K.D. (Knock Down) Decoys

Eric Patterson said:
Vince

From a woodworker's point of view the bottom pocket is the most challenging aspect of these decoys. Not only is there a pocket but the anchor slips into and wedges in a channel in that pocket. In 1920 the machine to make those cuts was a pin router. Pin routers were widely abandoned starting twenty years ago and can be picked up at machinery auctions for scrap prices. I've never wanted one on my shop, until now :)

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Eric,

The bottom looks like it is ideal for either routing on a CNC or having a CNC made template that you could attach to a body and rout out the pocket with a router and bushing.

Rick Lathrop
 
Rick

No doubt if those decoys were made today they'd be CNC cut. Not knowing how to program CNC I would handle the job by band sawing and shaping my own templates. An overhead pin router would follow my template for hogging and shaping. In fact, it's quite possible 100 years ago when they decoys were manufactured that's how they did it. Until I learn CNC I'll approach things like they did a century ago :)
 
Eric Patterson said:
Rick

No doubt if those decoys were made today they'd be CNC cut. Not knowing how to program CNC I would handle the job by band sawing and shaping my own templates. An overhead pin router would follow my template for hogging and shaping. In fact, it's quite possible 100 years ago when they decoys were manufactured that's how they did it. Until I learn CNC I'll approach things like they did a century ago :)
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Eric,

That is a simple pocket and would take about 10 minutes to program in VCarve. A pin router would take up additional floor space in my shop. I think a CNC is more versatile tool.

Rick
 
That's 10 minutes for you. For me there is a mountain to climb before I get there. One day I'll strap on hiking boots, just not today.
 
My my.... All this discussion over how it was done, and how to improve something that was ingenious and created in quantity in 1920. Makes me smile.

For many a year decoy carvers and makers have Tried to figure out the methods and the paint on the old decoys. Few have succeeded and the ones that have keep it to themselves. One must remember that when these Decoys were made there were far more Duck Hunters than there are today, and so many different styles of hunting.

Pocket Decoys are a unique type of decoy made for a specific purpose. K-D were some of the best over 100 years ago. They came in a very well made Crate/Box that in itself is collectible and very well made.

Eric,
You indeed could put a Pin Router to very good use with your skills and imagination. I hope that you acquire one, vintage no doubt.


"One thing about Pine. Pine holds a lot of memories" - a line from the movie STILL MINE
 
Nice, functional decoys.

Those would be great for various little spots. I've often wondered if it wouldn't make sense to have a slightly under size rig to be able to carry a small rig into some of the walk in spots in the timber...and generally you need almost no weight, since there is no current. The removable heads that sit in a pocket make them even more transportable and damage resistant.
 
Rick Pierce said:
slightly under size rig to be able to carry a small rig into some of the walk in spots in the timber...and generally you need almost no weight, since there is no current.
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I bought some of the Cherokee Sports inflatable decoys once for this reason. Great concept, poor execution. 12 mallards fit in two Columbia Wigeon pockets. Problem was, they would lose air after a while (poor vinyl/plastic/whatever material). I killed ducks over them, though. A couple of them got a stray pellet and a few others got tears in them. When I went to get more, they were discontinued. Ugly as could be, but highly transportable.

I would hunt over 6 or 8 of these decoys in the timber, any day.
 
Steven Alexander said:
I bought some of the Cherokee Sports inflatable decoys once for this reason. Great concept, poor execution. 12 mallards fit in two Columbia Wigeon pockets. Problem was, they would lose air after a while (poor vinyl/plastic/whatever material). I killed ducks over them, though. A couple of them got a stray pellet and a few others got tears in them. When I went to get more, they were discontinued. Ugly as could be, but highly transportable.

I would hunt over 6 or 8 of these decoys in the timber, any day.
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6 or 8 in a backpack with a box of shells and a strap would be a nice walk-in rig.
 
I carved some "flaties" to supplement my bluebill spread simiar to those. The bodies and heads were cut out of rough cut Cedar boards for garden beds. The heads do not come off but they work great. I would consistently have birds land with those decoys over the regular ones. One theory I heard was that the ducks will push the air out of the feathers and sit lower in the water when they are feeding. Don't know if it holds true or not but they work and take up a lot less space in the boat. If the limit ever gets raised again I will probably make more. Only downside is setting them out on the longlines you have to make sure they land right side up.
 
Eric Patterson said:
Mallard body is 11 1/2" long, 5 1/2" wide and 2" thick.
Head is 5 1/8" long 1 1/8" wide.
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Here is a bluebill I picked up in Wisconsin, and my copy in the raw. I don't think it's a KD but a hunter copy. Vince nailed it they were called pocket decoys.
 

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Man these are slick, even cooler is you making some Bob! Maybe this winter’s project will be some of them, probably out of foam and make a silicon mold.
Don’t have the space or resources for wood carving.

Tony
 
Eric Patterson said:
I think so. If you make your anchor thinner you can reduce the overall depth but I don't see much advantage in that.
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The head is connected by a thin anchor line knotted on top or at the neck somewhere then it passes through the body. 1 or 2 wraps around the metal post on original (i used a roofing nail) keeps the head tight to the body. I used a forstner bit for the anchor recess, but Im sure there is a better tool ,bit , combo for that.
 
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