Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Bats => Topic started by: GarrettJ on November 13, 2013, 07:35:42 AM
-
I see JS Wright seemed to have changed their willow grading to include a small amount of heartwood as grade 1
-
A Grade 1 Blade
A Grade 1 is the best looking blade money can buy, though it will not necessarily play the best. There may be some red wood evident on the edge of the bat (up to 1.75 inches). The grain on the face will be straight and there will be a minimum of 6 grains visible. There may be the odd small knot or speck in the edge or back but the playing area should be clean.
A Grade 2 Blade
A Grade 2 blade is also very good quality and normally a larger amount of red wood can be seen on the edge of a bat (Up to 2.25 inches), this has no effect on the playing ability of the bat it is purely cosmetic. Again there will be at least 6 straight grains on the face of the bat with maybe some blemishes, pin knots or “speck” visible.
A Grade 3 Blade
The blade as it is supplied
This is the grade we produce and sell most of and it offers very good value for money. A Grade 3 Blade has up to half colour across the bat and is sometimes bleached, again this has no direct relation to the playing ability of the wood, it just has less visual attraction. There will be a minimum of 5 grains on the face of the bat which may not always be perfectly straight. Again some small knots or a little ‘butterfly’ stain may be present with perhaps more prominent “speck”.
A Grade 4 Blade
A Grade 4 Blade is normally over half colour or contains butterfly stain (see our page on Imperfections in Willow). This wood is also normally bleached just to make it “look better”, it will still play as well as the other grades. Any number of grains are possible with often only 4 grains, the willow containing ‘butterfly’ stain is very strong, there could also be more “speck”.
-
seems a shift in what g1 is for sure.
-
its a very drastic change from them
-
Given how rare G1 was getting I wonder if this is a case of increasing the amount of G1's and therefore the price.
-
I think you are 100% spot on, its easier for them to shift more clefts as grade 1 due to a shortage if they change their boundaries. I'm going to ask them why the massive shift in grading.
I think a true grade 1 is what is being referred to as crown grade at b3 due to the density being below the magic number and these are quite rare ..... maybe 1 or 2 in every 50 grade 1 cleft.
I think you could get some lower grade clefts with the density below the magic number but the looks would be a bit off ........ interestingly JS Wright state grade 3 is their most bought grade
-
I think you are 100% spot on, its easier for them to shift more clefts as grade 1 due to a shortage if they change their boundaries. I'm going to ask them why the massive shift in grading.
I think a true grade 1 is what is being referred to as crown grade at b3 due to the density being below the magic number and these are quite rare ..... maybe 1 or 2 in every 50 grade 1 cleft.
I think you could get some lower grade clefts with the density below the magic number but the looks would be a bit off ........ interestingly JS Wright state grade 3 is their most bought grade
I'm pretty sure this is because they stipulate how much G2, G3 and G4 willow you need to buy to get "x" amount of G1, and it will be mostly the G3 stuff...
-
I think you could get some lower grade clefts with the density below the magic number but the looks would be a bit off ........ interestingly JS Wright state grade 3 is their most bought grade
Now that would be interesting to know from batmakers. How many G3 clefts come through with a lower than average weight.
-
I can do a test next time i go and handpick the clefts. Never thought of getting a lower grade low density cleft.
I do know they don't weigh the clefts when grading them, purely on looks ie 6 or more grains 1.25inch heartwood , so id imagine there is a few in there. I have been told that fewer grains often equates to a lighter cleft so you could get some monsters with 6 grains.
-
I have 2 bats made from lightweight clefts, both weighing 2oz lighter than they should. My Icon has 7 grains and my Ayrtek 9.
-
G3 is/was often passable as a higher grade when made into a bat. The 2011 Wrights guide I used to have had a standard G3 cleft at a minimum of 7 grains.
-
its a very drastic change from them
Not really, JS (at least for the past few years) have accepted that there will be colour on the 1's.
-
from the old website it is a big change, didnt it used to say any heartwood was grade 2/3?
-
Old website -
"A Grade 1 is the best looking blade money can buy, though it will not necessarily play the best. There may be some red wood evident on the edge of the bat. The grain on the face will be straight and there will be at least 4 grains visible. There may be the odd small knot in the edge or back but the playing area should be clean."