My 13 year old son has a $15 strut commander slate call, but last spring it quit working. The call simply would NOT make noise... It seems to be working well now, but what if it quits again when we need it? Turkey season starts March 30th for us, and I'm considering ordering him a higher dollar slate call now for his birthday. I would appreciate input on higher dollar slate calls.
Thanks,

did you start by conditioning it with scotch brite pad

a little explaining

Lee Chadwick at Misfire Game Calls…tell him Mark said to call.
(678) 232-7921

All we run are his calls. Slate, glass, or crystal. Tell him exactly what you want. I have my calls I use here in GA and had him make me “western calls” with a higher pitch for those Merriam’s and Rios.
He makes a mean trumpet as well…that’s all my son runs.

Try cleaning the slate surface with some dawn dish soap & water.

Finger print oils, grease, dirt, etc. will all gum up the slate & cause
them to stop producing turkey sounds.

A good cleaning, dry out, and work it over with the scotch-bright pad
will work wonders & get any slate working again.

walleyed

It’s a friction call rough up the slate with some mild sandpaper clean the tip of the striker that’s what I do but I’m not big on slate calls.

Theres a custom call makers page on facebook, they will run a sound video for you, some really nice calls for a decent price. Handcrafted by very good craftsman. Stay away from mass produced calls, I just
bought my son in law a sweet slate for $80 to my door and it is really nice and sounds great. Slates are the easiest to run but you eventually need to get to glass and aluminum as well. All my opinion only.

.ake sure the sticker is glued to the handle...if it's loose it won't make a sound...
Ask me how I know...lol

What sticker and what handle? Curious as I know of none on a slate pot call?

Calls are mass produced in many cases if you buy a $30 call be it a slate or box call some tuning will be involved you should expect that. I spent a few weeks around Ike Ashby a call maker down in Huston MO it was very interesting to see his setup. I thought it interesting that before he gave me an autographed gobbler box call he tested several before he was happy with the tone of it.

A little sanding and chalk helps and touch up all the contact points a bit to get a better sound out of a box call. Slate calls have several options like stones, 3M pads or sand papers to change or restore a tone.

I’m sure I’m missing things but others might jump in.

A corn cob handle with a plexiglass striker was Ike’s favorite striker choice.

Striker maybe?

What sticker and what handle? Curious as I know of none on a slate pot call?[/quote]


Striker maybe? [/quote]
Gotcha, probably means striker glued into the handle, many are one piece but some are dowel rods glued in?

Yes the striker...friggin spell check.
And if they are loose in the "part" u hold in your hand...
it don't work... try it and see

Wanted too add

Get several different types of strikers, as each one will have a different tone. Sometimes they like one better than another


Wood doesn’t work wet


I was getting my Turkey gear out this am. All excited!!! And saw this thread


I’ve got them all, but my fav is a MAD aluminum “slate”. It’s 30 plus years old and has killed turkeys all over North America

Was going too recommend it,,,, but then saw online the business was sold many many years ago. Lol

Not sure if they even make them anymore???


Anyway, really looking forward too this upcoming Turkey season

Good luck everyone!!

Man I live and work a “second job” just to hunt turkeys. I have nothing against store bought calls. I’ve had some good ones, but when I went to get another, it sounded totally different. I can’t find a manufacturer that can consistently make a call that sounds the same.
I went with custom calls many many years ago. Even my diaphragms are custom made. I want a certain cut and sound and have call makers that make what I want. Lee has built all my and my sons pot calls and trumpets for probably 10 years now. Heck, I get sent calls and ask what I think, lol. I’ll play them and try them and send them back and he sends them right back and says thanks for the feedback.
Some say a turkey is a turkey and a call is a call, but that doesn’t work for me. I want a specific sound for my Eastern’s and have another sound for my Western birds. If I’m gonna spend the money on travel and shells, I’m going to spend a little more for a call that sounds like I want it.
Another reason for a custom call is if you don’t like it or it’s not the sound you want, call’em up and send it back. If they’re a honest to goodness turkey call maker they’ll take it back and make it how “you” want it. I joke with Lee all the time about a call my son has. It’s my son’s “go to” call and I can’t play it worth a crap. I tell Lee not to make me one of those left handed calls, I need a right handed call, lol!! My son can play it and you’d swear you’re sitting next to a live hen. I play it and coyotes think something is dying and come running in.
I probably have over 50 pots and use mainly 2, both glass but different pitch. One’s a young hen and the other is a raspy ole gal. Raspy early then that young hen later in the season.
I’m doing good with a trumpet and my son sounds like a world champion. If nothing answers or we’re getting stumped he breaks out the trumpet and can always get a turkey to respond. He recently went to South Florida and took his “go to” pot call and the trumpet. He completed his Grand Slam the first morning with the trumpet. His first call was to me…next was to Lee.

I’m certain there’s some awesome custom call maker’s out there

And are well worth the money

Great post wannabe



This thread, and last weeks Alabama bbq thread make me want too jump in the truck a head for Tuscaloosa

Bean creek has slates, I bought my dad one he loves it, come with different strikers even glass and strikers helps with use in the rain. And they aren't super expensive

Striker is just as important as the pot. A hollow fiberglass striker should produce under most conditions, consistently. Wood is finicky, although my favorite.

I like my slate call, but won’t leave behind my Lynch box call. It’s fool proof

Thank you everyone for the info, I knew nothing... I had no idea slate/pot calls needed cleaned, or roughed up from time to time.


Thanks Mark, I got a trumpet from Lee last year based on your recommendation. I did not know that he made pot calls also. I just now spoke with Lee this evening and he is going to send me a slate call in the mail. I tried to talk him out of his copper pot call, but he only had one, and it was in his turkey vest, and he was not willing to part with it

Enticer wet one slate, awesome calls for the money
http://www.enticerturkeycalls.com/shop/turkey-calls/wet-one-slate/

If it quit working all together, it was the striker. Both need glaze taken off from time to time, maybe every day.

I've made slate calls and box calls. Mostly it's trial and error until you get some experience. There's a lot of hocus pocus and just general BS in the turkey call business. Just like many other businesses, always needing some new angle, to keep up sales.

Scouting and good woodsmanship will kill more turkeys than some high dollar exotic call.