Meet our newest addition to our popular Heritage Line of handles - The 28NEC (28" New England Curved)
Do you have a Maine Wedge that has been begging for an authentic handle?
Good ol' New England has been the heart of the lumberman industry and their handles have always had an iconic shape and feel.
We sourced a NOS Tatem brand handle and replicated it to be able to offer a remanufactured version of this recognizable New England shape.
There is something so awesome about getting a forgotten piece of history back into working hands. This pattern was made when people depended on their tools for survival so when it came to designing them they were not kidding around.
The reverse neck, straight swell, and thin overall feel make this handle very comfortable while swinging.
We are offering this in two species of wood for this first run. White Oak and Hickory.
Hickory will be a constant with this handle moving forward but White Oak is going to be very limited if not exclusively on this first run of handles only.
So if you think you'd want this handle in White Oak be sure to get in on this first run. As I said above - we'd love to keep offering them in White Oak but depending on supply I can't guarantee that we will or will not keep carrying the White Oak version.
Dimensions:
The handle, as it comes, measures 28", and the palm swell is finished.
Top of the Eye (eye is tapered): 2 7/16" X 3/4"
Shoulder: 2 1/2" X 7/8"
What is the difference between Grade A handles and Grade B handles?
Customer Reviews
Handle diameter is too small.and the pointy ridge for handle orientation is irritating on older hands.the palm swell is adequate barely.Grain orientation spot on.beutiful PC of hickory .too bad so much of it is sawdust now.people that buy high quality handles likely have brains enough to use a PC. Of sandpaper to narrow a handle to fit.Sorry brother.I let it slide too many times now.
Feel, fit, finish these handle have it all. The original tatem handles this was copied from were common on these New England axe heads in the golden age. Many of them are beat up and broken and the ones still nice we want to keep nice. Enter the NEC28 from Whiskey River. They fit some of these Maine and Nh heads almost without any work and they require nothing more than oil in the end. They’re thin enough, generous palmswell and they look amazing to boot
I put a grade A hickory version of this handle on a vintage 2-3/4# True Temper Connecticut pattern. i mounted it as far down as I could and ended up with about a 27” handle. I then finished it with linseed oil. I love the feel of this handle and this axe overall and it looks great. For me, the slight curve is just right. For anything other than the heaviest splitters, this is probably my default axe handle going forward.
I recently purchased two handles. They were delivered promptly and are of the highest quality. I will order again as soon as I can break some more handles!Thank you
Fits the new head perfectly. Length is good, too. Quality stuff.