the last blackwood deer call
Moderator: Excalibur Marketing Dude
the last blackwood deer call
It's been frustrating to see the quality go down and the price go up on african blackwood turning squares over the past few years. I used to be able to make deer calls and sell them for the same (or very slightly higher) prices as calls made of other woods & laminates, but the past couple years it has been almost impossible to find blackwood fit to turn a call out of. Last year I ordered enough blackwood to make a few calls and if my memory serves me correctly I had only one turn out to be good enough to offer for sale.
I decided I wasn't going to buy any more blackwood or even try to make deer calls from it anymore. It's hard to work with and at today's prices and lack of quality it's just not a good option for calls. High prices and low quality just isn't my idea of good business.
Yesterday I was sorting through my supplies and found one last blackwood turning square I had thrown in with the rest of my natural wood supply and forgot about after all the frustration of turning calls only to find they were more suited for firewood than for offering for sale.
I decided to give it a try. Either way it would no longer taunt me - it would either be a deer call or firewood!
The grain was just a bit coarser than I like (the fine grain blanks I used to get contain a natural oil that polishes like glass), but it turned out fairly good.
Not glass-like smoothness, but good enough to use to call deer with.
I like the looks and sound of it well enough to use it myself, so it's not going on the "trading post". I don't plan on making any more blackwood calls so I'll probably just keep this one for the guy who usually ends up with a patched up reject hanging from his neck - ME.
I decided I wasn't going to buy any more blackwood or even try to make deer calls from it anymore. It's hard to work with and at today's prices and lack of quality it's just not a good option for calls. High prices and low quality just isn't my idea of good business.
Yesterday I was sorting through my supplies and found one last blackwood turning square I had thrown in with the rest of my natural wood supply and forgot about after all the frustration of turning calls only to find they were more suited for firewood than for offering for sale.
I decided to give it a try. Either way it would no longer taunt me - it would either be a deer call or firewood!
The grain was just a bit coarser than I like (the fine grain blanks I used to get contain a natural oil that polishes like glass), but it turned out fairly good.
Not glass-like smoothness, but good enough to use to call deer with.
I like the looks and sound of it well enough to use it myself, so it's not going on the "trading post". I don't plan on making any more blackwood calls so I'll probably just keep this one for the guy who usually ends up with a patched up reject hanging from his neck - ME.
wabi
Re: the last blackwood deer call
She's pretty too! Nice work Mike.
It’s not the way you rock, it’s the way that you roll!
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Re: the last blackwood deer call
That's a sweet looking call!!! If you decide to sell it let me know!!!
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Re: the last blackwood deer call
Very nice craftsmanship~!
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Re: the last blackwood deer call
You brought out its best Mike. Looks Great!!
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Re: the last blackwood deer call
Fine lookin call you made Mike
Re: the last blackwood deer call
Very fine looking call . Whish I could afford one like that.
Retired from the Working World
MICRO 355
50 CAL Traditions Pursuit
Mosburg 100ATR 30-06
Henry Lever 22lr
Mosburg 500
Savage 243
MICRO 355
50 CAL Traditions Pursuit
Mosburg 100ATR 30-06
Henry Lever 22lr
Mosburg 500
Savage 243
Re: the last blackwood deer call
Wow! Very nice! That's some beautiful work Mike.
I like things with strings.....
4 Guitars
8 Excals
1 Scorpyd
PSE Tac Elite
13 Grayling Bears
And 2 Hoyts
4 Guitars
8 Excals
1 Scorpyd
PSE Tac Elite
13 Grayling Bears
And 2 Hoyts
Re: the last blackwood deer call
I really like the Blackwood call I bought from you a few years ago.... The Cocabola call is not bad either
Exocet 175
Munch Mount
ComfyBear String
DaGriz Knife
Munch Mount
ComfyBear String
DaGriz Knife
Re: the last blackwood deer call
Great looking call!
vixen 11
exocet 175 with Aging custom stock #27
Exocet 175
exocet 200
matrix 355
Micro Camo 335
Micro Nightmare 335
380 Lynx
BJ custom arrows
Boo string on vixen
exocet 175 with Aging custom stock #27
Exocet 175
exocet 200
matrix 355
Micro Camo 335
Micro Nightmare 335
380 Lynx
BJ custom arrows
Boo string on vixen
Re: the last blackwood deer call
Sliver,
That's the blackwood I enjoyed working with!
You can probably tell from the pics of your call compared to my latest one how much smoother (finer grain and "oilier") that wood was.
Just a guess, but my best guess is that a few years ago the wood was probably from "old growth" timber and today's wood is being grown under conditions to promote fast growth as the wood has no doubt become more desirable for commercial uses. The wood I've bought in the past couple years is much harder to turn (wants to "chatter" on the lathe) and doesn't seem to have nearly as much of the natural oil the wood for years past had.
Guess it's just another sign I'm getting old. It seems like every day I can pick up something and remember how much better it was "back in the good old days".
Just today I picked up a "Snickers" bar at the grocery store and had to pay almost a dollar for a 5¢ candy bar that was only half the size of what I used to buy!
That's the blackwood I enjoyed working with!
You can probably tell from the pics of your call compared to my latest one how much smoother (finer grain and "oilier") that wood was.
Just a guess, but my best guess is that a few years ago the wood was probably from "old growth" timber and today's wood is being grown under conditions to promote fast growth as the wood has no doubt become more desirable for commercial uses. The wood I've bought in the past couple years is much harder to turn (wants to "chatter" on the lathe) and doesn't seem to have nearly as much of the natural oil the wood for years past had.
Guess it's just another sign I'm getting old. It seems like every day I can pick up something and remember how much better it was "back in the good old days".
Just today I picked up a "Snickers" bar at the grocery store and had to pay almost a dollar for a 5¢ candy bar that was only half the size of what I used to buy!
wabi
Re: the last blackwood deer call
[quote="wabi"] It seems like every day I can pick up something and remember how much better it was "back in the good old days".
Just today I picked up a "Snickers" bar at the grocery store and had to pay almost a dollar for a 5¢ candy bar that was only half the size of what I used to buy! [/quote
That is so true ,,, I know the feeling
Just today I picked up a "Snickers" bar at the grocery store and had to pay almost a dollar for a 5¢ candy bar that was only half the size of what I used to buy! [/quote
That is so true ,,, I know the feeling
Exocet 175
Munch Mount
ComfyBear String
DaGriz Knife
Munch Mount
ComfyBear String
DaGriz Knife