Charlie Black was an all around riverman and hunted for the market. He made decoys to accommodate the needs of his family and ended up initiating what is now known as the Bordentown school of decoy carving. Black's total output is estimated between four and five hundred birds. Each one is hollow with minimal detailed carving and a flat bottom. Four screws secure the square shaped weight on the bottom of each lure, and a brass screw and washer hold the leather loop for the anchor line.

For the most part, Black produced scaup and black duck decoys, but he also carved buffleheads, canvasbacks, mergansers, redheads and a rig of wigeon. He also created a rig of brant for hunting on Barnegat Bay. It was not Black's custom to sell decoys, ...