CHURCH DECOYS

G

Greg E

Active member
HELLO ALL,
I'M CONSIDERING PURCHASING DECOYS FROM COMPANY CALLED CHURCH DECOYS. DOES ANYONE HERE HAVE ANY OF THESE DECOYS AND HOW DO THEY HOLD UP? THEY'RE PRICES ARE RIGHT, $23.00 FOR A CORK DECOY.


GREG
 
HELLO ALL,
I'M CONSIDERING PURCHASING DECOYS FROM COMPANY CALLED CHURCH DECOYS. DOES ANYONE HERE HAVE ANY OF THESE DECOYS AND HOW DO THEY HOLD UP? THEY'RE PRICES ARE RIGHT, $23.00 FOR A CORK DECOY.


GREG
Click to expand...

Hmmmmmmm, guess you have to make your own determination. Looks like Herters heads are back on the market. :) Actually, kinda funny.
http://www.churchdecoys.com/
 
Sure look like Herter heads but according their site, they are solid plastic and won't crumble in the cold like the originals. Who knows, maybe they bought the molds and improved on the material.
 
Oh my gosh...those are nasty. Besides looking terrible you are going to have crumbled black cork all over the boat.
 
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To me those decoys does,nt look to good, it looks like the guy that carved them was having his first carving lesson, afraid I would,nt give 23 cents for them never mind $23.
take care.
Eddie.

ps Ask Lou tisch to post what a good decoy should look like
 
might be able to help you out....they won't be as cheap as those but they will be well made...and will actually look like ducks as well.....

Shoot me an e-mail at nuvan@comcast.net and we might be able to work something out...

Steve
 
Thanks all!! After some checking your right, bread loaves is great description, funny guy. From checking out other folks decoys yes I can see the difference. I checked out Lou's site for e-allens and I saw them at the Tuckerton NJ decoy show, very nice. How does the urethane bodies hold up as compared to cork? The urethane decoys have so much more detail, Lou- your decoys belong on the mantle above the fireplace, beautiful. For moment there I though you had trained, duck models for the photo shoot. I would be afraid to use them. It looks like I'll be buying them one at a time. I'm still young I should have a full set by the time I retire. Stay safe out there and good luck to all in the up coming season, god bless.

Greg E
 
Hello all. Wow!.......You know the old saying......Bad publicity is better than no publicity at all. My name is Dave Church and I own Church Decoy Co. I noticed a HUGE amount of hits on my website yesterday and one of my newest members mentioned that he had heard about my decoys from this website so I had to check it out. Most of the people who carve on this site I have heard of one way or another and I am a fan of many of them. I have been carving decorative wood decoys for almost 20 years now and do not run in a competitive circle, just make them for family and friends and the occasional Ducks Unlimited banquet. I started carving with a gentleman by the name of Richard Parks who still resides in Harpswell Maine. He learned his skills and hunted with George Soule who carved for LL Beane. None of this information puts me in the same league as these legends. I started carving corks about 5 years ago so I could finally have some decent blocks of my own to hunt over. One thing led to another and I began to sell them all over. After retiring from the Navy a few years ago I decided to start a cork decoy company that would make BLACK cork decoys with MY sealing process that would eliminate the need for a bottom board and a tail board. My decoys are very functional, very sturdy, and very affordable. They are designed to float well and eliminate a lot of experience from the hunter to keep them maintained. Yes, I know there is TAN cork out there, but my customers are not buying or looking for $100 + decoys. I sell most of my decoys along the eastern seaboard and you might just see them in a marsh near you real soon. I've hunted over a little bit of everything and decided that I didn't want plastic or anything that took batteries anymore. I have used foam, wood, plastic, paper mache, tri-boards, inflatables and anything in between and will not take the time to say anything bad about any of them.......if they work for you......they work for you. Greg E.......I hope you find some decoys that work for your needs and your budget. I know these guys are doing there best to give you some good advice. If you send me your address Greg, the first Church Decoy cork is on me. If you like what you see....or even if you don't........post your information on sites like this to help others out. Good luck to everyone this season. Very Respectfully...Dave Church
 
Hi Dave,

There are a lot of guys who deride black cork but for me it works great. I too, don't use a bottom board just seal the body good and go with it. I have been hunting a bunch of black cork cans I made 10 years ago and haven't had a problem.

Question for you though. The heads on your decoys look a lot like the old Herters heads - do you have the original molds?

Good Luck with your venture.

Pete (CVA-63)
 
Greg E, it sounds like an offer you'd be crazy to refuse. If the guy believes in his product enough to send you a free sample then he deserves some consideration. Pictures dont always serve a product its true justice. Get one and let us all know what you think .....
 
Those decoys don't look that off. By the time a duck notices any problem, he should be on his back in the middle of the spread with his feet slowly peddling.
 
Pete,
Cabelas owns the Herters molds as far as I know. To stay in business I had to create my own molds which wasn't cheap. The heads are very similar, but they are not "roll" molded like the old herters and the material is more plyable and not hard like the old style which would crack when cold. The paint is EXTREMELY durable and since I have had them for a short period of time I haven't given them a warranty as of yet, but I am hoping to offer a lifetime after some serious testing this year. I have driven my Jeep over them and smashed them with hammers and they are tough. They are slighty smaller than the old Herters but not enough to notice. They are "blow molded" and the neck is rounded at the bottom. Glad to see an old Navy guy. Thanks for the interest. Check out my site when you get chance, I give away a free decoy every month in a drawing and registering is free. DC
 
Dave,

Thanks for finding the forum and posting some background information. There is a market for 'economically' priced decoys...something better than plastic, but within reach of the average guy.

Greg,

I hope you take Dave up on his offer, can't beat the price, and seeing it in hand may (or may not) change opinions.

I think this is a case of you get what you pay for. I remember getting the LL Bean catalog this summer, and they had cork decoys in there for $69 if I remember. Well, I guess, given the choice, for that money, I'd rather have 3 of Dave's decoys. But for that money, I can get a sheet of cork and knock out 11 or 12 mallards of my own (plus the cost of headstock and paint)...just trying to add some perspective.

Chuck
 
Tgentry,
Funny. I used to get a lot of ribbing from the guys when I had a set of the old Flambeau plastic dekes. They were the ones that looked like they were "smiling". Once the ducks committed and were "water floppin", I'm sure they were wondering what those decoys were smiling about. My cork decoys have been very effective and if they aren't "pretty" at arms length......are they pretty at shotgun range? It appears they are pretty enough for ducks.
 
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