A Georgia maker of slate and box calls has become the Michelangelo of his craft.
Apr 1, 2008
As you walk into the small workshop of Steve Reeves, maker of Supreme Turkey Calls in Macon, Ga., the first thing that hits you is the thick aroma of exotic woods. On the far wall at the ready is the source of the scent, piles of babunga, osage, cocobolo and Bolivian rosewood. Located around the workshop are tools that turn these blanks into some of the best looking and sounding turkey calls made.
Reeves started producing slate and box turkey calls over a decade ago. "I wasn't happy with what you could buy," he says. "Once I got them to sound good, I thought I might as well make 'em look good."
Although he had a strong woodworking background, Reeves's initial call-making efforts involved a lot of trial and error. "If I wasn't happy with it, the call would end up in the fire pile. The first couple of years, there was a heap of wood wasted and burned," he says with a chuckle.
Along with the exotics, Reeves likes to use local woods that he harvests himself-drying the blanks for several years before turning them into calling masterpieces. "I have some wood staked up that came from the columns of a Civil War home," Reeves adds. "Imagine the history in that."
Until recently, Reeves's calls were a Southern secret, sold by word of mouth. Now several sporting goods stores are carrying them. Like Chesapeake waterfowl decoys, these calls seem certain
to appreciate in value. (478-741-1542; www.supremeturkeycalls.com) -Ruben Perez
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