Turkey Strikers and the Janka Scale

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SwampDrummin
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Turkey Strikers and the Janka Scale

Post by SwampDrummin »

So I just bought a couple snakewood strikers off Neal that were very nice, both beautiful looking and sounding. It got me wanting to try some strikers out of harder woods, even though snakewood is some of the hardest in the world at 3,840 lbf on the Janka scale.

Anyone have any experience with strikers from some of the hardest woods in the world? I found these three:

1. Australian Buloke - 5060

2. Axe Breaker/ Schinopsis brasiliensis/ Quebracho/ Barauna, Chamacoco - 4,800

3 Schinopsis balansae, Quebracho Colorado, Red Quebracho - 4,570

I’m thinking a striker made from Axe Breaker would be real nice to have tucked in my vest.

Also, any opinions on what a sweet spot would be as far as hardness?
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davisd9
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Re: Turkey Strikers and the Janka Scale

Post by davisd9 »

Different surfaces does well with different hardness of strikers.


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Mastevt
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Re: Turkey Strikers and the Janka Scale

Post by Mastevt »

Sometimes you can get too hard! That striker peg has to bite a bit to work. Too hard on the wrong surface, and you get screechy sounds. I use a lot of Purple heart pegs in my call combos. It's hard, and yet bites well. Another good one is the original Rutland Diamondwood. That stuff is pretty hard, and the resin in the wood, helps it bite also. You still have to watch it on metal surfaces tho. It can be screechy also.
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Sir-diealot
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Re: Turkey Strikers and the Janka Scale

Post by Sir-diealot »

Neal makes a great striker.
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Gooserbat
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Re: Turkey Strikers and the Janka Scale

Post by Gooserbat »

I've found that the poursness...is that a word? Any way that and weight are bigger factors than hardness.
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BigPiney
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Re: Turkey Strikers and the Janka Scale

Post by BigPiney »

Try IPE. I think it may be known as Bolivian or Peruvian Walnut too. Not 100 on that other name but it's hard and dense. Used as decking and flooring a lot. Different surfaces run better with different density of strikers IMO. Ive yet to find one that covered everything to its potential. I like Osage, poplar, purpleheart, maple and tulipwood. Olivewood is good too long as it's been kiln dried because it's oily.
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SwampDrummin
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Re: Turkey Strikers and the Janka Scale

Post by SwampDrummin »

Had a few drinks the other night and ordered a few more, IPE included, can’t quite recall the rest. Some of y’all probably know the drill. Gonna be Christmas here in a few days. I also added in rain chalk because that showed up a lot in my striker research.
decoykrvr
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Re: Turkey Strikers and the Janka Scale

Post by decoykrvr »

Since the eary 80's, I've made strikers from over 50 different woods including most of the woods highest on the Janka scale. Some of the hardest woods which come from the tropics also have a high oil, waxy content which necessitates soaking the lower couple of inches in acetone then a light sanding before they will run. I usually do this before carrying the striker afield. Woods whch require this treatment are olive, vera wood, some of the ebonys and rosewoods. I typically carry about 8-10 strikers when I hunt and tote strikers of softer woods (pecan,apple, cedar, Australian cyprus) along with my hard wood strikers ( IPE, pink ivory, purpleheart, rosewood) as well a a corian or aluminium tipped striker and a diamondwood. The one striker which I will not go into the woods without is made from Massaranduba, M. bidentata, bulletwood. By changing strikers, I can vary the pitch and tone of most pot calls, but still usually carry a slate call, a metal surface call (copper, aluminium, titanium) and a glass/crystal. Some of my favorite domestic hardwoods are Blackjack oak, Red oak, Chinaberry, dogwood, hickory, maple, Black locust, ironwood, walnut, Mountain laurel, American holly, Osage orange, fishscale oak, redbud, persimmon, white juniper, red cedar, mesquite,and some of the softer fruit tree woods ie. apple, cherry, plum, pear. In imported woods try bloodwood, Brazilian cherry, bocote, Paduk, bubinga, yellowheart, tulipwood, black and white ebony, lapacho, jobillo, Homingo negro, wenge and the various rosewoods.
Last edited by decoykrvr on January 29th, 2019, 12:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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SwampDrummin
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Re: Turkey Strikers and the Janka Scale

Post by SwampDrummin »

decoykrvr wrote: January 28th, 2019, 11:47 am Since the eary 80's, I've made strikers from over 50 different woods including most of the woods highest on the Janka scale. Some of the hardest woods which come from the tropics also have a high oil, waxy content which necessitates soaking the lower couple of inches in acetone then a light sanding before they will run. I usually do this before carrying the striker afield. Woods whch require this treatment are olive, vera wood, some of the ebonys and rosewoods. I typically carry about 8-10 strikers when I hunt and tote strikers of softer woods (pecan,apple, cedar, Australian cyprus) along with my hard wood strikers ( IPE, pink ivory, purpleheart, rosewood) as well a a corian or aluminium tipped striker and a diamondwood. The one striker which I will not go into the woods without is made from Massanduruba bidentata, bulletwood. By changing strikers, I can vary the pitch and tone of most pot calls, but still usually carry a slate call, a metal surface call (copper, aluminium, titanium) and a glass/crystal. Some of my favorite domestic hardwoods are Blackjack oak, Red oak, Chinaberry, dogwood, hickory, maple, Black locust, ironwood, walnut, Mountain laurel, American holly, Osage orange, fishscale oak, redbud, persimmon, white juniper, red cedar, mesquite,and some of the softer fruit tree woods ie. apple, cherry, plum, pear. In imported woods try bloodwood, Brazilian cherry, bocote, Paduk, bubinga, yellowheart, tulipwood, black and white ebony, lapacho, jobillo, Homingo negro, wenge and the various rosewoods.

I feel like there’s a whole new world out there i’m just discovering. Thanks for all the info decoy. Very cool about the oil/wax content. Gonna have to try the bulletwood.

I Ran across various ivory tipped and bone tipped strikers too. Any experience running mammoth or walrus? My bucket list is running into next years turkey expenses.
decoykrvr
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Re: Turkey Strikers and the Janka Scale

Post by decoykrvr »

I've made strikers with a variety of different tips, corian, bone, horn, antler, and various metals, but not ivory due to the Cites prohibition. I will craft the striker, usually w/ a flair configuration, then drill a hole in the striker and tip slightly over-sized to accommodate the insertion of a threaded small bolt shaft which allows for proper alighnment and epoxying. The metal insert greatly strengthens the joint, but doesn't affect the sound. After the epoxy is fully cured, I will sand and finish the striker. I prefer a corian tip, which when lightly sanded runs extremely well on most metal surfaces and glass/crystal, but you've got to be careful w/ some slates since they can be scratched due to the hardness of the corian. If a tip won't run, try to add a little Rain Chalk. I don't know why, but it seems that all non-turkey hunters want to rub their oily fingers over the tip of any striker they get a hold of, which may require a rub-dolwn w/ alcohol or acetone and a light sanding to restore full function.
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ncturkey
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Re: Turkey Strikers and the Janka Scale

Post by ncturkey »

Not sure of the hardest of my strikers. But my Favorite striker is between thre that I have. Goncola Alves, Black Ebony and custom laminated striker that a guy made from Walnut,Osage Ebony.
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decoykrvr
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Re: Turkey Strikers and the Janka Scale

Post by decoykrvr »

On some of the hardest, most dense woods like ebony, I've had to use metal working bits and sanding surfaces to shape and finish the striker. I've made combo strikers utilizing two different woods ie. a hard wood like Ipe and a soft wood like Mulberry with a flair tip to try and get different sounds w/ the same striker. It was alot more work without much difference in the sound. The density of the wood itself makes a big difference in the tones and pitch produced by the striker and I've had real success utilizing some woods which were too oily for a striker w/ a reliable/reproducable sound as the basis for a corian, antler, or bone tipped striker. I like to use Verawood, Olive, Lignum vitae, and some of the oily exotics for the head/shaft and on some crystal/glass, metal surface pot calls they will really reach out. A friend of mine was running a corian tipped striker on a copper pot call and made the statement about the sound, "It is so loud and sharp that it travels down my face and makes my jaw hurt." With that said, I've had too many days when gobblers wouldn't respond to a hard/high pitched striker, but would respond to the softer more mellow sounds made w/ a soft wood like the fruit woods ie. apple, pear, pecan, cherry, mullberry or cedar, cypress, red oak, mahogany, Australian red gum, lacewood etc. . Between the variety of pot calls and strikers I typically carry, there is a reason that my turkey vest is so heavy, but everytime I try to eliminate items to pare down the weight, I encounter a gobbler which makes me really work w/ a variety of calls and strikers to discover the sounds which will cause him to respond and work in.
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