Custom Bats Cricket Forum

Companies => Off-the-shelf companies => Gray Nicolls => Topic started by: deanoknight on September 26, 2011, 11:41:09 AM

Title: legend
Post by: deanoknight on September 26, 2011, 11:41:09 AM
looking for the best and cheapest place to purchase one. anyone who has one let me know if there worth it and where you got it from.
thanks
Title: Re: legend
Post by: petehosk on September 26, 2011, 11:58:30 AM
Hi Deano

I got my Legend from Yash, who in turn got in a very good trade.
The cheapest I've seen them is around £275 or there abouts.
I can only really speak for the Legend I have - it is a stonker with a great middle!!!
Pickup is very good and it feels excellent! I've only used it once so can't comment on long term issues!
I love the stickers and the willow is superb and very large and chunky for the weight.

Would I recommend one? Absolutely!!! Would I rather buy a Legend at £275 or a Redback/Black Cat/H4L for less money? Hmmmm, not sure! The custom bats I have are amazing quality and stack up well against the Legend! And the Legend I have seems to  be VERY responsive (I'm sure Yash will confirm!!) So I guess it's down to personal choice and the feel of the bat and whether it's suited to you!
Title: Re: legend
Post by: thebigginge on September 26, 2011, 02:15:19 PM
If you want one get in quick as the prices are going up!
Title: Re: legend
Post by: petehosk on September 26, 2011, 02:29:56 PM
Yes indeed - I did hear they are going up in price!!
Title: Re: legend
Post by: tim2000s on September 26, 2011, 02:36:37 PM
Yes indeed - I did hear they are going up in price!!
According (once again) to Martin Berrill, 2012 Legend will be £400, as opposed to £300 for 2011 version of the same bat...
Title: Re: legend
Post by: Six Sixes Cricket on September 26, 2011, 02:48:14 PM
The bigginge, are the 2011/12 indian or English made? Will the stickers be revamped for 2012 model?

Thanks
Title: Re: legend
Post by: petehosk on September 26, 2011, 02:51:30 PM
Hope the stickers are left alone as they are very nice!!  8)
Title: Re: legend
Post by: Canners on September 26, 2011, 02:53:16 PM
£400.... are all the Legends made in England?

all the top of the range bats have gone up.......

Gray Nics now £400
GM- £500

Title: Re: legend
Post by: roco on September 26, 2011, 02:55:46 PM
Lavers looking cheap now ;)
Title: Re: legend
Post by: Canners on September 26, 2011, 03:00:49 PM
Lavers looking cheap now ;)

for the time being ;)
Title: Re: legend
Post by: Cover_Drive on September 26, 2011, 03:44:45 PM
£400.... are all the Legends made in England?

all the top of the range bats have gone up.......

Gray Nics now £400
GM- £500

I remember Mike telling us all Gray Nicolls Legends are made in India.
Title: Re: legend
Post by: Canners on September 26, 2011, 03:45:24 PM
me too, thats why i queried it
Title: Re: legend
Post by: Cover_Drive on September 26, 2011, 04:01:29 PM
I have one and from what it looks like it is definitely Indian made, no doubt.

Do you remember my Custom Oblivion I ordered from Asad ? That bat took 6 weeks to turn out and now I have my doubts on that too, I mean I don't think that is UK made either.
Title: Re: legend
Post by: Tom on September 26, 2011, 04:02:46 PM
How would you tell an Indian made GN from a UK made one? What are the signs?
Title: Re: legend
Post by: Canners on September 26, 2011, 04:04:38 PM
The made in India sticker ? ;)
Title: Re: legend
Post by: Cover_Drive on September 26, 2011, 04:05:12 PM
Extremely poor finishing [Heck my Powerbow 3 Star which was bought in 2009 had better finishing that these two bats], the shopkeeper telling me that the Legends are Indian made, saw the shipment myself of Legends and they came directly from India to his store rather than UK.
Title: Re: legend
Post by: Cover_Drive on September 26, 2011, 04:06:17 PM
The made in India sticker ? ;)

Nope, it won't have that like Puma. It will have silver GN holographic sticker which says 'Made in UK' etc
If you take Puma you will see 6000 models have made in UK sticker while 3000s have Made in India sticker
Title: Re: legend
Post by: Colesy on September 26, 2011, 05:14:33 PM
I've used a Legend a few times. Very nice bat, imo worth £200-£230 or so maximum. Would never pay £300 for one as I don't see an Indian bat worth that much. Especially as it's sourced from the best 1% willow or whatever they claim.
Title: Re: legend
Post by: Cover_Drive on September 26, 2011, 05:17:37 PM
Especially as it's sourced from the best 1% willow or whatever they claim.

You do think the one you used or the ones you have seen are from 1% best willow?

Just a marketing tactic really, the willow looks nothing like 1% imho
Title: Re: legend
Post by: Colesy on September 26, 2011, 05:21:34 PM
Well I'd say no as it's not especially big and has 7 grains which aren't ruler straight. My bottom of the range Boom Boom doesn't look all that dissimilar.
Title: Re: legend
Post by: Cover_Drive on September 26, 2011, 05:22:35 PM
Exactly there you go!

It is just an attempt to sell the bats really.
Title: Re: legend
Post by: roco on September 26, 2011, 05:22:54 PM
The same clever marketing people accused laver of just now others are doing it
Title: Re: legend
Post by: GarrettJ on September 26, 2011, 05:34:38 PM
will the price have gone up because vat went up before they could alter the 2011 RRP's?

should live abroad like me and pay no vat on products from the UK ;)
Title: Re: legend
Post by: tim2000s on September 26, 2011, 05:54:19 PM
will the price have gone up because vat went up before they could alter the 2011 RRP's?

should live abroad like me and pay no vat on products from the UK ;)
Try again. £300 to £400 is not achieved by a vat increase from 17.5% to 20%....
Title: Re: legend
Post by: essexarsenal on September 26, 2011, 06:05:10 PM
Interesting to see if the price does go up or is it a clever bit of business making you order it now.
Title: Re: legend
Post by: Buzz on September 26, 2011, 06:17:54 PM
I would love to know what improvements have been made to justify a price increase like that... I don't believe costs have gone up 30%
Title: Re: legend
Post by: thebigginge on September 27, 2011, 04:02:59 PM
Here we go, all GN willow is grown in the uk (with the exception of Kashmir) all this willow is felled by our own felling gangs, hauled to our site in Robertsbridge where the tress are cut into rounds, glued, peeled, split, sawn, kilned and graded.

After they have been graded they are divided up into what is required by our manufacturing points around the world, those being the UK, Australia, India and South Africa.

Legend willow genuinely is extremely rare, I can go through a set of 20 Legend clefts as they have been preliminaraly graded but only get 2 or 3 of a high enough standard. If some Legend clefts get sent to India they will be made in India. Preliminary grading is never 100% accurate as we have 70-80000 clefts a year to produce and grafe (approx 300 clefts a day graded whilst completing other tasks)

We are fairly unique in that our factory in India is owned and controlled by us, there is no making under license by 3rd parties. Our managing directors from both here in tbe uk and australia spend an extensive amount of time there with them ensuring the quality of what is produced.

We never ship directly from our Indian manufacturing plant, all equipment is sent to our Robertsbridge factory for QC checks.

I cannot comment on why costs of Legends are going up, all I can say is some Legends are made here, some in India.
Title: Re: legend
Post by: Six Sixes Cricket on September 27, 2011, 06:00:10 PM
Thankyou for explaining the situation.
Title: Re: legend
Post by: Buzz on September 27, 2011, 06:38:17 PM
as modern cricket manufacturing business models go, that seems the way to go. interesting that you own the Indian plant. must be a relatively tax efficient way of doing things.
Title: Re: legend
Post by: jonpinson on September 30, 2011, 05:54:22 PM
Exactly there you go!

It is just an attempt to sell the bats really.

Seems to have worked in your case, as it seems you bought a poor grained poorly finished bat for around £300...
Title: Re: legend
Post by: Cover_Drive on September 30, 2011, 08:49:07 PM
Seems to have worked in your case, as it seems you bought a poor grained poorly finished bat for around £300...

I never paid £300 for my Legend..