Some Herter's History - Three Balsa Birds

Steve Sanford

Steve Sanford

Well-known member
Good morning, All~

In Tuesday's mail I received a "prize" I had "won" on eBay. Although auctions are not a favorite purchasing mode of mine, the low bid turned out to be the high bid - so an original Herter's Catalog from 1955 came my way from Washington State. I have not yet had the time to explore every page, but I did immediately search the decoy section in the front. As I had hoped, this catalog offers (offered?) balsa decoys - Herter's special Santa Marta Hard Balsa no less!

About a year ago, I got a 1957-58 catalog, but the balsa birds had all been replaced by Tenite and Durlon by that time.

Be sure to CLICK to enlarge - so you can read Herter's inimitable prose.

View attachment 1955 - cover.jpg

My interest stems from decoys I recall from my earliest days. I remember my Dad re-painting his 6 Blacks and 1 drake Mallard - and also his Canadas. When I was in high school, the 7 puddlers had been stolen, but we still had 7 Bluebills and 7 Geese. My Dad asked me to paint the Bluebills (Broadbill to us Great South Bay gunners) as Whistlers and the Geese as Brant. I shot my first Brant when I was in the Tenth Grade.

Here I am in the late-50s - with a Model Canada Black Mallard - freshly re-painted by my Dad.

View attachment SJS w Herters Black Duck CROPPED.jpg

I had been looking for these old Model Canadas (I actually did not know their correct designation - I had thought they were Model Superiors) for years - and finally found one from an old Broadbill gunner.

View attachment Model Canada Black Mallard - S. Watts.jpg

This bird had the long cast iron keel - not a good choice around salt water.

View attachment Model Canada Black Mallard - S. Watts bottom.jpg

The catalog is a bit confusing on designation...Model 88 or Model/Number 50?

View attachment 1955 - page 49 Keel.jpg

Santa brought me another this past Christmas. Notice the dark bill. Minnesotans must see lots of young-of-the-year "river rats" - and don't get to see the glorious late winter birds with their Ochre/Cadmium Yellow bills. The bill paint Herter's sold was dark olive for Black Mallards.

View attachment Herters Model Canada Black Mallard FULL.JPG


It has the more compact ballast keel - also cast iron. This is the Model 58 - the smaller of the two. Our ((lost) Model Canada Blacks & Mallard had no keels. We used them in more protected waters by and large.)

View attachment sm Herters Model Supeior Black Mallard BALLAST.JPG



Here is a pair of Model Canada Bluebills painted as Whistlers. I added Pine keels with lead poured into them. They would otherwise capsize in a modest chop.

View attachment Herters Model Canada - as Whistler Drake.jpg

I regret that I rasped down the bills to look more like Goldeneye bills. The artist/biologist in me needed the verisimilitude.

View attachment Herters Model Canada as Whistler Hen.jpg


Rather than try to restore any of the original seven, I found this "original paint" Model Canada Bluebill just in time to find his way into Santa's sleigh.

View attachment sm Herters Model Canada Bluebill - from eBay 2017.JPG

(continued on next POST)
 
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Both our Mallards and Broadbill were Model Canadas - Herter's over-size balsa birds with wooden heads.

View attachment 1955 - page 11 Model Canada.jpg

They offered three species of pochards:

View attachment 1955 - page 12 Model Canada divers.jpg

Because the original paint job was sprayed and very simple, I had no qualms about covering it - what little remained of it - with my own gunning-style attire.

View attachment sm Herters Model Canada Bluebill - restored FULL.JPG


These Canadas turn out to be the Model Supreme "Canadian" (!) Goose. I posted about these a few months back - thinking they were called "Superior"s.

View attachment sm 5 Superiors on secretary 02.JPG

I converted them into Brant in the 1960s.
View attachment sm 1A Herters Superior as Brant.JPG


I added the ballasted Pine keels - and fresh paint - again in the 1980s.

View attachment sm 2A Herters Superior - BRANT 04.JPG

Not having seen a catalog image - nor an original paint job - I guessed at the paint scheme when restoring them to Canadas.

View attachment sm 3 Superior Feeder 02.JPG

Maybe my next pair will get the feather detail that George L. Herter showed back in '55.

View attachment 1955 - page 21 Model Supreme Geese INSET.jpg

All the best,

SJS
 
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Hi Steve,
That's pretty sweet on the Herters Catalog, & decoys. One of my biggest regrets, selling the Herters magnum blacks & mallards that I sold back in the 80s. Along with not keeping the Herters catalog , sheesh not one of my best moves,[:/] Congrats on your find & purchase .
 
Good morning, John~

I, too, regretted the loss of the original catalogs. Back then, only one came each year. My Dad stored it safely on a shelf in the cabinets he built in our dining room. My memory is of a mostly green cover - not sure what year. I was born in '53. My 57-58 catalog has a red-yellow-black cover. So, I will keep my eyes peeled for a '59 or '60.

Of course, the "coat of arms" really caught my youthful eye!

All the best,

SJS

 
I believe the transition from wood to plastic (tenite) was in the early 50's, first with plastic heads and balsa bodies to all plastic. Probably a lot of mixing too til all the balsa was used up. And the paint schemes I'm sure was the same too. I always looked forward to the new catalog. Bought a lot of my fishing must haves from Herters. But that was obvious 'cause all items from Herter's was "the best"...........
 
Good morning, Tim~

Yes, this 1955 catalog show other 2 lines of balsa duck decoys, both life-size: the Model Supreme (aka Model 733) and the Model Perfect (Model963). It is not clear whether the former have Tenite heads, but the Model Perfect heads are "unbreakable", "any position" and held in place with a long brass screw eye.

Our gunning partners had a rig of life-size balsa Herter's Bluebill with Tenite heads. I may have to hunt some up....

BTW: I suspect the use of balsa was somehow related to WWII. First creating a market for life-rafts, etc - then available as surplus. Other LI gunners I know have made balsa rigs from surplus life rafts. And - as you know - Wildfowlers made plenty of balsa decoys, too.

All the best,

SJS
 
Steve that is some very neat stuff.

I can just barely remember going to the Mitchell SD Herter's store when I was around 7 or 8. I can remember the caribou heads on the walls the best.

My uncle was a serious fisherman who had a lot of Herter's stuff. I wish i knew what happened to all his sinker and jig molds. Since I showed some interest in fly tying when I was 8 or 9 he let me use a herters fly tying kit. Its the majority of my Herter's collection.

View attachment 20180222_091441.jpg

View attachment 20180222_092213.jpg

I still occasionally use the vise, bodkin and scissors.

I don't even like to think about the plastic decoys I should have. [frown]

Tim
 
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[size 4] "Herter's inimitable prose," indeed Steve!

The old Herter's catalogs were always a treat to page through.

Really liked the testimonial by "A.W. Strohmeir of Minneapolis" telling how his Santa Marta decoys pulled in all the Cans [;)] Who needed a Mojo back then !? .... or maybe he just had the best location that day?

Wonder if the Cartel controls the Balsa trade in Columbia these days?

Also interesting to see Herter's wasn't above the use of the "Canadian" misnomer to describe its Canada Goose decoys.
Thanks for posting.
 
I remember looking through those catalogs at my grandparents. As a kid that liked the outdoors, it was better than looking through an old Sears wish book catalog.
 
Tom~

Your grandparents!!!! You're making me feel even older....

Hope to see you and John in Hauppauge next week (I plan to have his old Goose decoy with me.)

All the best,

SJS

 
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