Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Bats => Topic started by: thecord on July 21, 2011, 02:41:28 PM
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Before joining this forum I was always of the belief that it was pretty much essential to see a bat first hand before purchasing and test the feel/ pickup. Every bat I have owned I have chosen myself either at the manufacturer or retailer. People on here though seem very comfortable with ordering bats online or via the forum sponsers without having got their hands on them first however.
This has left me with a bit of a quandry as I cannot decide whether to:
a) give that a try and order either a Redback or H4L, both of which seem to be praised unanimously
b) go for another M&H which would probably cost considerably more than the above but I could hand pick
c) hand pick something from Asad at Uzi Sports
I guess I am seeking reassurance that buying "blind" is not necessarily a problem.
What do people think?
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Before joining this forum I was always of the belief that it was pretty much essential to see a bat first hand before purchasing and test the feel/ pickup. Every bat I have owned I have chosen myself either at the manufacturer or retailer. People on here though seem very comfortable with ordering bats online or via the forum sponsers without having got their hands on them first however.
This has left me with a bit of a quandry as I cannot decide whether to:
a) give that a try and order either a Redback or H4L, both of which seem to be praised unanimously
b) go for another M&H which would probably cost considerably more than the above but I could hand pick
c) hand pick something from Asad at Uzi Sports
I guess I am seeking reassurance that buying "blind" is not necessarily a problem.
What do people think?
To be fair, it's worked for most of us, although there are a few that have not been completely satisfied.
If you have provided a specification to a batmaker and they have fulfilled it, which is most commonly what happens with those manufacturers, they take a lot of care to deliver you something that you will love. I don't think many of us have had any bats with awful pick up from them.
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i think with the brands on here you can trust them in delivering the spec you want. I dont have personal experience of this but reading what everyone else has said everyone seems pretty happy.
i guess its always a benefit to be able to select the bat yourself by trawling through a shops stock but doing it this way doesnt open you up to smaller brands who is some cases wipe the floor with the majority of shop stocked brands.
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You can always visit Matt at H4L too.
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You can always visit Matt at H4L too.
Yes I have considered visiting but it is quite a trip from Bristol to Kent!
I think what I may end up doing is a mixture of both i.e. handpick one from Uzi and another from Redback/H4L then put the two to the test.
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hand pick if you can
pick up is so much more important than dead weight IMO
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Yes I have considered visiting but it is quite a trip from Bristol to Kent!
I think what I may end up doing is a mixture of both i.e. handpick one from Uzi and another from Redback/H4L then put the two to the test.
If you live in Bristol you should speak to Tom at Ayrtek, i can vouch for the quality of his bats and you can always pick one that you like the feel of in his showroom in Bristol, he's a nice bloke as well
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If you live in Bristol you should speak to Tom at Ayrtek, i can vouch for the quality of his bats and you can always pick one that you like the feel of in his showroom in Bristol, he's a nice bloke as well
I really should try and pop in there at some stage seeing as I visit a place literally opposite his every month!
Price seems a little bit higher than what I would ideally like to pay though, would like not to break the £200 threshold.
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Im in exeter, so only about 45 mins from Bristol.
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If you live in Bristol you should speak to Tom at Ayrtek, i can vouch for the quality of his bats and you can always pick one that you like the feel of in his showroom in Bristol, he's a nice bloke as well
Best option of the lot if you live in Bristol and if not happy you can travel further a field.
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Im in exeter, so only about 45 mins from Bristol.
Whereabouts are you in Exeter? I go here every fortnight with work so would be very happy to pop in some time.
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ive baught all my latest bats blind.
they all pick up diffrent but yet they are all grate bats and i can use them all.
the h4l is probs the most perfect for me at the moment! as it has good power size and nice pick up.
the bas is very light but scored 50 with it on sat.
the mnh is massive and is just for smashing for 30 in two overs with it on sunday.
if you have a rough idea of what u want and you trust the bat maker its a good process.
i asked for low middle big edges and slightly bottom heavy and thats wat i got
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Whereabouts are you in Exeter? I go here every fortnight with work so would be very happy to pop in some time.
Clyst St. George, about 2 mins away from Exeter Services (junction 30) on the M5
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We are called 'Custom Bats'. You can't really pick up a custom bat before you buy it, as it should still be a cleft. It's about knowing what you want from a bat and then finding the right batmaker to deliver what you want. I must admit my only custom bat wasn't what I expected when I received it, but in time I've realised it's pretty much perfect for me. I think part of the custom bat experience is the mystery around what you'll eventually get!
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We are called 'Custom Bats'. You can't really pick up a custom bat before you buy it, as it should still be a cleft. It's about knowing what you want from a bat and then finding the right batmaker to deliver what you want. I must admit my only custom bat wasn't what I expected when I received it, but in time I've realised it's pretty much perfect for me. I think part of the custom bat experience is the mystery around what you'll eventually get!
Very true! I guess the key is knowing exactly what you want from a bat and then finding the right man to make it. I am not entirely sure on this as over the last few years I have become quite a back foot dominant player but I think this is part due to the fact that my current bat has a very high middle. Also my home ground used to be quite quick and bouncy but has got slower and lower over the last few years so I probably need something with at least a mid-middle maybe even mid to low.
I like what you say about the mystery factor, a bit like waiting for Christmas!
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Hand Picked every time, unless you know exactly what you want and specify it. Was thinking about getting a bat from someone in the forum and went to have a look and feel. Whilst all the bats looked great the pick up for the one I was going to get was not at all to my liking, but the other style of bat on display picked up a whole lot better. Would not have liked to have made the wrong choice and been lumbered.
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We are called 'Custom Bats'. You can't really pick up a custom bat before you buy it, as it should still be a cleft. It's about knowing what you want from a bat and then finding the right batmaker to deliver what you want. I must admit my only custom bat wasn't what I expected when I received it, but in time I've realised it's pretty much perfect for me. I think part of the custom bat experience is the mystery around what you'll eventually get!
Very deep for this time of the day Johnny but as a side note, I have 221 English Willow clefts for sale (all air dried) if anyone is interested.
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Hand Picked every time, unless you know exactly what you want and specify it. Was thinking about getting a bat from someone in the forum and went to have a look and feel. Whilst all the bats looked great the pick up for the one I was going to get was not at all to my liking, but the other style of bat on display picked up a whole lot better. Would not have liked to have made the wrong choice and been lumbered.
Where was that northern?
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Looks like I might be doing a tour of the South West cricket companies at this rate...got Redback, M&H, Ayrtek and Uzi on my list now. Could I manage them all in one day...
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Pop in and see us im sure we can come to an arrangement to fall within budget....i played against some of The Fram lads on tuesday night actually!
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Uzi is in Cheltenham i think but would be possible as Roco and Fattus did the Uzi ----> Ayrtek trip another 45 mins down to Taunton from us and another push on from there to Gary @Redback. Early start but you should be able to fit them all in in one day in theory! :)
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Pop in and see us im sure we can come to an arrangement to fall within budget....i played against some of The Fram lads on tuesday night actually!
Yea I hear you smashed them about a bit actually! Uzi is Swindon but I guess that's about the same distance as Cheltenham. Realistically it is probably you and Uzi one day then M&H / Redback another. I know I have said I will come to Ayrtek before but was scared I would spend too much cash :( this time though I will be brave!
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haha the downend lad was a good bowler as the other Fram lads werent too bad....one got a 50 and batted well.
We accept cards too so its never safe at the office ;) pop in though as weve got a fair few bats in atm which may tempt u....
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haha the downend lad was a good bowler as the other Fram lads werent too bad....one got a 50 and batted well.
We accept cards too so its never safe at the office ;) pop in though as weve got a fair few bats in atm which may tempt u....
Not sure who played besides Gary Winsor, would have just been whoever he managed to scape together. We were meant to be playing them sometime too but think you have put them off cricket as they are thinking of crying off :D
Card machine...scared! Yea I will pop across from Bestway next time I'm in there loading them up with sweets
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Card Machine....Be careful.
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Bring us some sweets in too in that case as may sway my mood into a better deal lol ;)
yeh one lad went for 5 fours off an over so felt a bit sorry for him. I did retire in fairness after getting to 3 figures only for one other lad to go in and hit 49 off 4 overs!! Though he would have put one of the others in instead.
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heres a few of what weve got to tempt u ;)
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/15fa464f.jpg)(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/2823ecc8.jpg)
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Bring us some sweets in too in that case as may sway my mood into a better deal lol ;)
yeh one lad went for 5 fours off an over so felt a bit sorry for him. I did retire in fairness after getting to 3 figures only for one other lad to go in and hit 49 off 4 overs!! Though he would have put one of the others in instead.
It happens in that kind of midweek cricket doesn't it, never sure what you are gonna come up against.
I shall make sure my car boot is fully loaded with Haribo before I come in, never one to miss out on a good deal ;)
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From my experience, picking up a bat first is best. I went to Globe to pick up some bats then got SAF to copy one, but hopefully going to Globe tomorrow and getting a GM.
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Tangfantastic.....
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From my experience, picking up a bat first is best. I went to Globe to pick up some bats then got SAF to copy one, but hopefully going to Globe tomorrow and getting a GM.
Now this is interesting Colesy. Does this mean you didn't get on with your SAF?
Also Globe used to be about the only place I looked for bats but now that I have seen the makers on here their stocks and prices look really bad. Plus discovering Uzi up the road in Swindon they just have far more in stock, better quality and MILES better service. I only actually go to Globe now if my club needs me to pick up something urgently like bails.
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Tangfantastic.....
If only you accepted Haribo as payment :D In all seriousness, a few of those do look very nice
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im fat enough already without eating my body weight in sweets! Yeah depends what weight ur after but some belters on the shelf :)
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im fat enough already without eating my body weight in sweets! Yeah depends what weight ur after but some belters on the shelf :)
Anything around 2.10?
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Yeah there are a few in weight in there ;) got 4 others as well that arent in the pics that are all 2.10/11 as well
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Now this is interesting Colesy. Does this mean you didn't get on with your SAF?
Also Globe used to be about the only place I looked for bats but now that I have seen the makers on here their stocks and prices look really bad. Plus discovering Uzi up the road in Swindon they just have far more in stock, better quality and MILES better service. I only actually go to Globe now if my club needs me to pick up something urgently like bails.
Not entirely, I'm not going to beat around the bush but I asked for a Slazenger shape and received something completely different. I was quite disappointed having seen the stunners Andy had produced before. I have nothing against Andy as his customer service was fantastic, but I think I'll go to the tried and tested method. I know Globe's prices are on the higher side but I'd pay that for something I was completely happy with.
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I'm nowhere near a decent shop which is a shame as would love to go and try a few shelf brands out
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Not entirely, I'm not going to beat around the bush but I asked for a Slazenger shape and received something completely different. I was quite disappointed having seen the stunners Andy had produced before. I have nothing against Andy as his customer service was fantastic, but I think I'll go to the tried and tested method. I know Globe's prices are on the higher side but I'd pay that for something I was completely happy with.
If you want customer service then dial a call centre but if looking for a hand crafted cricket bat from the finest english willow then that is a completely different kettle of mullet.
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James I have no doubt that I can get a brilliant bat from Andy but in my eyes I can get an equally good bat from GM. By going to a shop I can pick them up have a play around with them and have a range to select from. I can't do that online.
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Cordy, get down to Tommy Ayrtek's place - the last couple of sticks I had from him for my club were really rather good. He's actually quite harmless, but there is a distinct lack of biscuits on offer, so I would take a packed-lunch.
For f*cks sake don't try on the softs, 'cos you'll end up with those too.
If you can get past the accent, he's not a bad lad.
ps - Tommo, in town in Sept - beer?
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Where was that northern?
Popped into Grace Road - Leicestershire Ground to have a look at the Redbacks. They all looked like quality bits of willow, but the pickup on the Paradox I couldn't have batted with. I think the other bat they had in was the Surefire, although I'm not 100%, might have been the Allegiance. That picked up a lot better, but still wasn't great for me.
At the end of the day it's all down to personal preference and until you pick up a bat you're not going to know if it's a great fit. Two years ago was given a replacement newbery for one which had 'gone early' and it picked up ok, but would never have picked it myself. Now have a Kahuna 1000 which picks up like a dream - and goes like a train. The extra confidence it gives you when you're confident in your equipment and it feels right for you is worth going the extra mile to either meet the bat maker or go to the shop and try and few....
Having said that if there's a model that you like and someone can build it for you - then go for it :D
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Brucey....yes im in town but not 2nd weekend as got tour to Padstow, away on 3rd weekend to exeter as well with lil lady so ul have to fit in with my busy social calender ;)
Back on topic now....agree a bat that feel right will always help u score runs!
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Right - ho, will select suitable dates. Might include a curry too - I'm alright to sleep in the warehouse eh?
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haha im sure there is enough room for u
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Fortunately I'm ok in the softs department for now so should be able to avoid any temptation there...should be...
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Hmmmmmmmmmm - don't speak too soon. Once I put his helmet on my head, i wasn't the same again!
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Keep that one between you two mate ;)
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haha its all part of the service Fattus.....biscuits are in good supply too.... no Garibaldi's tho!
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Not entirely, I'm not going to beat around the bush but I asked for a Slazenger shape and received something completely different. I was quite disappointed having seen the stunners Andy had produced before. I have nothing against Andy as his customer service was fantastic, but I think I'll go to the tried and tested method. I know Globe's prices are on the higher side but I'd pay that for something I was completely happy with.
This is interesting feedback and kind of what I was worried about. I guess if you can pick out a rare beauty amongst the at Globe you are better off.
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This is interesting feedback and kind of what I was worried about. I guess if you can pick out a rare beauty amongst the at Globe you are better off.
That's where it is difficult. Some have had shockers on here from Custom, but most haven't, and I've picked this up http://custombats.co.uk/cbforum/index.php?topic=12676.msg202728#msg202728 without touching it, and it's got a fantastic pick up, but isn't made for me.
Like with all things, generally, you do okay, but there are always exceptions.