I still have my first Lynch box call, box and manual. Here's the manual. When you didn't have anyone to teach you and you had to learn on your own, this is one of the first things I relied on, My first text book on turkey calling.

Nice! Yep, learn on your own. I remember finding a cassette tape by an outdoor biologist that put a cassette recorder out in the turkey woods and just recorded sounds, turkey and all. Still have it somewhere around here. I like those old box calls!

cool call, I learned on my own as well.
After you mess up a bunch you finally halfway figure it out

I would listen to live hens, and try to do what they did

I love box calls. Not sure they're used much anymore. I have 8 or 10. IMHO, nothing produces a more realistic yelp than a good box call.

I have a few myself but mostly hunt with mouth calls. I don't want the extra movement if I don't have to have it, same goes for pot calls.
I have used pot calls more than box, but to be honest, I think I run a box call better than the pot calls, but the pot calls fit in my vest better.
Mouth calls are my go to calls

I have a couple of custom Mark Hall box calls as well as a few of his pot calls

I like boxes for their volume. They're loud. You can really reach out with them. Good for pulling in distant birds. They're easy to cluck with, too.

I use pot calls, too. In fact, my most reliable locator is an alumium or glass pot that lets me make a really loud, high pitched yelp. I've had way more responses to a sudden, high pitched, very loud yelp than to a crow or owl locator call. In fact, I've had birds not respond at all to a crow call, but respond immediately to a high pitched yelp.

I know when I was hunting TX a lot, those Rio's loved the high pitched calls.
Most but not all Easterns where I hunt seem to like the more raspy calls. If I can't get one to hit on the raspy call, I switch to a high pitched call.

Killed my first gobbler with a M.L. Lynch World Champion box call following those same instructions.

I never used the tooth picks or the rubber bands...I am a believer in the tuning peg that wedged inside the box call..

Most people don't know about the "tuning peg" in the third picture down from the top....in place it raised the pitch of the caller.

With those instructions and Lynchs box call anyone could call and kill a Turkey if they paid attention to what Lynch wrote.

Never cared for the Lynch single sided "Fool Proof" box call....I often wondered why he named it the "Fool Proof".

Did he mean the call was fool proof on turkeys or that even a fool could call a turkey with it.

I have his old 45 records transferred onto CD....listening to him play the calls it's obvious to me the "Jet Slate" was "his caller".
Take the time to learn how to hold the call and softly play one and the Jet Slate is a killer call.

I have a Fool Proof. Only used it once or twice. Works perfectly well. It's good for yelps and that's about it. I guess you can cluck with it. It's not as versatile as a two sided box, but it would be easier to learn basic yelps on without screwing them up too badly.

I don't have any custom made calls. All of my calls are fairly run of the mill boxes. I have several Lynches, HSs, and Quaker Boys. Quaker Boy was underrated. I have a mid 90s vintage Quaker Boy Water Proof that is pretty compact and is probably my most used box.

I just rchecked and Lynch still makes the Jet call. I've never had one. I'm tempted to buy and and give it a whirl.

I have a Dick Kirby big ol paddle board around here somewhere, haven't used it in years. Did just pick up a new Quaker Boy "Grand Old Master" box call because Dunham's had it on sale. A box call is the only hand held call I'll use, dedicated mouth call user here.

I've used almost all of them. Slates, mouth, box, push peg. It's hard to use a box or slate when a bird is up close. Even behind a blind concealing motion I still have use both hands. Up close, I'll use a mouth or push peg. Push peg is another undedrated call I think a lot of hunters never try.

i still use my lynch world champion my dad bought me in 73. i use it to get the birds interested and then sit nice and quiet and cluck and purr with a mouth call.

I have an old Lynch World Champion that must be about 40 years old. It's a good sounding box call. I have a couple custom boxes and probably 8 or 9 custom pot/peg calls. I really like working the calls, be it a box or pot call and they flat out call turkeys. When the bird starts getting close most often I'll switch to a diaphragm. I have seen that backfire, the bird is tuned into that sound from the friction call and the mouth call turns them off. Gotta love/hate the finicky nature of 3-4 year old gobblers.

I started with a Lynch fool proof but then switched over 20 years ago to Paul Meek calls. He designed a mini paddle for me for long range calling in our big canyon country and it works great. Along with his other calls he also introduced me to a scratch box call many years ago. Love it and it is a great finishing call. Have over 50 toms with it.

Truth.

I'm overwhelmingly a mouth call guy. But I'm never, EVER without a box call in the woods. Got to the woods some day with a guy who's good with mouth, box and pot & peg. Go out 50-75 yards and have him run all 3. You'll come home with a new-found respect for a box call.

The other thing about a box........and it's already been mentioned.......is the distance/volume factor. In big country where you fins Merriam's, Rios and Gould's the volume of a box is a huge advantage. Likewise, even for Easterns in rolling terrain or on a windy day.............box call gets to their ears better than any other call.

That's a nice piece; saved some of the pics. Have used a Foolproof for years; killed many birds with it. Recently found one of the Lynch Jet Slates and a Raspy Hen box.

Those jet slates are still made. I need to get one to try.

I sold an older Lynch a couple years ago for $700

Which variation was that ??

Can't remember; early made in Birmingham model. There are some very specific ones that bring a high $$

A Homewood Alabama Lynch in the original wooden box sold for $25,000...they're as rare as turkey teeth.

The $700 pricetag would indicate either a 4-hole, 12-hole or Turkey in the Pines call. Was just curious.

The one I sold for $700 +tax and shipping was this Foolproof. The street address and zip code are actually in Homewood.

You done good !!!!

Very cool. What circa is that? My oldest one is mid 70s and is marked Liberty.

Was told between 1965-1970

Pretty squarely spot-on. Yep.