Meet Brian Benolken | Owner/ Cutting Edge Game Calls- Makers of the 4-Play Turkey Call

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brian Benolken and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brian, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I have owned and operated a custom furniture and cabinetry business for years. I had a customer come into the shop looking to have parts made to assemble a patented new turkey call. We got to talking and he explained as a lifelong hunter he had a desire to create a new call that was more versatile than what is currently available. After developing a prototype and securing a provisional patent he was approached by some of the larger companies in the industry about buying the rights once he was granted a full utility patent. He proceeded to obtain his patent only to be disappointed by the offers from the larger companies. He had then decided to try to produce and market it on his own. Being a fairly complicated design to build he sought me out to assist. I was very intrigued by the mechanical nature of his design and even though (at the time) I wasn’t a turkey hunter we began to discuss partnering up to build and market the call. One thing led to another and I ended up buying the patent from him outright and started Cutting Edge Game Calls to produce the 4-Play Turkey Call. Aside from admiring the design I was very attracted to the ability, because of the patent, to build something no one else could. My career in woodworking had always been based on trying to build products nicer than my competitors. This product gave me the advantage of building a proprietary product.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
If I did not do woodworking for a living I’m sure I would still be in the shop everyday creating. Whether it’s bringing a customers design to life, making a piece of my own inspiration, or now making a beautiful and functional item like the 4-Play turkey call a significant part of my daily motivation is getting to see a tangible result from my efforts. The one constant regardless of what I’m making is the satisfaction that comes from taking raw materials and making something beautiful out of it. Having started to make the 4-Play call has also added a dynamic that I didn’t experience with my previous work, that being the auditory aspect of my call creation. Each call has its own sound dictated by many factors, some controllable, some not. Working accurately helps to ensure size differences do not chance the sound but the other major factor is controlled by Mother Nature. No two pieces of wood will be identical so ultimately they will not provide exactly the same resonance and tone.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We are located equidistant from both New York City and Philadelphia so all they have offer is about a 1-1/2 hour drive away. In addition to that we are located in a very beautiful area with lots of opportunities to hunt, fish and enjoy the outdoors.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The answer to that question is very much diverse and multi leveled. As far as my woodworking abilities they were inspired by my father Donald Benolken. As a child, I watched Dad, an engineer by trade and a talented hobbyist woodworker, build some great projects ranging from furniture to sailboats. Unfortunately, Dad passed away when I was only nine but by then I had been bitten by the woodworking bug. From there, I give much credit to by older brother Michael Benolken for teaching me an awful lot about being a woodworker. It was Mike who inspired me to build my own home, that Ive raised my family in and still reside in today some 30 years later.
Credit for this venture needs to go to many people. My wife, Anita Benolken, has been incredibly supportive in my crazy notion of starting a company, building a product that, 5 years ago, I had no knowledge of. My 3 sons Patrick, Matthew, and Blake have all been involved to some degree over the last 5 years. Whether it was helping pack orders for shipping or helping build them in the shop they have always been there when I asked for help.
The inventor of the call, Eric Steinmetz of course needs to be credited for without his passionate desire to create something to help him pursue his favorite hunting activity the 4-Play would’ve never been possible.
Professionally, I’ve met, and been helped out by so many great people. From promoters in the outdoor industry like Kevin Paulson (HuntingLife.com), Chris Avena(American Outdoor News), and David Herman (NRA American Hunter) to writers like Mike Roux(Mike Roux Outdoor Enterprises) , Dan Small(Outdoor Wisconsin), and Mark Demko (Petersen’s Bowhunting).
Television promoters like Don Jacobs (Pa Outdoor Life) and Jimmy Gretzinger (Michigan Out of Doors) have been hugely helpful in getting news of this exciting new call out to their viewers.
Hunters who have taken this call and done some pretty amazing things with it include Jeff Budz (Tagitworldwide.com) , Preston Spencer(Mid-Mo-Reapers), and Nat Stobe (WGO Outdoors).

Website: 4PlayTurkeyCall.com

Instagram: 4PlayTurkeyCalls

Facebook: 4-Play Turkey Call

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@4-playturkeycall160?feature=shared

Image Credits
Mark Demko (first picture) Brian Benolken Jeff Budz (last picture)