Need striker advice

[mtns2hunt]

I am using a glass pot and just don't seem to get the best results. I have about a dozen strikers and my results are variable. I seem to spend most of my time roughing up the striker tips. I am using a commerial screen. Used a hickory striker this season with good but variable results. I could not get the tone to stay consistant. Its frustrating to get odd squakes that sound more like a woodpecker than a turkey. I rough up the glass with a stone always in the same direction. I just purchased a diamondwood striker and it seems too hard and will not work well at all. It has a flared tip, not sure what a flared tip is for anyhow. Tried to search the archives but could not find relavant results. Would appreaciate any suggestions.

[SteelerFan]

Might not be the striker... might be you. Could be the angle you are holding the striker, the amount of pressure, the change of pressure, etc. Could be the arc, wrist movement, etc. etc.

I say this, just because you mentioned a dozen strikers, and that you try to condition all the time. For me, typically, a couple of swirls in a scotchbrite pad will clean the tip of my striker - and I might do that 1 or 2 times during a hunt (mostly out of habit).

Granted, some calls definitely prefer certain strikers - but you should have at least one in that bunch. For glass, I usually prefer a macassar ebony, b&w ebony, tulipwood, dymondwood, but others work just fine also.

I'd say pick one or two that give you the sound & tone you like, and work with them to perfect your movement.

...oh yeah, and it could be the pot. The best striker in the world won't help a flat sounding pot. ??

[eorlando]

What steelerfan said. Everything is spot on.

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[davisd9]

I dislike a flare tippes striker as they seem more finicky when one the surface. Glass is a favorite of mine and some good woods to use with it is Purpleheart, monkeywood, Snakewood, bubinga, and yellow heart.  I personally never really cared for dymondwood but many guys love it.

I suggest getting a striker from Mr. Harold Fowler. Sometimes we have a certain brand striker that just fits our playing style best.

Condition the glass with 180 grit sanding screen and make sure to get all the grit off.

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[jed clampett]

Not sure if that is what you meant but drywall screen isn't for conditioning strikers...scotchbrite or 150 grit sandpaper is what I use

[Double B]

In my experience dywall screen works great to take the buildup off your striker tips,  just use a light touch and don't change the contour.  I'd try another known good call to make sure it's not the problem.  Work on striker pressure and consistency and use a little chalk on your freshly sanded striker tips.  If the glass is not hazy, hit it again with the stone pretty good back and forth and really condition it.   I don't care for dymondwood all that much either, maybe try a black locust they're nice and grabby.

[mtns2hunt]

In my experience dywall screen works great to take the buildup off your striker tips,  just use a light touch and don't change the contour.  I'd try another known good call to make sure it's not the problem.  Work on striker pressure and consistency and use a little chalk on your freshly sanded striker tips.  If the glass is not hazy, hit it again with the stone pretty good back and forth and really condition it.   I don't care for dymondwood all that much either, maybe try a black locust they're nice and grabby.

Thanks everyone. I have a good place to start and some good suggestions. I am not having any issues with my slate calls but really prefer the glass. When everything works right the turkeys respond well. Never tried chalk on my strikers but will do so. Couple individuals mentioned cleaning off the grit on the call and striker tips and I will try that. I am always trying for consistency and good striker pressure. I will be trying some different strikers as I do like to change the sound of the call on occasion and to find that just right striker. I have some 180 grit sandpaper and will try that. I will advise how it goes. Again thanks all!

[Bowguy]

The fowler strikers is excellent advise. I like his rainbow colored dymondwood, snake wood or tulipwood on glass.
I use coarser than 180 though prob nearer 100.
Now sanding imo is best done only one direction. Say the call is a clock face sand 9-3, run 1-7. If you sand back n forth you'll rub your ridges off n we're attempting to put some on call.
Who makes call??

[HFultzjr]

If your slate sounds good, maybe it's the glass pot.
That many strikers and you should have found a decent one.

[mtns2hunt]

The fowler strikers is excellent advise. I like his rainbow colored dymondwood, snake wood or tulipwood on glass.
I use coarser than 180 though prob nearer 100.
Now sanding imo is best done only one direction. Say the call is a clock face sand 9-3, run 1-7. If you sand back n forth you'll rub your ridges off n we're attempting to put some on call.
Who makes call??

The call is by Butski's and I picked it up on e-bay. I had never heard of them before but took a chance and it sounded real good. Called in a couple of birds with it. Then started having problems with off sounds.

The advice I received here has been excellent. As I am self taught I may have picked up a few bad habits. Anyway I worked the call last night after stoning (cleaning the strikers) and using alcohol to clean the pot surface. (Heat was also recommended but I was not comfortable with heat). The call came back to life. Seems it is getting gummed up by grit. Its amazing how dirty it had become. Once the alcohol hit the pot it changed to a translucent color and as it dried went back to hazy. Currently I am able to run though all the turkey calls with no problem. One striker in particular is working really well although most are acceptable. It's some kind of dark wood but I am not sure what kind. Again thanks for all the responses and PM's. I am extremely happy the call is functioning as intended and is in fact much easier to use than before.