A Wiscasset craftsman is handmaking brooms to fit your hand

He won't promise that cleaning will be fun, but the broom will last for years

He won't promise that cleaning will be fun, but the broom will last for years

The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox.

He won't promise that cleaning will be fun, but the broom will last for years

A woodworker in Wiscasset is helping make brooms special by meticulously making them by hand.

Eric McIntyre harvests tree saplings by hand and then lets them dry for months before turning them into broom handles.

Inside his shop, he patiently crafts his brooms.

"A few months of seasoning those handles and doors and shaving the bark and then drying them some more, and then they're finally ready to get a broom," said McIntyre.

A lifelong woodworker, McIntyre opened The Village Handcraft in 2021. He touts everything being carved by hand. There is not a single power tool in his shop.

"I have a lot of hand tools in this shop," he said. "That's what I'm most curious about. So those are the skills I work on and like to explore."

He also makes bowls and spoons, but it is his line of brooms that is catching eyes. The hand-carved sapling handles are attached to soft, pliable hand-picked corn stalks that are woven together and then bound to make a unique sweeper.

"Each broom has its own character," said McIntyre. "Because each tree is its own shape and also they're finished with hand tools. So someone who uses those brooms will always feel the texture of the tool mark. It's very smooth and gentle, but you'll always notice the texture from the tools."

The brooms are only sold in person, and McIntyre says he does not believe that one shape and one texture fits all sets of hands. So, before they buy, customers need to ensure a good fit.

"I encourage folks to, as I say, test drive them around the store, sweep up a few of my messes and make sure it really matches them," he said.

While he won't promise years of cleaning enjoyment, the broom is built to last for years and be comfortable in your hand.

He says he loves when people stop by his shop to talk about woodworking. He also offers several woodworking classes throughout the year to share his love of working with hand tools.