Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Cricket Manufacturers / Brands => Kippax Cricket => Topic started by: procricket on January 11, 2013, 06:48:41 PM
-
Well after being out of the country for 3 years thought i would go and get a bat made for me and it looked like Kippax was closest so i went there after seeing a review of Calvin1mac Stallion thought i might as well at least look what they had after seeing so many of them in the 80's and 90's.
Well there service is quality meet up with Calvin and Chris Leaf head of sales and talked all things cricket for over a hour then started looking at bats in my weight range and pick up range as Chris rightly stated.
Top bloke is Chris he really knows his stuff and let me feel at ease knocking bats up with a ball and not just a mallet.
Well after a few emails to them i went there with the intention of a totally custom bat including selecting my own cleft but after a chat with Chris on the phone i thought he knows more than i do so best let them select that then when i got there a certain shape caught my eye and from that moment on it was no longer a custom bespoke bat but a pre made shape and what a shape it is.
I picked up loads of bats tested them then finally selected the one which i thought picked up the best.
I have gone against my old natural way of not liking heartwood and also the number of grains i normally like around 9-11 at most but this just picked up a dream and tapped up so well.
It was the wavex model but me being me didn't like the stickers and they changed them to the classic K Kippax Legend stickers with wavex handle fitted
The bat spec is as follows
2lb 7.8oz
41mm Edges
21 Grains
here the photos....
(http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/8277/img0163rs.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/820/img0163rs.jpg/)
(http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/7594/img0164gbr.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/12/img0164gbr.jpg/)
(http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/6931/img0165wc.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/194/img0165wc.jpg/)
(http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/9817/img0167fr.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/43/img0167fr.jpg/)
(http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/4664/img0168tt.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/24/img0168tt.jpg/)(http://img827.imageshack.us/img827/7656/img0169tn.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/827/img0169tn.jpg/)
(http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/6585/img0170xv.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/24/img0170xv.jpg/)(http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/8909/img0171dxv.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/694/img0171dxv.jpg/)
Had a great afternoon thanks to Chris and more importantly thanks to Calvin good stuff mate and a good shout with kippax a great company bigger than most realise with the willow exporting and who would have thought a Yorkshireman buying the first round...
-
Looks a beauty Dave. Stickers are loud, but I think they'll attract people! Keep this up to date on how she goes, used a few kippax sticks when I was younger and they were very good
-
wow, tis a stunner!
-
Looks a nice shape Dave, lovely grains, is the middle mid middle or medium high on this? And the wavex handle it looks quite chunky from the pics but the one I sold you was quite thin from what I can remember. Are the handles a lot bigger now?
-
Good choice on the stickers front! Did you speak to the guys about finding a new team?
-
I would say the handle is a lot thicker now mate and i would say the middle is medium high on this bat helping the pick up.
I went for this higher middle because of the cricktech sheets i used a few months ago.
Was really impressed i like the stickers on this bat i thought out of the 3 on offer they where the best in a retro type of way.
They had clefts there left right and centre i suspect anybody going there could get what they wanted grains and profile wise.
-
Good choice on the stickers front! Did you speak to the guys about finding a new team?
yes Johnny i had a good chat with them about things
-
Any workshop pics Dave ,looks like a nice bat
-
not yet mate i will try and get some though.
The shape reminds me of a bat but i can't think why
-
Looks a lovely piece of willow! Will this be the replacement for the Laver? ??? How does the handle feel by the way? I remember picking one up a few seasons back in the shop (a Wavex handled Vitra?) and it felt very strange, kind of like an exaggerated spiral gripped handle. I reckon I would probably want to try one more now than I did back then! 8)
-
41 mm edges in this weight :o ... i am sure ball will fly even if its a miss hit :D
-
It not so much the feel the sound off the bat is similar as well to the carbo core i think.
Yes mate this is the 1 hopefully but the b3 is still in the frame.
-
Lovely bit of willow that... Im a sucker for a bit of heartwood and on that edge.
Nice!
-
To be honest this was nowhere near the best looking of them they had ones with more grains less heartwood and some with so grians i have never seen straighter.
I have never seen as many clefts as they had there in my life
-
Didn't know Chris leaf was involved with kippax, used to work with him back in the day. I'll have to give him a buzz and catch up!!
Looks a lovely bat though.
-
Ah right, I hope they play really nicely for you. :) Out of interest, where abouts were you for the 3 years you weren't in the UK? ??? Might be an idea to invest £100 in growing a willow tree with Kippax. You get 10 bats 15 years later! Imagine how much bats will cost then, with the prices rising like they are! 8)
-
Yup! I'd buy that! Looks lovely! Really nice to see a bit of Kippax bat porn on here....it's been far too long! It's made me check their website....... :D
-
Nice bat Dave, how much did that set you back? what grade is it (since everyone grades differently)?
-
Kippax do not do grades but he told me it is top grade i got a little discount for turning up in person that all i can say
rrp is £220
-
Kippax do not do grades but he told me it is top grade i got a little discount for turning up in person that all i can say
rrp is £220
Glad to hear although the statement is a little contradictory :)....do they sell at RRP or is it one of those where RRP is 220 but sells for less?
-
no they only sell direct mate.
there nothing contradictory mate they sell for 220 off there website but if you turn up they knock a little off as i was advised by Nick Saunders.
They may even knock online but i went there it not a rrp thing mate remember i think there main business is willow clefts
Sorry yes the rrp i guess they do not have one as i think they only sell direct so it £220 crap or bust which i think is a fair price.
-
no they only sell direct mate.
there nothing contradictory mate they sell for 220 off there website but if you turn up they knock a little off as i was advised by Nick Saunders.
They may even knock online but i went there it not a rrp thing mate remember i think there main business is willow clefts
Sorry yes the rrp i guess they do not have one as i think they only sell direct so it £220 crap or bust which i think is a fair price.
Nothing wrong with selling at what your RRP, by the contradictory part i meant if kippax dont do grades then all willow is the same grade and calling one of the bats top grade is contradictory...but i think their model might be that they keep some of the top end willow for themselves and sell the rest...i like the description of Stallion as it starts with you choose your number of grains :)
-
well i guess the number of clefts there is simply madness willow everywhere i have never seen so much
-
I've never heard of Kippax until today? Who exactly are they/where are they based?
-
http://www.chriskippax.350.com/kippax_willow/About_Us.htm (http://www.chriskippax.350.com/kippax_willow/About_Us.htm)
the story
they used to be quite big up north then seemed to die away but they moved into different things willow clefts and what nots.
They invented a handle the wavex and the main reason i went with them because handle for me make the difference as well as pressing in most bats.
I also suspected i could get what i wanted as there a massive willow merchant so guess they have there pick.
There based near Leeds mate
-
Dave,
Glad to hear you're acclimatising to good old Blighty by buying an absolute STONKER of a bat!
You've posted some beauties on here over the years but this is brilliant.
I hope it's the one chap, cos you're starting from a strong position.
Top. :)
-
Also, this mirrors by Warsop story - I went with the intention of getting a certain shape made but but picked up a pre-made and thought 'this is the one'.
Funny isn't it?
-
Glad you like yes pre conceived ideas then bingo.
Funny people are already asking if I do not get on with it they will have it.
This is the laver,s direct replacement.
-
Lovely looking bat mate! I've never really taken Kippax very seriously simply because I hated some of their previous stickers. Just goes to show, making the effort and visiting a batmaker in person can fatten lead to sme gems being uncovered.
-
Lovely looking bat mate! I've never really taken Kippax very seriously simply because I hated some of their previous stickers. Just goes to show, making the effort and visiting a batmaker in person can fatten lead to sme gems being uncovered.
Sorry, I meant often and not fatten. Typing on the I-pad to always the best. :(
-
I've never heard of Kippax until today? Who exactly are they/where are they based?
I hadn't heard of kippax until i moved to where i am now, 6 years ago. The guy who ran the local sport shop insisted on only supplying uk made bats, so we had a lot of Kippax, Salix, M&H, and GM, but he also had Willostix...
-
I've always had a bit of a soft spot for Kippax bats though I've never owned one - love the retro stickers too.
-
The one Kippax bat I have used I really didn't get on with. May just have been that bat though...
-
Only seen one and was used by a kiwi pro and it seemed to go very well
-
I've got a kippax bat which is about 8-9 years old - cracking middle but pick up was too heavy for me
Going back, the majority of our team had kippax bats and our 'kit-bag' bats were all kippax. Some of the odler members used to have close ties with them, but when they packed in gradually everyone seemed to move away from them.
They always used to be decent bats - and one guy swears by his old bat which is now pretty much held together with tape and glue now.
-
Had an email back from Chris Kippax, expecting a phone call at some point to discuss the own your own willow
will be the longest 15 years waiting for the bats to be ready
-
Spoke to Chris
They have updated the website regarding Own your own willow
you can now own willow for 5, 10 or 15 years as original, and therefore get the bats quicker
however there are now different prices for each period of time
-
I went to the Kippax factory in Leeds last year to get a bat for my son after seeing a friends Kippax bat that was superb. I was very impressed with the quality. Very nice. I picked out a beauty, very nice bat indeed. We had a quick tour of the factory behind as well, thousands of clefts! to be shipped all over the place. Well worth a visit.
-
Looks like a cracker!
Do you know if they sell part mades Paul?
-
Love the stickers. MG2 were like that a few years ago and everyone asked about them. Good publicity I say. Well done.
-
Interested in what difference, if any, the Wavex handle makes? has anyone used them for any period of time?
-
Ask d7bow mate he introduced me to them
-
Removes vibration from the handle. Cannot recall the handle vibrating so does its job. As for the power increase I couldn't tell you.
-
With a ball it feel like it does when you used a carbo handle for me just feel like one solid piece if you have used a carbo and middles one you would get what I'am saying though.
Somebody is trying to buy mine without me even using it....
-
Looks a great bat hope it performs well
-
Great Bats... Used them for 3 years now, Looks a beast
-
Now belongs to a lad who I hope is happy with it
-
I am an Australian and am currently playing my 4th year as an overseas in this country. A mate took me in to see the boys at kippax in my first year, and I haven't used another bat since. I have had a few different ones and they have all been really good bats. In fact about half my team back home are using ones I took back as well as quite a few in my club over here. Don't be afraid to go in and see them at the shop, they are very helpful and I'm sure they can find the right bat for you. Currently using the new red wavex, 2 grips about 2.12, but picks up much lighter and has a cannon for a middle.
-
Lovely lovely bat procricket! after seeing that I'm thinking of giving kippax a visit sometime this week! :) Got couple of questions (as usual).
how would you rate the finishing of their bats?
wavex handle - is it stiffer? Does it reduce flex when you hit off centre shots?
Thanks again! :)