Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Bats => Topic started by: Watsontotty on November 26, 2009, 10:34:28 PM
-
A greater number of bat makers are springing up on various forums etc which is great to see especially the ones here in the UK and hopefully the art of pod shaving wont die out as times change in the ever changing economic climate. I have a challenge for all the UK based bat makers, basically they put all the skills they have up against the off the shelf type bats.
I'm willing to part with say £125 for a g1 custom made bat, but this challenge isn't really about how much is on offer its more about the quality and skills of the bat makers here in the UK. The challenge is to make a bat to my specs which will be better than any bat i can buy off the shelf, currently i find I'm using what i class Asian type bats with big profiles and a large bow in the blade. I'm finding I'm paying around £130-£140 for this type of bat from SS or Bas and they are very good better than just about anything i have ever bought from a UK maker and at nearly half the price.
I have had custom made bats done for me from various makers from all over the world with differing success, i don't wish to talk about which makers have made bats for me however i will say they have all been good quality and i have not been overly disappointed with any of them. Last season i found myself using a bat which was made by james laver, it was not custom made for me it was one i bought from Mike Brimble and was a g3 bat which he got free with the g1 he bought. It was outstanding in every way and i was lucky as i split my match bat and used the laver which was my brothers.
For people who don't know me I'm 35 years old and a very attacking batsmen who likes to play shots, i bat in the top five or at times slightly lower and i come in to push the score along, i have played at a high level across my years in cricket. My bats are all about performance balance and pick up but performance is paramount to me and i want ultimate performance from the start. I expect to get 1 season out of a bat and if i get more i count it as being lucky. I'm fair and honest about what i like and what i don't. I would test the bat on balance pick up and obviously performance, i never consider stickers or cosmetics in any way. My views will be balanced and 100% fair in every way and i would certainly not use this as a criticism for any maker.
The challenge in a nut shell is simply to produce a bat with great balance pick up and performance, my specs are 2lb 10oz large profile bow blade oval handle but I'm not sure there will be any takers. This is not aimed at picking a bat up on the cheap and it wont ever be sold on for a profit i guarantee it and i could always return it to the maker if he wishes.
Rich
-
That isnt even close to being an intelligent way of getting a bat for cheap, what on earth do you think is in it for the company?
-
i think you would struggle to convince a batmaker to make a custom g1 for £125! just my opinion
-
Have to agree unless the winning batmakers brand is going to receive a considerable boost in sales and reputation what do they stand to gain from spending the time making the bats apart from £125 to cover costs?
-
If you actually took time to consider the above correctly and new anything about me then i have no need in the world to try and get a bat on the cheap ? i have had bats made for both me and for the company i ran from all over the world so i don't need to purchase a bat cheap. However if i said id pay £220 or £500 for a bat neither of which is a problem whats in it for me ? not many if any would say no and it would not solve the challenge ?
-
well whats in for the batmaker with £125, at least 2-3 hours labour along with materials and postage.....
-
Have to agree unless the winning batmakers brand is going to receive a considerable boost in sales and reputation what do they stand to gain from spending the time making the bats apart from £125 to cover costs?
As i have sated i don't see the big benefit in custom made bats which cost around £220 compared to the ones i mention which cost £130 - £140. Its a chance for a pod shaver to take a challenge and put his skills up to the test. Whats the point in me offering £250 ? Im willing to pay £175 or £220.00 what ever if a maker is wiling to take the challenge.
-
well whats in for the batmaker with £125, at least 2-3 hours labour along with materials and postage.....
The chance to show that custom made is worth the money ? as i have said i will pay what ever.
-
Its not the money your offering that im confused about, its what benefit they receive from making the bat apart from recognition from yourself.
I wasnt suggesting you were after a cheap bat but what someone like H4L, Redback, Solitare or any other custom bat maker would acheive from entering beyond your stamp of approval? Do you carry clout in the bat market to send sales their way off the back of winning! Just trying to clear up some areas so some of them maybe interested in carrying out the challenge
-
My challenge is about custom made or off the shelf bats, this forum is called custom bats forum so I'm looking to see if a custom bat maker can make a bat which is considerably better than the off the shelf bats i mention. If they feel they can I'm sure they will reply if not they wont ? I'm 50/50 and that's honest I've had many many custom bats none have been any better so its simple and I'm as honest as i can be no hidden agenda.
Its not about if i carry any clout in the bat making world its about if custom made provides a better alternative based on price, Performance, pick up and balance ? is it worth the £200 plus price tag rather than the £130 bats i mention and i believe its a fair question. Custom made bats in my opinion are aimed at being better than the shelf bats ?? I'm certainly not going to come on this forum and give false opinions on any maker.
-
A custom made bat is exactly that its made to your specs and thats what you pay the premium for. Whether or not its any better than an off the shelf is irrelevant as that will be your own opinion. . . .getting a custom made bat you are getting something that is entirely unique and made just for you!
-
So your saying that custom made bats offer no benefit apart from they are made to your weight shape etc, as that's not my belief. Id say custom made bats should perform better and the idea is they are made and pressed to provide ultimate performance if not roll out the machine made bats. They are made in 2lb 9 with oval handles and with big profiles however cost only £130 - £140.
-
If its the case a custom bat maker cant provide me with a better performing bat than an off the shelf bat then fine that sort of answers ,y question however i don't believe that to be the case.
-
if these 130 - 140 bats are so good stick to them! Instead of trying to to get a custom made one on the cheap and also degrading the work a podshaver puts into each bat?
-
Im with your there and get what your aiming at now, a bit of an epxeriment to see if it warrents buying a mass manufactured bat or a personalised version...bit like man vs machine in theory.
-
Not at all Aytrek I have offered to pay £250 for a custom bat so I'm not sure how I'm after a cheap bat ? perhaps you could ring me and explain this to me. My ref to machine is in regard to my belief that hand made custom made should provide what im after, but as only people who as far as i can see have no bat making pedigree i will wait on a reply from companies that custom make bats like Fusion Warsop Newbery Gary and the rest.
And for the points about me degrading the work pod shavers put in to the bats perhaps you should read the topic again as you are missing the points i have mentioned ? perhaps i should offer £250 is that what you class as a fair price if so you make it i will pay it. As for points about magazines offering reviews i only go off my experience and not that of a journalist.
-
doesn't all out cricket and wisden already do reviews? why would your review be any different than theirs?
and people actually read their magazines so besides the people on this forum how would you go about getting the word about your findings??
-
Ive read the thread you want a g1 custom made bat for £125!
On another thread today you have said that custom made bats are generally better but you pay a premium so i speak for everyone i think when i ask. . . what exactly is the point of any batmaker taking up your challenge???
-
doesn't all out cricket and wisden already do reviews? why would your review be any different than theirs?
and people actually read their magazines so besides the people on this forum how would you go about getting the word about your findings??
That about said it all for me ? you believe what a journalist has to say ? with no regards to ability and experience in the game etc. Hopefully a bat maker will reply
-
Sorry uv got the wrong end of my post i was agreeing with
If its the case a custom bat maker cant provide me with a better performing bat than an off the shelf bat then fine that sort of answers ,y question however i don't believe that to be the case.
you about custom bats shud perform better than off the shelf which would justify the extra care and attention given to them by making them as a hand made product
-
Ive read the thread you want a g1 custom made bat for £125!
On another thread today you have said that custom made bats are generally better but you pay a premium so i speak for everyone i think when i ask. . . what exactly is the point of any bat maker taking up your challenge???
Practice your reading as ive said i will pay what ever the cost is ? custom makers do provide good bats however not always worth the premium ? this was aimed at custom makes so i wont bother a reply until they do.
-
Sorry Arytek but as is said i will leave it until a bat maker replies as most replies are missing my point and honestyand about what this topic is all about.
-
My reading is fine thanks, if you can pay whatever why dont you just do that then you d***? Like the rest of us?
-
lol
-
your right those journalist don't know any better... I will surely buy a bat you recommend since your opinion counts so highly for me.. ;D
-
There's often a correlation in the magazines with who gets a good review and who advertises the most.
-
I'll have a go at it - It may take me a couple weeks to get hold of the right cleft, but even if it doesnt come out right i'm sure i'll be able to break even selling it elsewhere - Anyway, i like a challenge!
In doing this i am not saying i am a podshaver, not even close to be honest, just someone who's had a crack at a few and is prepared to sacrifice trying to get it close as possible to want you would want - I will post up the picture tonight of my last bat which i made (finally) and you can say yay or nay to me making one for you - fair enough?
-
Why post just ask....
I'm not sure why you don't just ask one of the custom bat makers to make you a bat to your spec's as defined on the original post. They won't be or shouldn't be overly bothered about you comparing them to off the shelf brands and also you can still do the review.
Whilst on the review theme, reviews in Mags or Forums well it is just club cricketers [in general] no true County or International players test/review a bat on either of them.
Is it worth a review in a mag yep probably as you'll get sales from it, a review on a forum well that is debatable my opinion no you'll find differing reviews on the web for anything including bats.
-
Solitaire £25 quid change, nuff' said.
-
If you're willing to pay as much as £250 I'm sure you could get a bat for that price off the shelf which will get you as many runs as a £250 custom made bat. Just pick a bat and use it, stop thinking about it so much, even you said it's going to last you "1 season" so why do you care so much. If you middle the ball on any bat it will go to the boundary, even if you don't you're still going to pick up 2,3 even 4.
-
I'll have a go at it - It may take me a couple weeks to get hold of the right cleft, but even if it doesnt come out right i'm sure i'll be able to break even selling it elsewhere - Anyway, i like a challenge!
In doing this i am not saying i am a podshaver, not even close to be honest, just someone who's had a crack at a few and is prepared to sacrifice trying to get it close as possible to want you would want - I will post up the picture tonight of my last bat which i made (finally) and you can say yay or nay to me making one for you - fair enough?
Fair Enough.