Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Bats => Topic started by: piethepker on April 16, 2013, 11:52:43 PM
-
Hey guys, Really great forum you got here.
Just one question though, i was going to get a kookaburra kahuna players, but after looking around a bit more, i saw brands like hammer, Scat and L&W
Has anyone used all of these? Money isn't really an issue here.
My strongest shot is the drive, i am more of a time so i need a light bat/good pick-up, a fuller face and middle sweet spot.
Thanks!
-
Welcome to the forum
There are many posts on these brands, so if you use the search function on the forum you should be able to find some topics of interest.
Personally I would stay away from Kooks' - they are Indian made and their pressing generally isn't the best.
Out of the brands you've mentioned, Hammer are relatively new - but the guys who are outsourced to make the bats for them do have a very good reputation, SCAT's are deemed to have a very good reputation but again, it is believed that there are a few short cuts taken for such a prestigious bat maker which downgrades their brand. I've just got a SCAT which is now 3rd hand I believe - used it for the first time tonight and it was OK. Nothing special, but looking at the bat it seems that I was hitting the ball a bit high up the bat today, whereas the Series 3 model I have accumulated is deemed to have a low sweetspot. Whereas L&W's pressing is very hard, this means that the bat will take ages for it to reach it's optimum performance - their finishing is 2nd to none though I am lead to believe, but I cannot say as I'm yet to see a brand new L&W in person.
There are many other great brands on this forum and you can save money(also through postage depending on where you are) on getting a bat that will be as good, if not better than any of those that are mentioned - and completely custom, bespoke made to your specifications and not just a standard modeled, mass produced bat.
-
Hi there,
We do not often directly answer specific enquiries but as you mentioned us we thought we'd get in touch!
We'd love to work with you going forward and the best place to start is by filling in our free online bat-sizing form - http://www.laverwood.co.nz/sizingform.php (http://www.laverwood.co.nz/sizingform.php) - with as much information as possible. James Laver will get back to you with his recommendations and we can go from there. We encourage your full input throughout the design process and we hope to make a bat that will turn into your favourite ever.
Please mention the forum when filling in the bat-sizing form and we may be able to work out a good deal too!
Cheers, Andy
-
Hey guys, Really great forum you got here.
Just one question though, i was going to get a kookaburra kahuna players, but after looking around a bit more, i saw brands like hammer, Scat and L&W
Has anyone used all of these? Money isn't really an issue here.
My strongest shot is the drive, i am more of a time so i need a light bat/good pick-up, a fuller face and middle sweet spot.
Thanks!
Firstly, welcome to the forum! :)
It depends what you like. Do you want a bat that performs straight away, or do you not mind having a bat which plays in very nicely? I have never tried a Hammer bat, but I think I have used bats from the same batmaker, and from that, they are very good bats, some of the best. I only really hear good things about SCat, and with L&W, the main complaint is that they take a while to play in, but I have one, and it went pretty well from ball one, but now it feels much better. I would say that these brands are better than Kookaburra, but I can't say for sure. There are some great prices on eBay for a Kahuna Players 2012 edition for £200 from Lorimers, but it weighs 2.11, so might not be the weight you like. :-[ If I had a big budget, I would have a few bats in mind:
Forum Sponsors:
Choice Praetorian
Rob Pack Blueroom LE
Laver Signature (Really impressed by my Laver so far)
A very special Blank Bat
Black Cat F40
All of these can be made to your specs.
If I was going outside of the forum, the brands I would look at are:
B3 Bespoke - Looks like a few forum members have had good dealings with them
SS made in Players Grade willow
Top grade BAS
SCat Series 1 Professional - About a mid blade sweetspot, but has a large coverage
Gray Nicolls Custom made from LE willow - Contact Vitas Cricket about this, some of them turn out MASSIVE
I hope this helps! The forum is a fantastic place for buying cricket bats, but try to keep an open mind to start with and look at other brands outside the forum as well! (I know there are quite a number of forum sponsors, so there may not be a need to look outside of the forum, but you can't always guarantee that only the forum brands are the best for you!) Then begin to narrow it down to what you want. :) Also, a few of these choices depend on your handle preference, as if you like to play in the V, I think an oval handle will suit you more, which pretty much rules out Kookaburra and SS and BAS bats, as they make round handled bats. :-[ If you like to flick a lot and heave on the legside though, then a round handle would suit you as well. 8)
-
Oh, I may have forgotten to mention that from experience, L&W, Aldred, Vantage and Red Ink have been second to none in customer service. 8)
-
Thanks for such a good respond guys.
Especially to L&W, many thanks for responding.
-
Given your location, you're probably best off looking at Laver and Screaming Cat. I have tried both, and would suggest that either would suit what you are after.
-
Given your location, you're probably best off looking at Laver and Screaming Cat. I have tried both, and would suggest that either would suit what you are after.
And as Laver has reached out to you, offered you a forum "good price" and is a forum sponsor... ;)
-
Given your location, you're probably best off looking at Laver and Screaming Cat. I have tried both, and would suggest that either would suit what you are after.
then again, many forum sponsors in the UK do alot of business down under. I wouldn't rule it out, especially if you are after value for money.
-
Given your location, you're probably best off looking at Laver and Screaming Cat. I have tried both, and would suggest that either would suit what you are after.
Maybe, though i really like the look of L&W and the effort they take to personally reach out to customers impresses me.
-
Maybe, though i really like the look of L&W and the effort they take to personally reach out to customers impresses me.
And if that has given you the warm and fuzzy feeling, then you should go with it.
-
Yeah, once they get back to me about the bat sizing form, we will go from there
-
Just bought a Private bin L&W, Very very impressed with them.
Photos when i get it!