Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Bats => Topic started by: nickgibson on February 17, 2012, 01:08:00 PM
-
This season i have decided to go custom made rather than the a bat from one of the large manufacturers.
Fat Bat,Nixon or Black Cat so many choices the problem is which one?? Has anybody got recommendations or know of some great offers. I think its time to support the smaller companies!!
-
Use the search function mate, you'll find the same answer on all of them. welcome to the forum :)
-
Have only had a Black Cat out of the brands mentioned, although to be fair all the Black Cats I have owned have been superb!
I would search around and confirm which profile, weight, spec you are after. And then decide!!
-
Tbh custom bats arew just that so they will be custom to you (if that's what you want. Therefore, it's really down to price and stickers/
-
Factors you need to consider:
A) what's your budget
B) what experience do you want (I.e. choose your willow via email, or perhaps visit the batmaker in person)
C) which stickers do you like :D
-
From personal experience Laver & wood make great bats, but being in NZ is a pain, you have to put faith in James to produce the bat you want, or otherwise be prepared to live with anything that's not quite to your liking.
Charlie French are good bars too, though he isn't prepared to let you choose your cleft, he prefers to make the choice himself
Brands I haven't used but would like to include H4L, for whom I've never seen a bad review, and FatBats who aren't necessarily as experienced but I like their branding
-
Redback are good as well by all accounts. Kieron does a cracking service at Bulldog as well... top bloke and lovely bats
-
thanks for the advice so far... i think this will be making my decision even harder!
-
Sent you a pm nick
-
Nick where do you live - can I suggest you visit a local to you (if there are any) there are so many high quality custom batmakers around you really should try something local to you if you can.
-
What Buzz said!
I would check this out as your first point of call...
http://www.cricketinsight.co.uk/2011/12/07/find-your-nearest-custom-batmaker/
-
I would recommend from having owned and used them:
1. Black Cat
2. Screaming Cat
3. SS
4. BAS
5. Warsop
From what I have heard and seen people using:
1. LW
2. Redback
3. GN
4. H4L
-
I am from Scarborough so Nick Nixon is my nearest bat maker
-
I am from Scarborough so Nick Nixon is my nearest bat maker
Another Yorkshire lad :)
Beach cricket and fish and chips on the front fella??
-
Always!
-
I'll wait for an invite as soon as the weather improves 8)
-
I used to play against Scarborough. Awesome ground!
Just booked a budget family holiday to Filey
-
thats where i live sunny filey!!
-
Nick, Nick Nixon is one of the good guys you wont be upset if you get in to contact with him
-
cheers norbs think i will pay him a visit.
just been looking on the black cat website and the joker is screaming out at me though!!
-
Norbs knows a good bat when he sees one ;)
-
cheers norbs think i will pay him a visit.
just been looking on the black cat website and the joker is screaming out at me though!!
You're a SLOGGER ;-) Good bats, Charile is a top bloke, they shouldn't be just thought as a T20 bat, they can be used in all forms of cricket
-
yeah my concern with the joker was if it was more of a sloggers bat for 20/20
i am a cultured opening bat!!! well so i like to think!!
-
yeah my concern with the joker was if it was more of a sloggers bat for 20/20
i am a cultured opening bat!!! well so i like to think!!
hahahahaha if I heard that once I've heard that ummm once ;-)
Joker beautifully balance and very responsive, will it suit an opener when you are seeing off the quick not sure it isnt a one trick pony though. Chasing runs or tired openers there is value to be had with it, it will hit it off the square front foot or back foot... [Charlie am I on comission :D ]
-
Nick,
Using CBFORUM will get you £35 off any black cat bat on there website.
-
Personally I would go for one where you can visit the workshop. I burned £240 on a well known bat last year that lasted half a season and 500 runs. In fact it was a replacement bat for one that fell apart after about a hundred runs. Not through use - it was a fault in the wood that wasn't visible on the surface. Nevertheless it doesn't fill you with confidence that the wood is actually grade 1. The 500 run bat was not a good looking thing but I decided to go on trust that it was a good piece of wood. I now think that was a mistake.
So for my next bat I will definitely visit the workshop. I was offered £10 off a replacement by email. I doubt that would have happened face to face. I think the replacement bat was one of those that didn't turn out that well so was put to one side to get rid of. If I'd been there I wouldn't have been the one that ended up with it.