Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Companies => Custom companies => Topic started by: Simmy on January 12, 2013, 12:05:04 PM
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Ok So me And Ryan Decided to Visit Kippax as they are on our door step and we have never been, and as it turns out one of Ryans old friends works there.
Now i no very little about Kippax ive seen a fair few bats over my time that have been Kippax some have been very very nice and the off few have been not so good.
So we went not really knowing what to expect.
So we turn up, get out of the cars walk in to be greeted by Ryans old friend Chris. They had a quick chat and he offered to show us round the unit and tell us what they are all about.
Now the 1st thing i noticed when i walked in what i can only describe as the biggest amount of willow i have ever seen! I could not see any bat work shop tools anything all i could see was stacks and stacks and stacks of willow! raw clefts..
Now as it turns out Kippax Supply willow to a lot of big company's in Asia, ca,ss, etc and a few in the uk.. they are Englands 2nd biggest willow supplier 1st being wrights. i think the numbers where something like Kippax do 12,000 clefts a year wrights do 80,000 something ridicules like that.
We had a quick look at some of the stacks.. Chris showed us a small pile of Test grade willow every cleft had around 20-25 ruller straight tight grains! beautiful!
amongst all the lovely willow was machines for sanding/CNC/pressing/shaping/jigs for prettty much everything that you could need.
it really is an impressive setup for what i thought to be a relatively small and local company!
there are various bats knocking about the place some finished some half finished but as u do pick them all up as we are walking round.
i couldn't believe some of the weights and sizes these bats are.. 40mm edges and they are like 2.7. but i guess they have a hell of alot of clefts to pick from.
Was also good to see the wavex handles these are turned in house.. and he was explaining the way that the shock or vibration is taken out by the waves in the handle. there is some technological scientific reasons lol
We asked a few questions about the clefts moistener content how they dry them etc
they are all dried in a kiln to get the moisture content down to 10%.
also before the clefts can be shipped to India they have to all reach a core temperature so in every shipment is one rubbish cleft that is left in the coldest point of the klin.. this cleft is then drilled and probed once it reaches its desired temperature it is safe to ship.
The Conclusion is that my views of kippax are now alot greater than before and i never realized what such a big operation it was specially where there is just 2 people working there!
It is great to see a company doing both bat making and supplying willow and i think id like to try out one of the kippax bats in the future,
I have mentioned the forum to them as did Dave the other day so you might see them pop up on here i dont think they get as much exposure as they deserve
here is a pic of half of there warehouse didnt take to many pics as not sure if they wanted this for public viewing
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t118/djsimmy_photos/kipax.jpg)
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Did Ryan come away with any clefts?
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Good read simmy. it was good to catch up with Chris this morning and to meet Chris kippax. Both had plenty of time to spend with us and were both very knowledgable.
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Wow, completely changed my view of Kippax! :o Do they supply part mades by any chance? Might fire them an email regarding a 15 year investment when I get the cash! 8)
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Wow, completely changed my view of Kippax! :o Do they supply part mades by any chance? Might fire them an email regarding a 15 year investment when I get the cash! 8)
I'm not exactly sure if they supply part made's but can find out for you. I know they supply a lot of the bigger guys with willow though.
I was shocked at the amount of willow and also the quality, they seemed to have stacks and stacks of tight grained willow.
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If it was a 5 year investment then I would be more likely!
Obviously the tree needs the 15 years, but Id happily pay more for a 10 year old tree, leaving them more money to invest in planting willow!
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Surely more than 10 clefts come from a tree?
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Surely more than 10 clefts come from a tree?
Of course but That's how they make some money on the deal. They look after the tree for 15 years, you get 10 bats and they get the rest.
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I'm not exactly sure if they supply part made's but can find out for you. I know they supply a lot of the bigger guys with willow though.
I was shocked at the amount of willow and also the quality, they seemed to have stacks and stacks of tight grained willow.
Yeah Ryan, that would be great! It would be nice if I could bulk buy a few low grade ones for a decent price just to start off with some batmaking practice/experience! Scotland needs a podshaver! 8)
Yeah, imagine how much a bat would cost then though! It's a decent investment for years to come I reckon, and I'll be 35 then, and most likely still a bat-o-holic, so will just keep 9 of them and sell 1 for £100 to make back my money. ;)
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([url]http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t118/djsimmy_photos/kipax.jpg[/url])
Not keen on that stacking ha ha ha
Are they still using superbest?
I did not know they were 2nd now :S always thought it was Anglian
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Not keen on that stacking ha ha ha
Are they still using superbest?
I did not know they were 2nd now :S always thought it was Anglian
Superbest??
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Yeah Ryan, that would be great! It would be nice if I could bulk buy a few low grade ones for a decent price just to start off with some batmaking practice/experience! Scotland needs a podshaver! 8)
Yeah, imagine how much a bat would cost then though! It's a decent investment for years to come I reckon, and I'll be 35 then, and most likely still a bat-o-holic, so will just keep 9 of them and sell 1 for £100 to make back my money. ;)
Ok mate, I'll drop him a message. Are you wanting the cheapest option available?
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Superbest??
Yer their grades, superbest, 1s, 2s, 3rd
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Ok mate, I'll drop him a message. Are you wanting the cheapest option available?
Yeah, either the cheapest or the best value for money! Not sure when I'll buy them, but if the price is good, at least I know how much I need to save up for the summer! 8)
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Yer their grades, superbest, 1s, 2s, 3rd
No idea mate, they had some lovely "test" grade willow in though. Don't think they really grade 1,2 and 3.
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Yeah, either the cheapest or the best value for money! Not sure when I'll buy them, but if the price is good, at least I know how much I need to save up for the summer! 8)
Ok mate, don't know if they will but if you don't ask you don't get.
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No idea mate, they had some lovely "test" grade willow in though. Don't think they really grade 1,2 and 3.
Now I'm hoping you or David "Simmy" Bailey took some pics of these "test" grade willow for us :D
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Now I'm hoping you or David "Simmy" Bailey took some pics of these "test" grade willow for us :D
Ummmmmm, nope :( ill ask for some sending over.
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didnt take pics as we wasnt sure if we was allowed etc so as it was are 1st visit best not to take the piss!
clefts where labeled in letters not 1 2 3 etc
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Master of Cricket at my school, Simon Kellet swore by these bats (until he switched to Cicada) but i too always had the impression they were a very small batmaker.
Im still not a fan of their new graphics, but good to know that they have some really top willow, maybe i'll get you guys to buy one and make me a really special RK Custom ;)
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Good read I was impressed and it changed my view goin there the scale of there contribution to the industry and the knowledge they had top bloke
As I said I thought although my bat has 21 grains and is not shabby looking there where some right good looking bats and I did not look massively into it
Kippax bats are underrated for sure I listened hard to what Chris was saying and you got the gist he knew his stuff bit time
I agree about the stickers bat the retro one there like old classics and similar to the original kippax which is in a display case at the front of the shop
Top stuff simmy and Ryan
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Master of Cricket at my school, Simon Kellet swore by these bats (until he switched to Cicada) but i too always had the impression they were a very small batmaker.
this Simon Kellett? was signed on for Rawdon in our league, rarely played though i think
check this article out
http://www.people.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2007/07/22/cricket-hunk-drove-me-batty-until-i-found-the-wicket-liar-had-a-wife-93463-19493673/ (http://www.people.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2007/07/22/cricket-hunk-drove-me-batty-until-i-found-the-wicket-liar-had-a-wife-93463-19493673/)
and is anyone thinking of investing in Kippax 15 year willow growing?
sounds a cracking deal for those of us who are hopefully young enough now to still be playing in 15 years time
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this Simon Kellett? was signed on for Rawdon in our league, rarely played though i think
check this article out
[url]http://www.people.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2007/07/22/cricket-hunk-drove-me-batty-until-i-found-the-wicket-liar-had-a-wife-93463-19493673/[/url] ([url]http://www.people.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2007/07/22/cricket-hunk-drove-me-batty-until-i-found-the-wicket-liar-had-a-wife-93463-19493673/[/url])
and is anyone thinking of investing in Kippax 15 year willow growing?
sounds a cracking deal for those of us who are hopefully young enough now to still be playing in 15 years time
Oh yeah, thats him. That story broke the year after i left school. He was fired off the back of it. He's an absolute badger!
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this Simon Kellett? was signed on for Rawdon in our league, rarely played though i think
check this article out
[url]http://www.people.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2007/07/22/cricket-hunk-drove-me-batty-until-i-found-the-wicket-liar-had-a-wife-93463-19493673/[/url] ([url]http://www.people.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2007/07/22/cricket-hunk-drove-me-batty-until-i-found-the-wicket-liar-had-a-wife-93463-19493673/[/url])
and is anyone thinking of investing in Kippax 15 year willow growing?
sounds a cracking deal for those of us who are hopefully young enough now to still be playing in 15 years time
Im definatly thinking about it! Just not sure how the whole thing works.
For example if Kippax cease to trade, what happens to the tree?
Also does this include 10 bats fully made up for us? In which case at £10 a bat and given the way these prices are changing there could be a real bargain
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Email them ask them your best bet
They have been around for quite a while
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I mailed them about this
You get 10 bats made to whatever you want and I asked about the thing of maybe ceasing trading and they said they've been going 30 years and don't plan to stop as I'm going ahead with the offer when I sort a few things
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It's on my birthday list for when I'm 50 in July!
So in 15 years time that's 2 bats for me , 2 for my lad who will be 36 and 6 left over for various grandchildren, son's inlaw etc.
By then hopefully there will be enough cricketers in the family for a 11-a-sde team - anybody want to sort out a Kippax sponsored fixture in 2028?
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It's on my birthday list for when I'm 50 in July!
So in 15 years time that's 2 bats for me , 2 for my lad who will be 36 and 6 left over for various grandchildren, son's inlaw etc.
By then hopefully there will be enough cricketers in the family for a 11-a-sde team - anybody want to sort out a Kippax sponsored fixture in 2028?
Haha quality, defiantly worth an investment.