Steve Sanford
Well-known member
As anyone following my duckboats.net posts or my website has probably gathered, I grew up with – and still use – lots of Herter's decoys. My Dad had a bunch, especially Model 72 Broadbill, and later, Model 81 Brant. I bought a dozen Model 72 Mallards when I was 14 and my Dad always had 3 Model 92 Canadas – until one blew out of his roof rack at speed. Many of my gunning partners still hunt over Herter's "foam" birds – and I have rehabbed a bunch of them. Some just got repairs and paint, some got epoxy and sawdust, and some got burlap.
These Broadbill - and the Cans below - got my epoxy + fine sawdust treatment before they got new paint.
These Brant were for the Kessler-Wertz rig. Sounds like they may be on vacation for a couple of years while Brant populations recover (we hope!).
These Canadas include 3 rigs - Model 92s, Model 81s - and my 81s with pine heads.
The Model 72 Broadbill stood – and many would argue still does stand – as the standard for big diver rigs for many decades – since they were introduced in the early 1950s. As a young painter-then-carver, I appreciated their life-like features. The molded-in wing feathers and side pockets helped me to learn duck anatomy/topography.
Like many of us of a certain age, I read the Herter's catalog – only one per year back in those innocent days – from cover to cover, memorizing much of it. Many of George L. Herter's phrases stick with me even now. Nevertheless, I was disappointed when they finally introduced both Goldeneyes and Baldpate in their Model 63. It was not the life-size that bothered me – we on Great South Bay do value over-size stool – but that they did not make new heads for those species. The Goldeneye was just a Bluebill with different paint and the Baldpate was just a Mallard with different paint. Since Herter's had previously molded distinct heads for Mallard, Pintail, Bluebill and Canvasback – and molded 3 different body shapes - I expected more.
So, when I read Tony Homer's recent post ( http://www.duckboats.net/...;;page=unread#unread ) about the new diver bodies he was offering from his shop in Ohio, it caught my attention. I loved all of the modifications they had made to the new body and could not help but wonder what the heads would look like. A PM was in order.
One thing led to another and I promised Tony a Broadbill head shortly after my Open Studio in mid-July. I mailed it off – and got a warm reception upon it's arrival in the midwest.
The original Model 72 is on the left - my new one is on the right.
I usually carve my Broadbill with fatter cheeks but was limited by the 2 1/4-inch base diameter of the Model 72 heads. I did raise the crown and sink the eyes in beneath a broad brow - and flared the bill out a bit.
Tony's satisfaction led to a request for another species: Lo and behold – a Goldeneye! The very bird that got me thinking about 50 years ago. This time, I had a body to use to check the shape and flow. And, I selected this crown shape so it could serve for both Drake and Hen.
The wing and tail feathers are not molded in as on a Model 72 - but this gives more options. And the "rollout" - between the back and the side pocket - helps lay out the paint pattern.
I did not have any long-enough screw eyes in the shop - so I just tacked the head on with a lag. I would normally set the head in caulk and fasten with a SS eye backed with a SS fender washer.
I believe it is Tony's son who will lead the decoy work. It is certainly a fine product and I expect it will be embraced by diver gunners everywhere. I plan to have 5 or 6 ready to add to my Ice Scooter ( http://stevenjaysanford.com/...t-south-bay-scooter/ ) rig later this year.
All the best,
SJS
These Broadbill - and the Cans below - got my epoxy + fine sawdust treatment before they got new paint.
These Brant were for the Kessler-Wertz rig. Sounds like they may be on vacation for a couple of years while Brant populations recover (we hope!).
These Canadas include 3 rigs - Model 92s, Model 81s - and my 81s with pine heads.
The Model 72 Broadbill stood – and many would argue still does stand – as the standard for big diver rigs for many decades – since they were introduced in the early 1950s. As a young painter-then-carver, I appreciated their life-like features. The molded-in wing feathers and side pockets helped me to learn duck anatomy/topography.
Like many of us of a certain age, I read the Herter's catalog – only one per year back in those innocent days – from cover to cover, memorizing much of it. Many of George L. Herter's phrases stick with me even now. Nevertheless, I was disappointed when they finally introduced both Goldeneyes and Baldpate in their Model 63. It was not the life-size that bothered me – we on Great South Bay do value over-size stool – but that they did not make new heads for those species. The Goldeneye was just a Bluebill with different paint and the Baldpate was just a Mallard with different paint. Since Herter's had previously molded distinct heads for Mallard, Pintail, Bluebill and Canvasback – and molded 3 different body shapes - I expected more.
So, when I read Tony Homer's recent post ( http://www.duckboats.net/...;;page=unread#unread ) about the new diver bodies he was offering from his shop in Ohio, it caught my attention. I loved all of the modifications they had made to the new body and could not help but wonder what the heads would look like. A PM was in order.
One thing led to another and I promised Tony a Broadbill head shortly after my Open Studio in mid-July. I mailed it off – and got a warm reception upon it's arrival in the midwest.
The original Model 72 is on the left - my new one is on the right.
I usually carve my Broadbill with fatter cheeks but was limited by the 2 1/4-inch base diameter of the Model 72 heads. I did raise the crown and sink the eyes in beneath a broad brow - and flared the bill out a bit.
Tony's satisfaction led to a request for another species: Lo and behold – a Goldeneye! The very bird that got me thinking about 50 years ago. This time, I had a body to use to check the shape and flow. And, I selected this crown shape so it could serve for both Drake and Hen.
The wing and tail feathers are not molded in as on a Model 72 - but this gives more options. And the "rollout" - between the back and the side pocket - helps lay out the paint pattern.
I did not have any long-enough screw eyes in the shop - so I just tacked the head on with a lag. I would normally set the head in caulk and fasten with a SS eye backed with a SS fender washer.
I believe it is Tony's son who will lead the decoy work. It is certainly a fine product and I expect it will be embraced by diver gunners everywhere. I plan to have 5 or 6 ready to add to my Ice Scooter ( http://stevenjaysanford.com/...t-south-bay-scooter/ ) rig later this year.
All the best,
SJS
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