A friend gave me an old, broken Bangor rafting peavey made by Peavey Manufacturing Company. From the look of the remaining pieces, the handle was originally a 60" handle. We live in Oregon, which used to be logging country, so there are tons of old, leftover logging tools around these parts. Many of my older acquaintances that grew up around here in the 1950's, 1960's, and 1970's had experiences working in the woods either for a living or during their summers off of school. One of those was a friend's father, who always says about peaveys: "That's the problem with a peavey, it is always broken." This one was no exception. According to the fellow that gave it to me, it had been rolled over by a large log that got away from the user and rolled backwards and broke the handle. I wanted to replace the handle and carry it with me on the Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route and similar trips into the outback, to move any fallen trees off of the roads that we encounter. I am not moving anything terribly large, and it needs to be easy to fit inside my pickup with my camping gear, so I decided upon the 36" handle. I had tried repeatedly to order a replacement handle from Peavey Manufacturing Company (OEM, still made in America), but got no response from their local distributor, so I gave up on them. Seymour/Link doesn't offer anything at all for peaveys/cant hooks. Concurrently, I was looking for a handle for an old coal pick for my son to play with, and found mention of Beaver Tooth on the arborist fora, so I looked them up.
Made in America? Check.
Good product reviews? Check.
Family-owned? Not critical, but a plus in my book.
Still open for business in the time of COVID? Check.
While the coal pick handles that I wanted (3"x1" w/slip-on eye) are no longer available (I am going to have to order those from Tennessee Hickory Products), I found the peavey handle listed, so I ordered it along with some circle wedges, a sharpening stone for my axes, and a replacement handle for a garden tool. At the time that I ordered, there was only the #2 grade available. Everything that I received was of fine quality. The peavey handle has a nice sanded finish, straight grain, and only the tiniest of knots, which won't affect my usage. Unlike Peavey Manufacturing, the Beaver Tooth handle is unfinished, so I have treated it with boiled linseed oil. The hand end is actually finished nicer than the website photo would suggest (actually lathe-turned instead of sanded off like in the photo), and also appears to be smoother on the hand end than some customer photos that I saw of comparable handles from House Handles. Where the handle narrows (the part that you grab), the Beaver Tooth handle also appears to be a tad beefier than the Peavey, House, or Tennessee units; then again, that may just be because I bought a very short handle.
I wanted to discuss lead time and communication. The folks at Beaver Tooth state on their website that they don't respond to e-mails, and won't be johnny-on-the-spot fulfilling your order. They are quite explicit on their Home Page that people need to read the Shipping Info page. On the Shipping Info page, they state very clearly that there is one person that does everything, and that it takes a month to fill an order, due in part to family-related issues that all families have and that would definitely impact any family-run business. Plus, there is COVID in the mix, causing all sorts of problems with carriers and suppliers. They say the same things on their Contact page, and they also explain why they won't respond to e-mails and phone calls. Their FAQ page also states that they won't answer e-mails about orders or when items ship. My order took exactly one month from the time that I placed it until it was shipped, exactly as they said it would. I wasn't in a rush, and am very happy with what I received. If you are a person that needs immediate gratification, or that expects eBay-speed order fulfillment, or that has to call or e-mail your vendor repeatedly to enquire about your order, then don't order from Beaver Tooth, you will be sorely disappointed. Of the few negative online reviews of Beaver Tooth that I found, they usually complained about the lead time and lack of communication, and tarred their excellent products with the same brush. Don't confuse the quality of the product with the speed with which it is delivered, they are two completely different things. Constant communication and instant response take time, which ultimately results in higher prices, and nobody wants those, do we? As a small business owner myself, I understand this. Folks need to appreciate that they are buying quality at a fair price, and trust that they will get what they paid for.