Keepsakes we never get rid of....

MLBob Furia

MLBob Furia

Well-known member
I'll bet we all have those things which are not particularly fancy or valuable, but which we regard highly -- simply because they belonged to and were used by people of a bygone era who meant a lot to us.
We are indeed fortunate when we get to dust such things off and keep using them, thus keeping the spirit of those folks alive for us.


Earlier in the week, I received this call-barrel in the mail from one of our members. A favorite, the call had belonged to his grand-dad, but he had lost the guts to it while coming out of a walk-in hunt this fall. Cool that the barrel has discoloration where the original sticker was probably located.
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Here it is restored to working order with a walnut gut insert that I turned for it. Thought about re-finishing the barrel, but decided that would be sacrilegious! Only wish there had been a photo of the original, so I could have made an exact duplicate. Here's hoping it gets many more seasons of use!
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Bob, that looks great. The barrel and insert look like they belong together.

Funny you mention hanging onto things. I have an Olt 66 and Olt 77 pair that were my first calls. They still work but don't get used. I have no reason for keeping them other than the memories that are attached to them.
 
Bob,
That looks like a Dennison duck call. The Stradivarious version had a lip on the mouth end. It is a Reelfoot lake style call with a flat cedar toneboard, cedar block and bronze reed. I bought my son a Cherry wood version and it was just like the one in the photo. I believe I bought that one through Knutson's back in the mid 90's. If your friend wanted another "original" tone barrel, they are from Newbern TN. I bought 5 calls from them directly in the mid 90's all had been turned in the early 80's the mfg dates are scribed into the insert. Take a look on ebay for photos
 
Bob

Great job. It looks like they have been together for decades, perfectly matched.

Tim
 
Ron,
Like Billy Joel said: "You may be right."
Googled & found this:
View attachment 2dennison002.jpg
Even shows where that label would've been. Jim Jr., send it back after the season and I'll make an insert in the original shape if that's how you remember it.
 
those were nice calls, I used to have a dennison with a metal reed back in the early 90's
one day out in the bay in january, with a motor that wouldn't start. I lost the one end of it in the bay, as I was desperately pulling the pull start. and it floated away
never to be seen again.

I still have the barrel part in a call box in the basement.
 
Very cool Bob and nice restoration project. There are a few guys that make the reelfoot style toneboards that I know of. Have you ever given it a try Bob? I have not ventured into those waters myself, but have an idea of what it entails. That would be an awesome way to restore it to its original state if they are indeed Reelfoot style toneboards. From that picture they do appear to be Reelfoot style.
Steve
 
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