The Best Slate Calls of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

We tested 14 pot calls and chose ten that are all turkey

By Scott Einsmann - February 20, 2024

(from Outdoor Life Magazine)

If I try to purr on a diaphragm I can make a sound, but it won’t be a turkey call. On the other hand, with my slate call I can purr, yelp, cutt, cluck, tree cackle, and even kee-kee run without much practice. The ease of creating realistic calls is why I rely heavily on a slate call each spring. 

But the “slate call” I use most often is actually a glass call, which brings up the confusing topic of turkey call nomenclature. Technically what I have reviewed here is a roster of the best pot calls. There are five common surfaces for pot calls: slate, glass, crystal, ceramic and aluminum. However all of these are commonly referred to as “slate calls” despite not all of them having any slate in their construction. So to keep things simple, and to make sure you get a review of all the best calls on the market, I’m including all pot call surface types in this review and I’m labeling them all “slate calls.” 

I tested 14 of the best slate calls on the market to bring you my top ten picks. The calls I’ve tested range from under $20 budget options to premium production calls around $100. Here are my top choices. 

• Best Slate: Esh Old Hunter

• Best Glass: Woodhaven Cherry Classic Crystal

• Best Value Slate: Primos Rare Breed

• Best All Weather: Woodhaven Fusion Ceramic

• Best Under $30: Primos Ol’ Betsy

• Best Aluminum: Esh Anohen

• Best Value: Hunter Specialties Custom Craft Aluminum

• Best Double Sided: Esh Flip Over

• Best for Youth: Hunter Specialties Cookie Cutt’r

• Best Value Glass: Zink Thunder Ridge Crystal 

I’m not a competition caller or an exceptionally good turkey hunter. I’m an average hunter who loves hunting turkeys. So while I can’t run a pot and peg like Rodney Eckstine, if a call sounds good in my hands, chances are you’ll be able to run it well too. 

Here’s how I evaluated the slate calls for the average hunter. 

Sound

My goal was to figure out which calls sound like a turkey, and which vocalizations each call excels at making. I recorded each call on a Rode shotgun mic so you can hear them purr, yelp, cutt, and cluck for yourself. All the calling was done with the included striker. 

While using the calls, I paid attention to their volume and tone and wrote my observations in each review. Having all the calls in hand and directly comparing them was very helpful in narrowing the field and choosing the best sounding in each category. 

Ease of Calling

One of the main advantages of a slate call is that they’re easy to use. It’s not difficult for a new hunter to produce turkey sounds or an advanced caller to hit subtle notes and control volume. I judged ease of calling by how consistently I was able to produce specific calls. I also tried to induce common errors like gripping the call or striker too tightly or using too much pressure. 

Build Quality 

Wood friction calls can be heirloom items, and they attain sentimental value as they contribute to more punched tags. So, you want a call that’s built well, looks nice, and will last. I dinged calls that didn’t use quality wood and showed poor craftsmanship. I was especially critical of calls over $80. 

Features 

Included in this review are double-sided calls, calls designed for beginners, and calls made to work in the rain. I evaluated those features with their own tests like using all-weather calls in the rain and seeing if beginners could successfully run a call made for them. 

Outdoor Life's Reviews of the ESH Calls...

Best Slate: Old Classic Slate Call (Old Hunter Series)

Key Features

• Walnut and cherry horizontal laminate pot 

• Slate over glass 

• Comes with a Dymondwood striker 

• Lifetime warranty (Full refunds available within 90 days of purchase)

Pros

• Great sound quality

• Excels at mid to close-range calling 

Cons

• My sample had some fit and finish flaws

The Old Hunter Classic brings out the best sound qualities of slate through some innovative construction. Esh combines two of the best pot call woods, cherry and walnut, in a horizontal laminate. The cherry is at the bottom and walnut on top, unlike most calls that use a vertical lamination. They also use a glass soundboard and a Dymondwood striker. Those elements combined with quality slate produce a great-sounding turkey call. 

The Old Hunter Classic isn’t as loud or high pitched as the Cherry Classic, but it’s not meant to be. Slate calls shine at convincing a tom to close the distance. Raspy, excited-hen yelps and cluck and purrs, are this call’s bread and butter. 

My call has some minor but noticeable fit and finish issues, mainly rough spots and glue specs on the pot, which you don’t expect on a nearly $100 call. Yet, I love the sound quality, and the call is very nice overall. 

Best Aluminum: AnoHen

Key Features

• Anodized aluminum surface

• Walnut pot

• Hickory striker 

• Lifetime warranty 

• Made in USA

• Price: $86

Pros

• Well rounded call 

• Easy to maintain

• Sounds great

Cons

• Doesn’t get as loud as glass

• Not my favorite call for purrs or tree talk 

To me the AnoHen combines the best qualities of a glass and slate call. It hits the full range of turkey notes from low to high, and works in some nice rasp. The surface isn’t fussy and runs without conditioning for a long time. When you do need to touch it up, it only needs a light pass with a Scotch Brite pad (included with the call). Another benefit is that the aluminum combined with an all-weather striker will run in light rain. 

Best Double Sided: Esh Flip Over

Key Features

• Two calls in one

• Crystal surface with slate on the bottom 

• Comes with purple heart striker 

• Cherry and walnut laminate 

• Lifetime warranty 

• Made in USA

• Comes with conditioning stone and sandpaper 

• Price: $100

Pros

• A loud and high-pitched glass call combined with a close-talking slate

• Nicely finished 

Cons

• Sound is different than a dedicated glass call

If you want to carry one pot and peg, a double-sided call like the Esh Flip Over is a great choice. It allows you to reach out with cutts on the glass and finish off a tom with the slate side. Or you can sound like more than one turkey by jumping between the two surfaces.

That flexibility comes with compromises. When comparing the Flip Over to the Cherry Classic, the Cherry Classic sounds better. The tone on the Flip Over is a little muted by the addition of the slate. But, overall, the call sounds great, and it will certainly kill turkeys.