Landing net handles - non-telescopic, 2/3 piece.

Kevin aka Aethelbald

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Fitted my new widget and the handle is like new. The old one had lost its (plastic) thread, so it could be pulled off the metal part without even having to un-screw it.

Panic over - I'll just be more educated in future and not over-tighten it.

PS. Gordon (wetthrough?)... I didn't reply to #19 because I actually said how I got it in the message you replied to.... I emailed Drennan. No need to bu99er about with Drennan stockists.
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markcw

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Fitted my new widget and the handle is like new. The old one had lost its (plastic) thread, so it could be pulled off the metal part without even having to un-screw it.

Panic over - I'll just be more educated in future and not over-tighten it.

PS. Gordon (wetthrough?)... I didn't reply to #19 because I actually said how I got it in the message you replied to.... I emailed Drennan. No need to bu99er about with Drennan stockists.
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I mentioned Drennan stockists because I was lucky when I lived in Oxford there were two more or less on my doorstep .Drennan reps in regularly or a quick phone call sorts it .
I've seen the reps in other shops collecting personal orders .
 

wetthrough

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Fitted my new widget and the handle is like new. The old one had lost its (plastic) thread, so it could be pulled off the metal part without even having to un-screw it.

Panic over - I'll just be more educated in future and not over-tighten it.

PS. Gordon (wetthrough?)... I didn't reply to #19 because I actually said how I got it in the message you replied to.... I emailed Drennan. No need to bu99er about with Drennan stockists.
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I asked as I've never seen an email for Drennan on their website.
 

Alan Whitty

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I have two Drennan twistlocks, I emailed drennan years ago after driving to a particular barbel swim on the Thames, the banks are high and sheer and only fish when there is 2-3ft of water on, turned up and my widget went, so I had to turn around and go home, which involved a 130 mile round trip and a long walk, I asked to buy several widgets so I had spares to avoid similar occurances, they were quite against that, I stood my ground and they sent me five or six I believe, to me the Darent Valley is a better system, guaranteed for life, cheaper, as Philip says a little slippery, but a tyre inner tube, or even tennis racket/cricket bat tape type winding material would cure it...
 

@Clive

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I can understand Drennan not wanting to sell you five or six given the lifespan of the widget. Mine is still OK after 11 years of regular (ab)use from high banks. But, I think they would be guarded about someone potentially selling them on for profit. They would probably not questioned a request for two, one for repair and a spare.

It has got me thinking about getting a spare just in case though.
 

Kevin aka Aethelbald

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There's a thread on the barbel f0rum about Drennan Twistlock handles and the infamous plastic collet (widget, if you prefer).

It seems to me that the primary cause of failure of these handles is by over tightening - user error. That will cause the internal thread of the collet to strip.

Apart from that, dirt inside the tubes can play a part in failure. There's no harm in taking the handle apart from time-to-time and keeping things clean, because the ingress of muck might also make extending the handle 'sticky', again resulting in the plastic widget being forced from the metal screw that it is attached to.

Having looked at several alternatives, in the flesh, and having got mine back up and running, I'm happy that it's the best sub-£100 net handle you can buy. Sometimes when a thing fails we have to admit to user error and now that I've done just that, I'm sure it'll outlast me.
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nottskev

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My handle's been fine between occasional cleans, but this has prompted me to get a spare just in case. What do Drennan charge for them?

Also, since every now and then the widget fails to grip in one position, and needs a wipe of the inner section and a change of position, I've had an old take-apart handle in the holdall for barbelling. It's an indestructible, cheap Maver model bought in Ross when I left my old one on the bank on a Wye holiday. It weighs a lot less than a spare wheel but I don't worry about the twist lock ever failing.

Talking of Drennan stuff, anybody seen one of their flake punches anywhere?
 
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