VERY RARE MINT SUPERB 1995 ORVIS SWIMMING MALLARD RIGGED GUNNING DECOY Wood Duck

ABOUT the ORVIS COMPANY





 

Orvis is an American family-owned retail and mail-order business specializing in fly fishing, hunting and sporting goods. Founded in Manchester, Vermont, in 1856 by Charles F. Orvis to sell fishing tackle, it is the oldest mail-order retailer in the United States.




 

Orvis operates 70 retail stores and 10 outlet/warehouse locations in the US and 18 retail stores and one outlet store in the UK. Owned by the Perkins family since 1965, the company has changed hands twice and has had five CEOs in its history.





 

History

Charles F. Orvis opened a tackle shop in Manchester, Vermont, in 1856. His 1874 fly reel was described by reel historian Jim Brown as the "benchmark of American reel design," the first fully modern fly reel.





 

Prior to the Civil War Orvis was sending out catalogs, which predated more famous ones from Sears, Roebuck by more than 20 years. Charles's daughter, Mary Orvis Marbury, took charge of the Orvis fly department in the 1870s. In 1892, she published an encyclopedic reference book on fly patterns Favorite Flies and Their Histories.






 

Following Charles's death in 1915, sons Albert and Robert managed the company until the 1930s, when it essentially collapsed during the Depression. Investors, led by Philadelphia businessman-sportsman Dudley Corkran, purchased Orvis in 1939 for US$4,500 (equal to $87,664 today), and quickly revitalized the business. Corkran hired master bamboo rod-builder Wes Jordan, who by the late 1940s had developed a Bakelite impregnation process that made Orvis bamboo rods uniquely impervious to weather, rot, and other perennial perils.





 

After World War II, as fiberglass claimed the fishing rod market, Orvis competed with bamboo rod builders, such as Payne, Gillum, and Garrison, while its fiberglass and graphite rods competed with Shakespeare, Fenwick, and other emerging post-bamboo-era firms.







 

Purchase by the Perkins Family

 

In 1965 after nine months of negotiations with Corkran, Leigh H. Perkins (Nov. 27, 1927 - May 7, 2021) bought Orvis for $400,000, equal to $1,719,747 today. Perkins had since his youth held an admiration for the company which he purchased using $200,000 in savings and the rest in the form of a loan. At the time the company had 20 employees and $500,000 in annual sales. In 1966 Perkins established the Orvis fly-fishing school in Manchester, Vermont, which is thought to have been the first of its kind in the United States. His idea was to both to democratize the world of fly casting and at the same time to expand his customer base. Eventually the company was to establish a total of seven such fishing schools.






 

Perkins recognized the opportunity to make Orvis synonymous not only with fly fishing but with an entire way of life, and greatly enlarged the product line in the 1980s into gifts and clothing. Described by contemporaries as a genius at mail order, Perkins pioneered the trading of customer mailing lists among his chief competitors, including L.L. Bean, Eddie Bauer and Norm Thompson. Inspired by Perkin’s respect for working dogs the company in 1977 introduced the Orvis Dog Nest bed, which not only launched an entirely new category for the company, but which was the first of its kind sold in the United States.





 

Under Perkins and Jordan's successor as chief rod builder, Howard Steere, Orvis became the world's largest manufacturer of high-quality fly rods and reels. In 1989, Tom Peters, author of In Search of Excellence, named the Orvis fly rod one of the five best products made in the United States in the 1980s. Historian Kenneth Cameron has written that Perkins' accomplishment was to "define the look of contemporary fly fishing and the entire social universe in which it fits, no small achievement."






 

By the time that Perkins retired in 1992 and turned Orvis over to his sons the company had grown to have annual sales of $90 million and more than 700 employees. Under the leadership of Perkins' sons, then-CEO Leigh ("Perk") Perkins, Jr., and Executive Vice Chairman Dave Perkins, Orvis has more fully formalized- and broadened its corporate vision. Whilst Orvis has thrived and revenue has more than tripled under the second generation of Perkins leadership, a long-simmering corporate identity crisis had to be addressed: the company's growth had strained Orvis' sense of direction - e.g. between 1982 and 2000, Orvis purchased six other firms, most of whose own identities did not mesh well with Orvis and thus put the clarity of the brand at risk. As a result beginning in 2000 a rebranding effort began to focus Orvis as a name synonymous with a distinctive, outdoor style of living.






 

Simon Perkins, the son of Leigh “Perk” Perkins (former Orvis CEO), and grandson of Leigh H. Perkins took over the company as president in 2020 and Continue to supply outdoorsmen and sportsmen the best gear available.











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The Orvis Company Occasionally Delves into Specialized Products Such as "High Quality Wooden Duck Decoys"







 

• Once Every So Often, Orvis Attempted to Enter the Gunning Decoy Market with a "Famed" or "Noted" Decoy Carver & Had them Design and Often Paint these Limited Edition Decoy's as Well. For Instance, Orvis Once Commissioned Famous & Noted Carver "Cameron McIntyre" to Design Master Decoys & "Lisa Byrd" Beautifully Painted these Rare "Factory" Decoys.

(below photos): An Orvis Black Duck Carved & Painted Exactly to Cameron McIntyre Master by Lisa Byrd & Her Incredible Paint!!








 

• Like Their Other Entries into the Decoy Market, They Only Made a Small Number of these Decoys & Even these Incredible Decoys Couldn't Allow Orvis to Get a Foothold in the Gunning or Collectible Decoy Market:

• But After Only a Year (from 1999 to 2000), they Realized that there was No Market at the Time for this Superb, High Priced Gunning Decoy, Sales were Poor at Best & they Quickly Exited the Market ........ thus the Reason they are So Very Hard to Find!!

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This Awesome Comb-Painted, Swimming & Turned Headed, Drake Mallard with a Metal, Curled, Tail Pin Feather, Solid Cedar Decoy up for auction:





























(below photos): This Extremely Rare Orvis c1995 Drake Mallard "Factory Decoy", is a Special Edition of an Orvis Decoy; Which They Made Special Editions of On and Off Over the Many Years:








 

• This Drake Mallard is a c1994-95 Orvis "Special Edition" Entry into the Gunning & Collectible Decoy Market with a "Noted" Decoy Carver & Had them Design and Often Paint these Limited Edition Decoy's or Contract to Another "Notable" Painter ......... this Particular Mallard & the Series it is from was Not Signed By the Maker of the Master or Painter:

• But After Only a Year (from 1995 to 1996), they Realized that the Series of Decoys this Drake Mallard was In, were Hard to Market, High Priced Gunning Decoys which Had Poor Sales and they Would Quickly Canceled the Series ........ thus the Reason they are So Very Hard to Find ......... But Ironically or Determinedly, Orvis Continued Trying to Enter the Decoy Market But Couldn't Make It Work:

• This Swimming Drake Mallard up for auction, is a c1995, 29-Year Old, Solid Cedar & Turned Head Decoy .......... and Has the "Deeply Hot-Branded, Burned In" Orvis Brand or Logo:

(below photos): This Extremely Rare Orvis c1995 "Solid Cedar" Drake Mallard, Factory-Made, Gunning Decoy Bottom So You Can See the Superb Rigging & Hot Brand:

















(Below Photo): Again, this Decoy has the Most Incredible & Consistent Comb-Painting ............ and the "HOT-BRANDED" ORVIS was Evenly, Cleanly & Superbly Branding-Iron, Burnt-In:
















(Below Photo): The Heavy-Duty Line-Tie Rigging is a Large Nickel Screw with a Brass, Upraised Flange Lock-Washer & it is Tight Like Made Yesterday:


















(Below Photo): Again, this Drake Mallard has Some of the Most Incredible & Consistent Comb-Painting I Have Ever Seen on Any Decoy ............ Extraordinarily & Perfectly Comb Painted on the Back, Sides & Belly Just Like a Real Drake Mallard:



























(below photos): This Extremely Rare Orvis c1995 Drake Mallard's Awesome Carved & Superbly Painted Head ....... was Carved in a "Swimming & Turned" Pose with Perfectly Carved in Head/Bill Separation, Nostrils & Mandibles ...... and Perfectly Mounted to the Beautifully Raised Neck Seat So Flawlessly it "You Can't Even See the Seam":








 

• The Head was Attached with a Through-Body Dowel & a Marine Glue ....... and the Dowel Goes Deep into the Neck & Head .......... and is as Tight as the Day it was Made:

• Finally, the High-Quality Glass Eyes were Drilled in & Mounted with Such Precision its Likely a Drilling-Jig was Used:

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(Below Photos): The Amazing Comb-Painting was painted First and then the Brown Breast was Feather Blended in Beautifully ............ then the Speculums, Black & White Wing, Rear Side & Tail Paint was Crisply & Perfectly Done ............ Lastly the Green Head, Yellow Bill & White Neck Ring were Crisply & Concisely Painted On:





















(below photos): This Mint, Life-Like & Very Realistic Gunning Decoy has Beautiful, Thick Metal, Curled Tail or Sex Feathers ....... that Were Perfectly Attached with 2 Metal Rounded Head Brads & are as Tight as the day this Decoy was Made:
























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(below photos): Another Orvis Decoy Carved & Painted Exactly to Cameron McIntyre Master by Lisa Byrd & Her Incredible Paint ..... in this Case a Hen Mallard that is Just Incredible:
























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(below photos): A Drake Mallard Orvis Decoy, Again Carved & Painted Exactly to Cameron McIntyre's Master with Lisa Byrd's Incredible Paint:




























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(below photo): An Orvis Drake Pintail from the 1990's, But the Carver of the Master & the Painter are Not Identified on this Decoy ......... But this Gorgeous Decoy also Resembles Cameron McIntyre & Lisa Byrd's Decoys that were Made for Orvis:
















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This Extremely Rare, Mint, c1995 Orvis "Swimming" & "Turn-Headed" Drake Mallard Gunning Decoy up for auction:































MINT, NEVER-USED, VERY RARE; 100% ORIGINAL; c1995 "ORVIS COMPANY"; "SOLID CEDAR"; "SWIMMING" DRAKE MALLARD; "GUNNING & COLLECTIBLE MODEL"; WOOD DUCK DECOY







 

 

"AWESOME" PATINA to this 29+ YEAR OLD, "OIL-BASED" ARTIST'S PAINT!!








 

VERY CLEAN "ORVIS" HOT-BRAND from the FACTORY AFTER it was PAINTED!!








 

• The Entire Decoy Was Sealed with a Thickly Painted On Dark Primer and was Done First!​

• Next, the Back, Sides & Belly were Given a Clean But Thick Coat of Gray Paint that was Immediately Comb-Painted While Still Wet ......... and the Dark Undercoat Perfectly Accentuates the Stunning, Uniform, Precise "Comb-Painting"!

• Next, the Blue Speculums & Black & White Wing, Rear Side and Tail Paint was Precisely, Cleanly & Exceptionally Applied ........ Along with the Black Metal Tail that was Previously Nailed On!

• Then the Rich "Raw/Burnt-Sienna" Brown Breast was Beautifully Painted on & the Brown Breast Paint was Perfectly Feather-Blended into the Gray Body Paint & Looks Very Realistic!

• Lastly, the Entire Deep Green & Black Blended Feathered Paint was Applied to the Head & the Perfect, Incomplete White Neck Ring was Finesse Paint On ......... and the Yellow Bill with Black Painted Nostrils & Nail were Carefully Applied!!

 

• RARE: ORIGINAL, DUPLICATING LATHE-FORMED BODY & HEAD!!

• RARE: SO MINTY, YOU CAN SEE EVERY COMB-PAINTED, BRUSH MARK of the VERY THICK, OIL-BASED PAINT!!

• SUPERB, SOLID-CEDAR CONSTRUCTION: PERFECTLY LIKE-NEW, "INCREDIBLY CARVED HEAD & RAISED NECK SEAT" ....... are PERFECT & the SEAM Where Attached is IMPOSSIBLE to EVEN SEE!

• RARE: HIGH-QUALITY, BROWN GLASS EYES LOCATED & MOUNTED PERFECTLY with a DRILLING JIG!!

• TYPICAL: PERFECT LATHE-FORMED, WELL-ROUNDED, ROUNDED-BOTTOMED DECOY; WHICH, WHEN MADE this HYDRODYNAMICALLY, WOULD SWIM THROUGH and OVER WAVES & LOOK LIFE-LIKE!!

• EXPECTED BUT SCARCE: INCREDIBLE "AGED" PATINA TO THE OIL-BASED MARINE PAINT!!

• PERFECTLY MADE: While the IDEA of a "TOP-OF-THE-LINE DECOY was an INTERESTING IDEA; the MARKET for an EXPENSIVE GUNNING DECOY is VERY SMALL & UNSUSTAINABLE as a LONE SOURCE of INCOME for a PRODUCT LINE this SPECIFIC!!

• RARE: MORE SO than any OTHER COMPANY, that's MAIN BUSINESS was FISHING & RELATED, THEY were WILLING to TAKE on ANY PROJECT that COULD PROVE a GREAT SOURCE of ADDITIONAL INCOME!!

This is a Mint c1995 Orvis, Rounded-Bodied, Extremely Rare and Short-Lived, Drake Mallard that has a perfectly symmetrical carving job and paint is amazing as well. The contours on the body and head are outstanding and it was proportioned perfectly to the form and size of a modestly, life-sized duck gunning decoy. The head was carved perfectly on a gracefully carved mallard that is swimming-posed with a widely turned head. The quality brown glass eyes were carved-in and located with such perfection I am assuming a drilling jig was used. In addition to the finely carved and mounted head, the body is so perfectly carved to accept the head into the neck seat that there is a seamless transition and it looks so perfect it gives the impression that it was made from a single piece of wood. This Very Rare decoy has a very wide and yet long body that has a lower profile for stability and awesomely posed head and neck. The bill is very accurately carved and the paint is amazing as you can see from the many photos. The head is as solidly mounted as the day that this decoy was made. This Decoy is as solid as the day that it was made and it shows wonderfully.







 

This awesome and vintage Drake Mallard was carved precisely and modest but life-sized and measures a very heavy and sturdy, high-profiled 15" long x 6-1/4" wide x 6-1/2" Tall -and- weighs 2-lbs. 13-lbs. exactly with a perfect piece of choice cedar stock for each the body and the head!

 

 

This Extremely Rare decoy is in Outstanding, Mint 100% original condition and it has a beautiful paint surface, especially the amazing comb-paint, with very precisely & life-like executed detail paint on the entire decoy. Another aspect of this decoy that indicates that it is not only special, is the hot-branded "Orvis" trade-marked logo on the bottom. This Rare and Perfect Gunning Decoy looks very awesome and displays in any discriminating collection as a unique member, especially a factory decoy enthusiasts may not have an example of in their collection.







This truly important Drake Mallard decoy is a small part of factory decoy making history as their special order decoys had such short production runs this dabbling duck would make a great addition to any collection of historic duck decoys and shorebirds. This Never-Used, Mint condition decoy is absolutely utilitarianly beautiful and one of those very rare Orvis pieces you very rarely see. If you have any questions or would like any additional photos feel free to email me.Thanks for looking.







 

The First Photo in the beginning section of this listing is of this Superb Orvis Swimming Drake Mallard Duck up for auction. The Next 2 photos are of Orvis Logos and one of Cameron McIntyre, who made a later version of these special order Orvis decoys. The Next 14 Photos are again of this decoy up for auction. The last 5 photos are of Other Rare Orvis Duck Decoys from 1999.










 

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ABOUT ONE of the MAKERS of a SPECIAL EDITION of a LATER LINE of ORVIS GUNNING DECOYS, in HIS CASE, CAMERON MCINTYRE DESIGNED and CARVED the 1999/2000 ORVIS LINE of DECOYS:








(below photo): Cameron McIntyre at Work at One of His Own Sensational Black Ducks So You Can See Why Orvis Turned to One of America's Finest Carvers to Design Their 1999/2000 Line of Decoys and How Closely their Decoys Followed His Masters!!












 

Cameron McIntyre was born in Beaufort, S.C. in November 1968. He is one of a dying breed of carvers who works exclusively with hand tools in the manner of the great decoy makers of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Cameron's lifelong passion for old decoys combined with 20 years experience as one of the country's top decoy restorers has enabled him to work on and study some of the world's finest decoys by such makers as Nathan Cobb, Lee Dudley, Elmer Crowell, the Caines brothers, William Bowman, John Blair, the Ward brothers and countless others.





 

For over a decade, Cameron was the restorer for Guyette and Schmidt Inc., the world's leading decoy auction company and has done restoration for the Ward Museum in Salisbury, MD as well as almost every major decoy collector in the US and Canada. This invaluable experience has given him a special insight into the construction and painting techniques of the "old masters" of decoys. Cameron has incorporated this knowledge of methods and materials along with his own personal feeling for sculptural form, color, and patina to create his unique modern "classics".





 

Cameron's passion for art and the natural environment extends to his landscape paintings as well. He studied life drawing, figure and landscape painting at the University of South Carolina and the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, S.C. Cameron moved to Virginia's Eastern Shore in 1989 and has been painting continually since then in quiet seclusion, studying, absorbing and interpreting the surrounding natural landscape. He has had numerous one-man and group shows across the country. His tonalist-impressionist landscapes reflect his love for color, sparse design, and the peacefulness of the environment surrounding his farm on the Eastern Shore where he lives and works. A dedicated conservationist, Cameron and his wife placed their farm in a permanent conservation easement in 2006 through the Virginia Eastern Shore Land Trust where Cameron served two terms as a board member.






 

“I think Cameron was born a hundred, maybe two hundred years too late,” says Jon Deeter, of the leading decoy auction house Guyette & Deeter, and McIntyre’s occasional hunting companion. “He could have been a decoy carver in 1825. He’s an old soul, like a Hemingway type. He’s just earthy, cool, and very talented.”





 

How talented? “Cameron is the definition of a master carver,” says Dan Thiel, the executive secretary of Ducks Unlimited, which along with Guyette & Deeter has used McIntyre’s also-considerable skills as a restorer on antique decoys. “It’s in the research he conducts and the quality of his work. He truly carries on the tradition of generations of carvers before him.”

(below photo): A CAMERON McINTYRE BLACK DUCK that WAS NOT an ORVIS DECOY, But YOU CAN SEE HOW GORGEOUS ALL of HIS DECOYS are AS THIS is a GREAT SPECIMEN of HIS "WORLD CLASS" CARVINGS:






















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ABOUT the MASTER PAINTER of a SPECIAL EDITION of a LATER LINE of ORVIS GUNNING DECOYS, in THAT CASE, CAMERON MCINTYRE DESIGNED and CARVED the 1999/2000 ORVIS LINE of DECOYS & SHE PAINTED THEM:









(below photo): A Pair of Lisa Byrd's Mallards So You Can See Why Orvis was So Impressed with Her Carving & Painting Prowess that they Entrusted Her with Adorning One of the Same Line of Decoys that Cameron McIntyre was Commissioned to Produce in 1999/2000!!