Will there ever be...

[fargobox]

Another Neil Cost, DD Adams or a Henry Gibson for example???  Is there one out there now in the making, perhaps one of our own, maybe even the author of this post ...growing his knowledge, expanding his work, teaching the craft, volunteering his time, supporting the industry, exploring/pushing the limits of the envelope, challenging himself and the industry, looking ahead with R&D of call-making, taking copius notes on his work, his trials, errors and successes???

Should, or could there be another Neil Cost?

Another perspective....I play golf and I am a golf course architect so naturally I have been amazed at the skills of a person like Tiger Woods who virtually changed the industry...such as the way Jack Nicklaus did years ago, so with that in mind, do we even need another Neil Cost, or did his work and the work of other great legends establish all we need to carry forward for success and viability of our craft.

So tell us, what do you think???

[3CB]

Hmmm, That is a great question. No I don't think these gentlemen will be surpassed. But ya never know. I build calls for one simple reason. To keep myself busy during the off season. Turns the year into one long season. Time will tell!!!!!

[Gitzit69]

In my way of looking at it, I say no. People like Tiger didn't revolutionize some new product that took golf and made it what it is. Michael Jordan as well with basketball, these are people with outstanding talent for playing a game better than any other. They haven't produced any product. The Wright Bros for example made something that no one else was capable of doing and spawned a few great aviators in the process. Now you would struggle to name all the plane manufacturers in the world. You could also compare Henry Ford, how many cars company's have revolutionized anything lately? Just my opinion........ You know what they say about opinions  
Dave

[fargobox]

Dave, you're right about Tiger and the others IMO and opinions is what this is all about.  I hope my thoughts bring on a good discussion.  I also don't think there will be any game changing or profound innovations in call making...though sure there will always be something a little different (mostly in presentation/adornment) and we see it all the time and that is part of the fun.
Shannon, for me is it similar...but as I sit around sanding and fitting up calls I start thinking about these things and all the good folks who came before me and those that will follow.  Just a yankee doing a little wondering?

[Silverspur]

Great question of will there be another Cost, Adams or Gibson.  I think the answer is no however, I believe there are great call makers that are well known and some not so well known, that have carried on the tradition of excellent hand crafted calls, that are in demand because hunters and collectors can't afford the original of those great call makers, but can afford those that time will place those call makers on a level of the greats.  I think if you look at the list of consistant call makers that have captured recognition at the annual NWTF competition, you will see some great call makers in that list.  however, there are plenty of others that don't enter, but have a reputation of making great calls that are in demand and you have to wait a long time to receive one. But it is a great question!

[wiltznucs]

I never met Neil in person.  I did speak to him by phone a time or two and he referred me to Lamar and Steve.  This was probably only a year or two before he passed away.  Through hearing about Neil and reading the stories told here and on other forums I do have a great respect for the man.

I will say this, Neil was without question the most notable custom call maker of his time.  Neil's legend is due in large part to his personality and skills, and also due to his proximity and relationship with the NWTF.  What really distinguishes Neil from other call makers of the era was the books and the videos produced about his calls.  There are those that say the NWTF/Mickel/Branton-Berryhill made Neil famous, and some others say that some of those parties exploited Neil as well.  I'll let those closer to Neil make that call.

The shame about turkey call history is that so much of the history is anecdotal and/or oral history.  There is a tremendous amount of revisionist history as well.  In all too many cases there are certain facts and accomplishments which are overlooked in order to bolster certain call makers images.  As far as history goes, I place Neil somewhere behind Lynch and Turpin.  Those two were the pioneers of turkey call making and virtually all modern turkey call designs(including Neil's) find their root there.  I put Neil in a class of his own as the first "famous" custom turkey call maker.

To answer your question.  There wont be another Neil Cost.  The turkey call making and collecting fraternity wont allow for it.  This forum like other turkey forums is the classic example why.  Infighting, bickering, gossipping, jealousy and whatnot will prevent any one maker from achieving the notariety of Neil in the future.  This is a shame as there are a handful of call makers right now who are equal or superior to Neil in their respective call making genres.

[Ferguson]

Chad,
You are right on in my opinion.
 

[Spring Dragon]

Wiltz made some very valid & interesting points.  I agree with most of what he has stated.  I'd be interested to hear some responses from the more prominent collectors, those who have been around a while.

[GR8CALLS]

 Unfortunately, most of the names in the turkey call business didn't achive real fame, untill they passed away, Neil was an exception. Will there be another Cost, Turpin, or Adams? I probably won't see it, but I believe someone will rank up there w/ those names. There is always room at the top! I do disagree w/ Chad's statement that Neil rode on the backs of the likes of Lynch and Turpin. The design and style he pioneered is nothing like either of these two. Both used straight sided box calls, while Neil used an angled sided design, which changed the world of box calls, forever. Simply look at the the results of the call competitions, and you will see the Cost influence and the impact he had. If we are going to look to the roots of the box call, we need look no further than Gibson.

 Golf is a totally different animal. Fame is based on $$ and rankings. Who knew that Tiger would fade almost as quickly as he was on top? I had a theory about Tiger which proved to be true. It took a while to be proven, but, I always said he had everyone on tour, psyched out. If you take a quick look at the world rankings today, you see names, most people won't recognize.

Bill

[jmck]

Wow, what a question. I really like the thoughts and opinions a few of you have answered here.
Callmaking is like a sport for a simple comparison(bare with me here). There are those that get into it for the love of the game, and those that get into it for the reward.This alone determines the true success and longevity anyone will have in their chosen path. The love of the reward causes a loss in the art of the game. It confuses and clouds the reason or passion that should be in ones heart.Without that passion, ya loose focus and the real reason the venture was ever taken to begin with. Compare this with countless athletes that have risen fast to stardome only to reach success and suddenly the game left their heart, and failure ensued.
The same holds true with callmaking. Great callmakers have been mentioned here that span along period of time. Wheither there will ever again be a Cost,Turpin or Gibson is dertermined more by the hunters and collectors that are smart enough to realize the ones that have a sincere passion for the art and for the ones he builds the calls for. Considering the hundreds of callmakers there have been,HOMAGE and honor for the ones that pioneered the art should never be forgot and honored approprietlly. Those fore fathers that did it from passion and love of the sport will always be on a different playing field in my opnion.  

[Shadetree Callers]

 The thing that sets the great callmakers of yesterday , apart from those of today , is that they did something innovative that changed the turkey calls construction . Neil Cost added angled sides to a hewed out boxcall and decorated it by chiseling his fancy checkering . This he found out added to the raspy sound the call made . Mike Lynch found his place in callmaking by laminating sawn pices of wood into his famous world champion call . Henry Gibson made his mark by being business saavvy enough to patent his caller design .
 There is room for someone to make it to the stage of being memorable , but it will take a very innovative change to make it happen . I look forward to the future of callmaking and what might still be in store for us !!

[fargobox]

This is all great stuff guys and thanks for chiming in....just what I was hoping to read.  All have made some very sound points covering the history that was and the possible history that could be.

[wapsibottoms]

I never met Neil in person.  I did speak to him by phone a time or two and he referred me to Lamar and Steve.  This was probably only a year or two before he passed away.  Through hearing about Neil and reading the stories told here and on other forums I do have a great respect for the man.

I will say this, Neil was without question the most notable custom call maker of his time.  Neil's legend is due in large part to his personality and skills, and also due to his proximity and relationship with the NWTF.  What really distinguishes Neil from other call makers of the era was the books and the videos produced about his calls.  There are those that say the NWTF/Mickel/Branton-Berryhill made Neil famous, and some others say that some of those parties exploited Neil as well.  I'll let those closer to Neil make that call.

The shame about turkey call history is that so much of the history is anecdotal and/or oral history.  There is a tremendous amount of revisionist history as well.  In all too many cases there are certain facts and accomplishments which are overlooked in order to bolster certain call makers images.  As far as history goes, I place Neil somewhere behind Lynch and Turpin.  Those two were the pioneers of turkey call making and virtually all modern turkey call designs(including Neil's) find their root there.  I put Neil in a class of his own as the first "famous" custom turkey call maker.

To answer your question.  There wont be another Neil Cost.  The turkey call making and collecting fraternity wont allow for it.  This forum like other turkey forums is the classic example why.  Infighting, bickering, gossipping, jealousy and whatnot will prevent any one maker from achieving the notariety of Neil in the future.  This is a shame as there are a handful of call makers right now who are equal or superior to Neil in their respective call making genres.

Amen Chad...especially on the last paragraph...

[Kevin Brooker]

I agree with Shadetree. There have been some great artists (call making is as much art as science with a bit of alchemy tossed in) who have done great things. What sets many artists apart is innovation.  The next great call maker/artist will not improve the design of what exists. The next great call maker will give us something new in design or materials. To make the art great we, the turkey hunting community, have to accept it. If we reject innovation because it is different we will never advance. For innovation we need to stop trying to make the future represent or resemble the past. It is simple to get people to accept a new idea, what is difficult is getting them to replace the old ideas.

[lonnielou688]

Very good read, and good point of conversation Scott. I don't think there will ever be another D.D. Adams or Neil Cost. Like Bill said, most didn't really become famous until they passed, much like other artists. We never truly realize what we have until its gone. That is sad. There are already hundreds of different styles of calls, made by different materials, in different shapes and sizes, from here in the U.S. to other countries over seas. ALL come together in one way, to make the same sound of a turkey, That in its self is amazing. No other game call can claim that. I truly believe the next pioneer in the sport already walks among us, history just hasn't recorded yet. One of the greatest challenges call makers have today is a dwindling client base. Hunter recruitment, be it child or adult, could be the next recipient of history's acclamation. Making a call that calls children to the sport, as much as it calls the bird to the barrel, to me, would be a great accomplishment. I think the greatness will be from those who help teach the art and promote the sport, give Atta-boys to the young craftsman starting out. You all are gonna pass the torch someday, who's gonna be there to receive it, and will the flame still be burning when its passed?