I just had to show ya'll this... I've never made a completely Ivory call before... now this is a work in process but I did want to show it here... ... Recently I've had 2 of my friends ask me to make them solid Ivory calls... It's a work in progress at this point but thought I'd show ya'll a little of the process it's going through. This is just the barrel... in the 1st pic it's the tip of the Hippo tooth... (started out about 12" long. ) I've used it for several calls with the bead in Hippo Ivory. At this point it has no finish... just sanded down very fine, and polished... The accent rings are basically scrimmed in, a light indention, and penned in with India ink.

The tip of the Hippo tooth, cut to size:


Bead cut in and hollowed out:


Getting close...


closer....


Ivory cut thin has a translucence like no other natural material... I really think it's sharp. At this point there is no finish... I'm letting the ink dry.

very nice. look forward to seeing the completed call.

That looks sweet mate. How do you think the Hippo Ivory will resonate compared to wood?

Cheers, Vince

In my experience with Ivory it acts a lot like horn... (at least in toneboards) it sounds a little better and does have it's own sound. (I like it) This is the 1st with the whole barrel though.. before it's just been a bead and the toneboard. I have done barrels in horn and the had a little better resonance... I'm curious to know myself.

Ok, now I can chime in, I didn't respond to your giveaway. Coyotes have a special meaning to me and I wouldn't personally want to kill one. I do love your work and I'm a bit of a novice wood worker/turner. Would love to know how you find such exotic turning materials, and what you use to hold it in your lathe. It looks very delicate and (for me at least) easy to screw up the surface and ruin. Looking at the above photos, it just looks like you've chucked it up on metal alone, I'd think you're holding them with leather or rubber?

Anyway, they're wonderfully colorful. I don't notice any variation in the turning, do you use a pattern to go by? Oh yeah one more.........how can you stand the smell? Isn't it stinky cutting into that stuff?


Jest
Bein
Nosey


Suz

Thank you Suzanne!

This is very hard to come buy, actually at the moment I don't know where to get any more of it... but when I find it I usually buy as much as I can. (just doing searching on the .net)... Ivory is pretty tough stuff... I actually feel the need to sharpen my tools when cutting it and make very light passes.... no leather or anything to hold with there... that is actually what is called a "pin mandrel" There is a flat that is exactly as deep as a piece of coat hanger... (bet you see where this is going) yeah I loose 'em so I just cut another piece of coat hanger! LOL anyway with that short piece of coat hanger in place I slide the soon to be call on.... give it a little twist, and it locks in place... (pretty ingenious so you know it wasn't my invention) LOL No pattern to go by though... I've made a few and I'm a creature of habit. I do take measurements along the way and that helps with consistency.

Simply Gorgeous

Suzanne, I just realized I didn't answer your question on the smell... It's got to be the worst possible thing there is... Not sure if you've ever worked with horn?... Makes me appreciate that smell. LOL

I just finished it!... The barrel is Hippo Ivory and is followed with one of my hand cut o-ring fitted Warthog Tusk Ivory toneboards. Both pieces are carrying my CA finish inside and out, buffed and polished to a very high gloss. I've signed it (Brad Gainey) & dated it inside the barrel under the finish. (Most of my calls are signed "Yotehntr") There's something about the ivory that has a slightly different sound than other materials... it is very crisp and sharp.. very responsive. I hope the owner will like it!

Great looking call

Brad...that is a "call" that anyone would be proud to display.

Looks absolutely magnificent. I am not sure I can see the eventual owner actually using it; its such a work of art mate. You are definitely an artisan mate.

Cheers, Vince

Quite a work of art, Brad. Congratulations for your fine work.

I don't even call 'yotes and you are making me want one to display as art

Absolutely awesome. May I dare ask the price you get for one of these?

Thank you for the compliments folks!

Well leanporker....hope you're sitting down ... these sell for $250.

Wow absolutely gorgeous!