Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Bats => Bat Making => Topic started by: Tom on February 04, 2009, 10:23:15 AM
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As I'm here at the moment was wondering if any of you had any ideas or thoughts on how the Indian batmaking factories work? Can be anything from how they treat their willow, to how much they pay workers.
One thing I will say is it's very different to England!
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they water there willow as it drys out dont they?
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I would imagine they dont use vices? How do they hold the bat?
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a lot of lower grade willow is bleached and sold as a higher grade willow. NOt all manufacturers do it but most of them will as everyone wants a "white" bat in india. People judge the willow based on the whiteness and grains
Labor cost will be peanuts as compared to UK, Aus, SA. But better than those in Pak.
90% willow is sourced from UK.
Generally the bats available in the market are with 8-9 grains. The tighter grains are used for customs for the 1st class and pros.
As the cricket balls used are very hard and lacquer coated, the tighter grains and harder pressed bats are put in the market. Unfortunately, no returns or replacements offed as done in the UK.
given the sheer number of bats made by each manufacturer it is difficult to accept that the bats are handmade. 80% would be machine made.
You will be lucky to get a interview or permission to film from the bigger guys - SS, SG, BAs. The smaller guys may agree - Protos, Robinson Sports, MAtrixx....
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I would ask you to video/ask questions on the Pressing (pressure, style of press, method, reasoning behind all of those) Handles, why do they not use hanldes that are the same quality as the ones they make for UK firms, cost cannot be an answer as I know the cost of UK handles, Splicing, how they cut the splice and handle and also the glue used for fitting, Bowing, do they plane the face before or after bowing and why so much? How many Vellums get covered?
Hope thats ok Tom.
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I have a video of the pressing, which I will upload over the next few days.
The company I'm with today has imported UK handles for their EW bats, again I can take pics of the handle if needed. They make their own handles for KW.
Bats again all I've seen are handmade, more so than the UK "handmade" bats. They're making 20 bats a day each!
Labour costs are cheap compared to a skilled worker in UK, but very good for an Indian worker. Some factories are very desirable to work in due to pay and good conditions.
I'll find out answers/videos for the rest of the info. It won't be with SG or SS though.
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Additionally I like to add...
Raw cleft storage
How the willow is graded
Bat Finishing [i.e sanding etc]
Bat storage after the bat has been made....
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Again this is relating to the factory I'm at today, where the clefts are stored inside undercover. In the same room where the bats are made, you'll see on the video later. Willow is graded on looks, not sure on exact system.
Sanding is completely hand done for EW, KW is done on a drum sander. With an imported English buffing compound then used on a buffing wheel. Again not sure on what the compound is.
Here the bats go out almost as soon as they're made, they're stored on a rack though if they're not needed straight away.
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saw a video a batmaker took in india, the guy all he done all day was spliced handles freehand on the bandsaw! then they just keep trying them in to spliced clefts till one fits ! health and safety would have a field day out there !lol .also they had a overhand planer that have the shape of the face on the bed,think there is a few finger missing on some of the workers!
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Coming back to this, the handles I've seen are done in a very interesting way which although looks rather brutal at first glance seems very effective and works everytime. I'll get this in the video when I'm back in the UK.
The Film will be done with a medium sized company, SG, F.C Sondhi and SS are too big to even to let me into the factory!