Dusty Devil Dale Posted April 11, 2022 Share Posted April 11, 2022 I am constantly frustrated by products made cheaply out of various modern plastics that barely hold up until I can get them out of the (much better quality) bubble wrap in which they come packaged. But the other day I noticed this old decoy in our garden. When I was in high school, in about 1964, I recall I bought two dozen Herter's tenite butyrate plastic mallard decoys. That was 58 years ago. About 40 years ago, I had quit hunting, and I gave them to my wife to use as outdoor garden ornaments. Amazingly, they are still in place today after 20 years in a hot attic followed by 40 more years sitting out in the direct Fresno California sun and elements. Most of the original Herter's coloring is still there. They still seem very tough, and I am sure I could use them again for hunting and expect years of service from them. I wonder if others here have examples of really durable plastic products from the past technology. And what has happened to plastics formulations and manufacturing processes since then to make the products so epheneral and non-durable? 20220411_134429.heic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpo Posted April 11, 2022 Share Posted April 11, 2022 You bought these Herters decoys 58 years ago. They are still in good shape. You have not bought any more. Why? You didn't need any more. The ones you want still work. Herters is out of business. Possibly because they made stuff so good that nobody had to buy it again. Now you go down and buy some Joe's decoy shop decoys, and they are made out of chintzy plastic, and next year they will have fallen apart and you need to buy more. Joe's decoy shop is going to be in business for a long time. I believe the term for that is planned obsolescence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Gun Barney, SASS #2428 Posted April 11, 2022 Share Posted April 11, 2022 Those original ones are probably radioactive, toxic, carcinogenic or even worse, non-recyclable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted April 11, 2022 Share Posted April 11, 2022 6 minutes ago, Crazy Gun Barney, SASS #2428 said: Those original ones are probably radioactive, toxic, carcinogenic or even worse, non-recyclable. But reusable forever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyesa Horg Posted April 11, 2022 Share Posted April 11, 2022 1 hour ago, Crazy Gun Barney, SASS #2428 said: Those original ones are probably radioactive, toxic, carcinogenic or even worse, non-recyclable. P65 warning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Devil Dale Posted April 11, 2022 Author Share Posted April 11, 2022 2 hours ago, Crazy Gun Barney, SASS #2428 said: Those original ones are probably radioactive, toxic, carcinogenic or even worse, non-recyclable. Perhaps that's why we have no mosquitoes in our yard! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Devil Dale Posted April 12, 2022 Author Share Posted April 12, 2022 2 hours ago, Alpo said: You bought these Herters decoys 58 years ago. They are still in good shape. You have not bought any more. Why? You didn't need any more. The ones you want still work. Herters is out of business. Possibly because they made stuff so good that nobody had to buy it again. Now you go down and buy some Joe's decoy shop decoys, and they are made out of chintzy plastic, and next year they will have fallen apart and you need to buy more. Joe's decoy shop is going to be in business for a long time. I believe the term for that is planned obsolescence. BINGO !!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckshot Bear Posted April 12, 2022 Share Posted April 12, 2022 I can say one thing.....I REALLY struggle sometimes with opening up plastic blister packed item.......I sometimes feel like going postal and stabbing the **&^&@$^ out of them!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chantry Posted April 12, 2022 Share Posted April 12, 2022 11 hours ago, Buckshot Bear said: I can say one thing.....I REALLY struggle sometimes with opening up plastic blister packed item.......I sometimes feel like going postal and stabbing the **&^&@$^ out of them!!!! It's especially bad when the plastic blister pack contains the replacement knife for the one you lost that you used to use to open the plastic blister packs with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Devil Dale Posted April 12, 2022 Author Share Posted April 12, 2022 2 hours ago, Chantry said: It's especially bad when the plastic blister pack contains the replacement knife for the one you lost that you used to use to open the plastic blister packs with. Blister packs are tough. I believe it is the same material used in 2 liter soft drink containers. I use the soft drink containers for makeshift snap-on snake leggings (Im not kidding). You just cut off the curved top and bottom, leaving a bit of the crimp at the bottom, then slit the tube vertically. Snap one on just above the top of a boot and snap another one on from the opposite side. The slight crimp at the bottom keeps it from sliding down. I carry a couple sets in my truck. They nestle together for storage, and take just seconds to put on and they stay in place over my Wranglers all day long without readjusting. They weigh next to nothing. I've actually had them deflect strikes of 3' to 4' rattlers on two occasions, working at my ranch. Cheap limb insurance. I don't know how they would work for larger Western or Eastern Diamondback (and I don't care to go and test them). But they work much better than the expensive, bulky leggings that I rarely take time to put on and Buckle up. AFTER THOUGT: they also are good heat insulators, which likely impedes pit vipers' heat sensing organ from finding you as a prey item. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgavin Posted April 12, 2022 Share Posted April 12, 2022 This reminds me of those old cast iron hand-crank meat grinders that attached to the sink board with a screw clamp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Devil Dale Posted April 12, 2022 Author Share Posted April 12, 2022 46 minutes ago, bgavin said: This reminds me of those old cast iron hand-crank meat grinders that attached to the sink board with a screw clamp. I have several of those in different sizes. Great for grinding nuts for cookies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Church Key, SASS # 33713 Posted April 13, 2022 Share Posted April 13, 2022 Dug out a 1972 Herter's catalog and found "Herter's Famous Pure Butyrate Tenite Plastic Duck Decoys" at $2.60 each; $26.95 a dozen. Inflation cost today = $16.76 for one. Still reasonable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Bob #35998 Posted April 13, 2022 Share Posted April 13, 2022 On 4/12/2022 at 8:41 AM, bgavin said: This reminds me of those old cast iron hand-crank meat grinders that attached to the sink board with a screw clamp. I have a couple of cast iron shotshell roll crimpers from the. Late 1800s. They work just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyesa Horg Posted April 13, 2022 Share Posted April 13, 2022 Have 2 myself, use them on my BP shells Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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