ya did good. Watch out though cuz you can get hooked to making them and using them. I look forward to seeing yer decoys. Here are some I've made for use over the years I was addicted to waterfowling.

Best regards
Vince

 

[Vince Pagliaroli]

Vince, just because you don't use a needle and thread does not disqualify you from 'The Brotherhood of Decoy Seamstresses'

Chuck, I've stretched many a canvas for art works and decoys over my lifetime. Never heard the term seamstress applied to the procedure, and per the definition of seamstress I do not qualify. That said folks can define themselves however they feel like. What I do know is that you make a mighty fine canvas/wire working decoy. The days of the Ohio Show canvas decoy contest really did solidify the Brotherhood of canvas decoy makers. It started a trend that has spread far and wide from where the decoys had their beginnings. It is good that we were part of that. Salud!

Best regards
Vince

 

[Scott Farris]

Vince, Just a bit of DHBP site history: When just about "everyone" was carving or foaming decoys, Chuck started to share pictures of his canvas creations. He was ribbed about being a seamstress and instead of taking offense and leaving or stopping sharing his efforts, Chuck good naturedly bought into the term and even got others to try their hand w/ canvas. I have a canvas canvasback by Ian Farr from the set he made and sold to be able to afford the Pool 9 DHBP hunt (back in 2000?.) So being a member of 'The Brotherhood of Decoy Seamstresses' is a true site honor.

Best,
Scott

 

[Vince Pagliaroli]

Vince, Just a bit of DHBP site history: When just about "everyone" was carving or foaming decoys, Chuck started to share pictures of his canvas creations. He was ribbed about being a seamstress and instead of taking offense and leaving or stopping sharing his efforts, Chuck good naturedly bought into the term and even got others to try their hand w/ canvas. I have a canvas canvasback by Ian Farr from the set he made and sold to be able to afford the Pool 9 DHBP hunt (back in 2000?.) So being a member of 'The Brotherhood of Decoy Seamstresses' is a true site honor.

Best,
Scott

Scott,

Thank you for your explanation, much appreciated. I was slow to get a computer and knew of Chuck's canvas decoys from the Ohio Show, long before I became a member here. That said I gladly accept the honor of being in the Duckboats Brotherhood of Decoy Seamstresses'. Cuz in the world I lived in prior, many of my friends were canvas decoy makers. Canvas decoys have been the step child of the decoy world for many a year and then the tide turned for better or worse. Chuck stays true to the genre and that is to be admired. Being a Point Man takes courage.


"You'll never be criticized by someone who's doing more than you. You'll always be criticized by someone that does less. Remember that." - Denzel Washington


Best regards
Vince

 

[Chuck J]

Vince, Just a bit of DHBP site history: When just about "everyone" was carving or foaming decoys, Chuck started to share pictures of his canvas creations. He was ribbed about being a seamstress and instead of taking offense and leaving or stopping sharing his efforts, Chuck good naturedly bought into the term and even got others to try their hand w/ canvas. I have a canvas canvasback by Ian Farr from the set he made and sold to be able to afford the Pool 9 DHBP hunt (back in 2000?.) So being a member of 'The Brotherhood of Decoy Seamstresses' is a true site honor.

Best,
Scott

"Ribbed"...yes, ribbed! Nice pun.

Thanks for explaining it Scott, hope you are doing well.

Vince, I think you should be the honorary Grand Poobah.

Brother Entwistle, welcome to the fold, you are one of us now.

 

[JasonM]

T.

Many years ago a Currituck Sound guide & waterman gave me advice and his family formula for making canvas / wire gunning decoys. It seems proper for me to pass along what I have learned about it over so many years. Frugal and using "scrap" wood (really no such thing in Vince World) is the soul of making canvas/wire decoys that work. Ya make do with what ya got, add yer own style, and if it works then ya did good. Watch out though cuz you can get hooked to making them and using them. I look forward to seeing yer decoys. Here are some I've made for use over the years I was addicted to waterfowling.

Best regards
Vince

Mind if I ask the name of the man from Currituck? Doubt I know him but I've probably at least heard of him. Just curious.

 

[JasonM]

Pair of canvas brant I finished a couple months ago. Hard not to like canvas birds living here.

 

[Vince Pagliaroli]

Mind if I ask the name of the man from Currituck? Doubt I know him but I've probably at least heard of him. Just curious.

Jason,

Oh my, it was so long ago. We hunted out of Walnut Island Motel, Grandy, NC. Could only book one day as they were full up. If I recall, gotta find and check my log book from back then. I do believe the man's first name was James, a large man that did not talk much but when he did I listened. We were also hunting with Vern Berg (where I 1st hunted over canvas decoys in NC on prior trips) during that trip and also hunted Bodie Island as I was drawn for a hunt.

When I inquired as to how to make canvas/wire decoys he told me in a very quiet and knowing manner. Told me remember it as he would not write it down. I had a good hunt shot a fine drake Pintail, a drake Bluebill/Black head, and a hen Golden Eye. Had the drake pintail mounted standing for carving reference. I had seen canvas/wire decoys in Chincoteague, VA also and visited the old museum when it was open to study the canvas decoys.

Bought Neil Conoleys' book Waterfowl Heritage NC Decoys and Gunning Lore as soon as the book came out to study the canvas decoys. Also hunted Lakes Mattamuskeet with Bob Hester and also Cedar Island. Back then I was totally engrossed in NC gunning history, decoys and the fine folks I met there. Made my 1st canvas/wire decoy in 1983 and never looked back. Still use the same formula given that day to me at Currituck Sound. In fact it was such hallowed waterfowl gunning ground to me I scrapped the sand off the bottom of my wader boots and placed it a small glass jar that has a place of honor in our home. Yup we canvas decoy makes are Crazy.

You make a fine looking canvas/wire decoy true to yer heritage and tradition. It is a pleasure going back and forth with you. This is one of the very valuable things about Duckboats.....meeting folks and sharing stories and knowledge.

Best regards
Vince

 

[JasonM]

Jason,

Oh my, it was so long ago. We hunted out of Walnut Island Motel, Grandy, NC. Could only book one day as they were full up. If I recall, gotta find and check my log book from back then. I do believe the man's first name was James, a large man that did not talk much but when he did I listened. We were also hunting with Vern Berg (where I 1st hunted over canvas decoys in NC on prior trips) during that trip and also hunted Bodie Island as I was drawn for a hunt.

When I inquired as to how to make canvas/wire decoys he told me in a very quiet and knowing manner. Told me remember it as he would not write it down. I had a good hunt shot a fine drake Pintail, a drake Bluebill/Black head, and a hen Golden Eye. Had the drake pintail mounted standing for carving reference. I had seen canvas/wire decoys in Chincoteague, VA also and visited the old museum when it was open to study the canvas decoys.

Bought Neil Conoleys' book Waterfowl Heritage NC Decoys and Gunning Lore as soon as the book came out to study the canvas decoys. Also hunted Lakes Mattamuskeet with Bob Hester and also Cedar Island. Back then I was totally engrossed in NC gunning history, decoys and the fine folks I met there. Made my 1st canvas/wire decoy in 1983 and never looked back. Still use the same formula given that day to me at Currituck Sound. In fact it was such hallowed waterfowl gunning ground to me I scrapped the sand off the bottom of my wader boots and placed it a small glass jar that has a place of honor in our home. Yup we canvas decoy makes are Crazy.

You make a fine looking canvas/wire decoy true to yer heritage and tradition. It is a pleasure going back and forth with you. This is one of the very valuable things about Duckboats.....meeting folks and sharing stories and knowledge.

Best regards
Vince

I live just north of the NC line right between Back Bay and the North Landing river. I love the decoy and gunning heritage of this area and have been fascinated with it since I was a kid.

Funny thing, the man that taught me how to make canvas decoys, and got me started in decoys in general, was also named James.

If you are looking for a good book on canvas decoys buy a copy of Archie Johnson's book Canvas Decoys of North America.