Decoy carving hero...

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Pat Gregory

Well-known member
One thing I did to help my decoy carving is to study the old masters. I also had the distinct privilege of meeting a few. A few of my carving heros I got to meet were Virgil Lashbrook, Walter Snow and Harold Haertel. Ben Schmidt was another one of my all time carving heros. Although I never got to meet him, he was, in my opinion, one of the best gunning decoy makers that ever lived. This is an old photo Jimmy Schmiedlin shared with me.

To my carving brothers in Michigan, pattern your decoys after your forefathers. You have a tremendous carving heritage there in Michigan and unfortunately, I don't see many guys following in the foot steps of people like Ben Schmidt, Tom Schroeder, Jim Kelson or Ferdinand Bach.

They laid the ground before you and for you...
View attachment benschmidt.JPG
 
Right on Mike! Michigan probably has more awesome vintage carvers than any state... Nate Quillen, Walter Struebing, Chris Smith, Larry Hayden, Nick Purdo, Frank Schmidt, Danny Scriven, Ted Vanderbosche, John Kalash and a countless list of others. One of this countries premier duck hunting and decoy carving states. Pat
 
Pat,

You are right on when talking about Michigan decoys. Sure, the east coast gets all the hype, but Michigan has produced some outstanding carvers over the last century. Larry Hayden's son lives just north of me in Grand Rapids. I met his son and grand-daughter when I bought Larry's old reference photos, basswood, a tupelo knife and some decoy books. Wow, what an artist and a carver! Most people have never heard of Larry yet he wrote the book on reference material (he kept live ducks) and wood-burning feathers on decorative decoys. Heck, he was a the first 5 time Best Of Show, Floating Decorative Decoy winner at the World Championship Wildfowl Carving Competition. His first competition, in 1971, was at the Ward Foundation World Championship Wildfowl Carving Competition in which all four of his decoys won first place ribbons! He won 13 best of shows in every competition he entered. Yet, so few people recognize his name... I know a small group of carvers in SW Michigan that are working hard at keeping the Michigan tradition going strong. Thanks for helping us, Pat! You're a true hero to the decoy carving community.
 
Thinking about other great Michigan carvers; were not Ralph Reghi and Ferdinand Bach, both master carvers, from Michigan?
 
Mike - Agree on Bach and Reghi, however, Reghi was originally from Illinois and, like George Williams, that's where he got all his decoy carving talent... ;)
 
Pat, thanks for starting this thread. I have a copy of that picture hanging in the library too and from the same source! I think Jim's work has much of Ben's spirit in it as well. Big, wide and made to hunt!

I have come to appreciate the merit of Michigan blocks over the past year or so. I would have to credit Tom Wilkins for really fanning the flame. A person really needs to handle a good Michigan decoy to fully appreciate them. Unfortunately, aside from Ben Schmidt, Ferdinand Bach, Quillen and a few others, many of the best Michigan carvers end up as nothing more than footnotes in books and magazines.
 
Pat, mine was the result of a misguided MFA, from SIU-go salukis!, and an addiction to waterfowling. When I first began, I did manage to visit folks like Jess Urie and Madison Mitchell, at their shops. Took a bobtail mallard to Captain Jess' shop one day--he looked it over, and with a twinkle in heis eye, said:
"Son, if you try to do that for a livin', you're gonna starve to death." THE ART SPIRIT, by Robert Henri, was a backhand inspiration, too. Studion time was always rather solitary, and that, i carried onto the shop.
After the laughter subsided, i took his words as a challenge--It certainly has been fun, and a great learning process, ever since.
Presently, before my surgery, i am playing with some old WIley cork, that has been on the shelves forever-Just making a few two piece dekes-Don't know what i am going to do with them yet, but they will see the marsh next fall, for sure!

Just went on search for Ralph Reghi's Stuff--nice clean lines, simple paint-Good gunners--Found a scaup and redhead in balsa that were aces!
 
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Pat, do you have this book ? If not your welcome to it.

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Not from Michigan but seeing decoys made by Ben Schmidt is the only reason I ever wanted to start carving. Just something about his birds. Would love to find copies of patterns that he used.
Sean,
Is there a place a person could get that book?
 
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