A few years back, the daughter of a dear old friend (who had passed 20 years prior) asked me to meet her at her dad's old workshop.
My dear old friend was many things. He was the father of one of my best fiends growing up, he was a WW2 vet...paratrooper from a glider infantry division in the 17th Airborne Division, he was a master longrifle builder and he was one of only 3 other turkey hunters in my whole area at the time I started hunting turkeys. While I had no actual mentor....and we never did hunt together... my old buddy WOULD answer specific turkey questions if I asked him.
So I met his daughter at the shop and she gifted me a box with a a couple of his turkey calls inside. She also said if there was anything else I saw in the shop, I could have it. The shop had been, basically, emptied of its contents. But I spied a board in a pile of lumber scraps on the floor. It was a piece of 8/4" straight-grained walnut about the size of a shotgun stock blank. I said, "How about this" ?? She told me that the whole pile was going in the dumpster, so I could have IT and any other wood in the pile. So I rooted around and also found a 4" wide length of 4/4" walnut. I thanked her much and left.
The wood lived overhead in my shed for a few years when, one day, it occurred to me what I should do with such special boards. I reasoned that, since the wood CAME from the workshop of a master (longrifle builder) it should GO to the shops of other masters (call builders) to memorialize the man who got me more of my start in turkey hunting than anyone else.
So, the journey started with a gab session and showing the boards to Mr. Lamar Williams. I told him the story of my buddy and of my idea. Lamar graciously agreed to take the project on and he took the wood with him.
One day, at a later time, my phone rang. Lamar had gotten a pair of old hen boxes and a spare paddle from the boards.
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Lamar also said that there were two pieces of the board left over that weren't big enough to make more box calls. But they'd "make a trumpet". So, he sent the two pieces back with the pair of beautiful box calls.
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So, I got on the phone and called Irving Whitt. I told him about my journey and he was ALL about it !! He asked what I wanted. I said, "You just do what you do".....and I sent him a one of the blanks. What Irving sent back was nothing short of AMAZING. A buffalo horn mouthpiece with an ivory spacer....brass ferrule....holly spacer and ebony bell.
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"Elated" with what I got from Whitt would have been the understatement of that whole year.
So, with one trumpet blank remaining, at dinner one evening at Unicoi 2023 with Larry Profitt and Ralph Permar, I floated my idea to Ralph. He was very graciously willing to undertake the last leg of my journey. It was just going to be a while. At Unicoi this year, Ralph told me it would be "likely June" when I'd get a call to send him my wood. He wasn't very far off. We spoke on the phone and I decided I'd like one of his 1930 model trumpets. I sent the wood and, in NO TIME at all, there was a box from Ralph in my mailbox !!!
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So, it took a few years time. But I have.......to me....one of the greatest call groups ANYONE could ask for. And each call came from the same piece of Pennsylvania walnut out of the shop of the man who, pretty much, lit the turkey hunting spark in me. Had he only known then what he was, ultimately, going to be mostly responsible for....... SHEESH !!! ;D
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That's awesome and you have some great memories and calls from some of the best... congrats ..
What an amazing story...and incredible calls...wow!! :drool: But more importantly, the men you surrounded the story with. Thanks for sharing your adventure!!
Man those are some amazing callers and a great story! Congrats Don!
Oh my
The story combined with the call is PRICELESS!!!!
What are your plans for the spare paddle?
Quote from: 3bailey3 on August 06, 2024, 01:57:22 PMWhat are your plans for the spare paddle?
Ummm...... ::)
Currently, have yet to formulate that plan.
Great way to pay tribute to your friend, awesome little flock, looking forward to seeing pictures with dead Toms. Thanks for sharing, Don.
Great story, great people and some mighty fine turkey calls! This one has it all. :happy0064:
Wow!
Great story...and impressive, beautiful work by all involved. :icon_thumright:
Great looking calls! I love the story behind them.
Fantastic!. Congrats!
What an amazing story. Thank you for sharing.
Beautiful calls enjoy!
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I am not sure I could have written a better story for that wood. Congratulations. Some true treasures there.
Well done my friend, all were perfect choices. What a terrific outcome for your journey.
Great story and nice callers!
You saw the potential lying there in that wood pile. That box set is on another level, and the horns are killer too. They'll always trigger special memories for you of an important person, a formative time. Congrats!
What a great story and a great way to remember your friend.
Fine calls and great story, congratulations
Quote from: Zobo on August 09, 2024, 08:52:06 AMYou saw the potential lying there in that wood pile. That box set is on another level.....
I watched a Neil Cost video a couple decades ago where Neil described the characteristics of a suitable piece of box call lumber. I saw most all of them in that piece of walnut and the wheels started to turn.
I also fetched a piece of 8/4" cherry from that pile..... ;)
That cherry would pair well with that extra lid!
Quote from: 3bailey3 on August 09, 2024, 05:29:59 PMThat cherry would pair well with that extra lid!
:icon_thumright: :icon_thumright:
Quote from: 3bailey3 on August 09, 2024, 05:29:59 PMThat cherry would pair well with that extra lid!
It's a thought.....
Nice! At first I tought you were going to do a shotgun stock and a forearm with it, with the lenght given...
Cherry is overlooked a lot of times, it makes an awesome pot call... My favorite pot call is made from some old cherry...
Quote from: Greg Massey on August 17, 2024, 10:07:57 AMCherry is overlooked a lot of times, it makes an awesome pot call... My favorite pot call is made from some old cherry...
Just delivered a pair of big ol' cherry slabs and a hunk of nice, clear black locust to a fellow today.
Might be a while. But, there'll be pics to come some day.
Just came across your post. What amazing calls and even more amazing story! Incredible memories from your past and ones still to come.
Great story, thanks for sharing. It was nice that everything came together and you now have some awesome calls to remember your old friend by.
Awesome story, awesome calls!