January 2019

My Favorite Four Decoys..

​

 

  The favorite three speaker for January was George Grivas. He brought four of his favorite decoys.

            The first decoy George showed was carved by George “Pop” Combs of Amityville, New York. It was a hollow cedar Canada goose, with a poured in lead weight and a leather tab. When George Combs was getting ready to move to Maryland,  he put it up for sale in his shop and George bought it. George said he shot over this decoy and it has great sentimental value to him.

            The second decoy George showed was carved by West Trenton New Jersey resident Al Linkchurst. It was a Brant made of two hollowed out slabs of white cedar with inletted neck. It has poured in lead weight in a figure 8 pattern. When George shook it, you could hear the shot inside it. George got the decoy in 1999 in Lancaster Pennsylvania. He likes it  because he’s very fond of New Jersey birds.

            The third decoy George talked about was a Broadbill carved by Larry Udell of Center Moriches, New York.  It was made of wiley  cork. He got it at a decoy show almost twenty years ago.  George quoted Larry who said “That decoy is in the book, How to Make Working Decoys. Do you know the book?” Then George read an excerpt  from the book. “It is a fine working decoy with a rather rough rasped finish and is heavily painted in a very simple plumage pattern that is more than adequate for its job in life.”

            The fourth decoy George showed was a Brant, made of solid wood with chain ballast. It came from the Bellport Bay and the carver is unknown. He acquired it at a decoy meeting in 2015. This decoy is a favorite because it is a Brant and his only root head. 

            George added that he enjoys seeing how decoys are created and how carvers use what material they have available to them.

            In summing up the four birds he showed that night, George said these four decoys really are his favorites. 

            We thank George for bringing in his decoys and sharing with us why they truly are his favorite four. 

            George Rigby is scheduled for the March meeting with Harold Fay scheduled for the  April meeting.

​

​

​