Balsa block

Not to be smart a$$ but it is where ya find it and those places are few and far between. The size you want will mostly be laminated. Try looking at flea markets, and auctions that offer wood working tools and stocks of wood, you could be surprised. Years ago a vendor at the Ohio Decoy Show had plenty of Balsa in all sizes. I bought some as the price right, and at the price you quoted (YIKES!) I did very good. Took me awhile to figure out a good knife for working with Tupelo also works very well with Balsa not a easy wood to carve. Makes very good dove decoys, shore birds, and walk in rig duck decoys especially if ya seal & coat the wood with West System Epoxy.

my 2 cents
 
I remember a time when balsa was plentiful because no one had any use for it. Prior to the development of foam, balsa was laminated into bulkheads and floors of boats as cheap flotation. Balsa and cork was also used in life jackets and as fishing floats. It was commonly used as packing around fragile items in shipping boxes. All those uses are gone. The only thing I know it is still used for today is in model airplanes. My uncle and cousin carved 50 or 60 of them In the late 50's. My cousin told me they would knock a body out in 30 minutes. I believe him. My uncle was a woodworker who hand carved fancy crown molding they were putting in all the nice building during the construction boom after WW2, in the LA area. I've seen him work. He could make something appear in no time. I have 2 of those decoys
 
Yup, at one time Balsa was surplus and in good supply. Those days are over. Lotta decoy factories made good use of it. I had many Wildfowler Decoys, Decoys Unlimited (Erie, PA), Herters, and Ken Harris decoys made of very good Balsa. All were, and are damn fine working decoys that folks now collect.

The 2 pieces of Balsa I have are 3 1/2" x 5 1/2" x 36" made of 2 pieces laminated and 3 1/2" x 7 1/4" x 36" made of 5 pieces laminated. Glad to hear they are now worth $$$, but I'd not sell em anyway. Also have life vest and life raft cork many years old that I use to make decoys, all the pieces are doweled together.

I like hunting for good decoy carving material cuz the material tells me what to do and make with it. Many carvers have great expectations and specs for what material they need to carve their decoys. Gotta be such and such, no knots, etc. etc. Ya use what the Lord gives ya and be Thankful for it. Yer Uncles and cousins decoys are proof of that. Thanks for the info and photo's.
 
I would guess you've seen National Balsa's website. That's the only place I ever bought it. Most of what I have is scraps leftover from the WWII liferafts.
 
Yeah, that's where I got that ridiculous price. I am going to check back with them and see if I can get some planks and glue it together at a cheaper price. I found where I can get some Cypress root, but that is a 6 hr drive one way, then a boat trip into the Atchafalaya Basin, where there are dredging a canal.
 
Balsa bodied Gadwall I made with Mahogany tail and Sugar Pine head was in my rig for many years. Now migrated to a new home...
 

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Thank you. Nope that's the original paint. I have homemade cloth bags that I put Some of my decoys in, cuz I dislike repainting decoys. That decoy was made for my "out west rig" then used for walk in hunting in the Atlantic Flyway. Made other Gadwalls as well but they have also migrated. Now I use canvas covered drake for walk in. My days of using many decoys are over, just what I can carry or drag in the Jet Sled.
 

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Chick said:
Yeah, that's where I got that ridiculous price. I am going to check back with them and see if I can get some planks and glue it together at a cheaper price. I found where I can get some Cypress root, but that is a 6 hr drive one way, then a boat trip into the Atchafalaya Basin, where there are dredging a canal.
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Try to find yourself some empress Polonia. It is very close to balsa just slightly harder but works very similar
 
Chick said:
Where woukd I find that? I've never heard of it. Sounds perfect if it is harder that balsa
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I'm not sure where you're located, but it grows literally like a weed all throughout the mid Atlantic.

When possible I like Forrest grown Polonia from the northern part of its range. It tends to have tighter growth rings and straighter grain

I do believe once you get south of Virginia it's considered an invasive and may be illegal to plant. But it still can be harvested where existing.

The link that Eric shared has them selling 9/4 boards which is perfect for laminating into Decoy bodies
 
It was all over our neighborhood in Mobile, I bet it’s in coastal TX as well.
 
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