Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Bats => Topic started by: ppccopener on April 18, 2017, 01:40:36 PM
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what are these bats like to use? im going to pick one up second hand(kit tramp)
seem highly rated on the forum, I know customer service is excellent cos ive read all the posts, most people cannot be wrong-so that goes without saying
but actually using them, is it in the pressing, quality of wood, the handles?
or just allround a good manufacturer?
looking at the bats without much of a bow is not that appealing, but no one else on the forum seems to worry about that.
interested to get peoples views who have them.
:)
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I've only had one personally through the 50% off deal a year or so back. The finishing and build quality of the blade/handle was clearly very good (up there with the best), however I found mine to be very hard pressed so it ended up on ebay - I believe the pressing has changed since then though from what others have said.
(Ironically it actually sold for more than I paid for it!)
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what are these bats like to use? im going to pick one up second hand(kit tramp)
seem highly rated on the forum, I know customer service is excellent cos ive read all the posts, most people cannot be wrong-so that goes without saying
but actually using them, is it in the pressing, quality of wood, the handles?
or just allround a good manufacturer?
looking at the bats without much of a bow is not that appealing, but no one else on the forum seems to worry about that.
interested to get peoples views who have them.
:)
I have had a fair few. each iteration has improved. Handle quality is the next improvement they made when I purchased a Beluga. Going for my second 3 stripe at the moment. Pressing is outstanding now. Only had one extremely hard pressed bat, a bat from the first year of production that had a small middle as a result. Having tried many brands now I rate the press.
No bow works for me.
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I've got one of the TKC Pepsi's and it's a bit of a weapon, up there with my Hellfire monster as best bat in my bag.
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Bought one a few years back, was a complete plank and was pressed like a rock. I'm sure if I emailed them they would've done something about it given how good there customer service is (from what I've read) - instead sold it on ebay.
Happy to give them another go sometime (yes I need another "back up" bat) given the belters I've seen on here
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Had 2 from B3, one in big TKC shape which was around 2.14/2.15, needed a bit of lnocking in but is a very good bat (at that weight it ahould be imo). The 2'nd one is the Warner small edge one around 2.11/2.12 with high middle and even this one plays very well.
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I've had 3, all have been excellent. Just prefer a bit of bow. The TKC 3 stripe that I got with the offer is a cracking bat
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Weapons...
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got some hard pressed one from B3 intially. Haven't tried anything recently.
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have had quite a few - all superb... even the one that was "hard pressed" just 'felt' different..the ball would still ping off the bat.
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Got 4, 3 were pressed like a rock and made great nets bats against cheap balls, one still got cracked. One I bought from @procricket and that was a good bat. Other than that, no bow and performance free bats. I have stayed away since.
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Got a big TKC pepsi last year & a Warner replica this year. Both bats are top level in terms of finishing, Ping & handle feel. As far as "Hard pressing" is concerned i think the bats are pressed to be match ready with minimal preparation needed. The ones i have are both 2 stripes (5 & 6 grains each) and they do feel a bit hard but goes like a rocket.
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B3 make very good cricket bats.
I've got 3 and used lots more in the nets
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Ive had 6 of them. The first one was a bit hard pressed but all of the others have been absolute rocket launchers! The handles are amongst the best out there imo.
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I've had 3 total. One bought from gumtree and the other two from a sale that B3 had in Australia. First one was pressed really hardly. Then I got two matching in a sale but one had a weird handle and was also pressed really hard, but the other one it came with was awesome. The one that was awesome had a much higher number (as in manufactured number) than the two hard pressed ones, so their pressing could have gotten better.
I know @Wickets-then-runs has had some absolute belters
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Would you say the pressing is better than TK pressed ones for comparison ?
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I've had quite a few of both and while you cannot go wrong on either, I would say IMO, the B3 lads edge ahead...
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I have about 8 B3 bats and they are amazing. People are always trying to buy it from me.
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Popped by b3 cherry this year. Crown Mullinator. Will struggle to go somewhere else in the future.
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Ive got a DB2 3 stripe from a few seasons ago, was little bit overpressed but still goes really well, my brother has a 2 stripe and its a cannon
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I have a bespoke crown, the handle seems a little thick for my taste but the balance and pick up is amazing. I am not disappointed
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I have a long blade Trott shape which is ruddy marvellous and one of the best bats I own (it and my GN XP80 are the top two). Their pressing innovations over the last two years mean that you don't really need to knock a bat in any more!
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I have a long blade Trott shape which is ruddy marvellous and one of the best bats I own (it and my GN XP80 are the top two). Their pressing innovations over the last two years mean that you don't really need to knock a bat in any more!
Is that similar to the old GM Now technique?
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My last B3 was fromt the 50% off sale. Shape and finish are very very good but again I feel it was hard pressed (it was softer than the first fee B3's I had) I have been knocking that bat for almost 2 years now :( and still feels not quite right but is getting there, although I am hoping it will get some use this year. Its very much Laveresque where I think I should have taken the bat to nets but its hard to do that when A) we barely have any nets anymore and B) I have some monstrous bats (in terms of pings) in my kit bag.
I should also state that most people who picked up a bat during the 50% off offer had their bats made for them from clefts that had not be been worked on whereas the one I picked up was already made and sitting in the showroom, what i am trying to get to is pressing on mine might have been the older way rather than the new improved way (or not).
Would I try a B3 again? most likely yes but hopefully when I either have lots of surplus money and wouldn't be worried about "what if I dish out an amount and get a bat that is still pressed hard" or when I have seen a brand new one that feels like its pressed well. I was so close to getting one when they had the 25 or 30% off for US customers but then changed my mind.
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I had three B3 crowns in 2014 and all were hard pressed for my liking but the handle is quality and finishing top notch. Since we play only T20 games here in Dubai, UAE, I did not have the patience for it to open up and hence sold them.
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Would you say the pressing is better than TK pressed ones for comparison ?
All my TK made bats have been exquisite bats, I can't say that about B3 which was a hit or miss (more miss than hit). :D
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I've had three B3's. Two 1 stripe custom shapes which were hard pressed with very average performance. I still wanted to see what the fuss was about so gave them one last chance and bought a 3 stripe DB2 from @bk on here for a good price. I'm glad I did because it's a absolute gun of a bat and amongst the best I've owned.
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I have a nice little 2.7 B3 second hand. Still felt like it needed knocking in but is opening up nice now. My Bradbury's still the best
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There's about 30-40 b3s at my club. They all ping, they all have needed no to little knocking in(my club are lazy, so absolutely love this)
I still have 3 b3s in my collections as they play superb, only reason I've gone elsewhere is because I prefer a lot of bow in my bats.
If b3 offered huge bow, I'd never ever go anywhere else.
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Pressing was excellent on both the two I've had, 2/3 years ago. I can see why people feel like they're hard pressed as they feel different off the mallet, but they ping beautifully when actually used!
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Like any brand of bat, there will always be a mix of reviews!
No brand fits all and you could give 1 bat to batsman one who will hate the pickup, the response and the feel of it. Give it to batsman two and he will hit a ton with it, and it will be the best thing since sliced bread!
From my experience, I have owned 4 B3 bats, including a Crown and a bat for Gareth Cross!
The first 3 bats were pressed very hard and I have sold 2 of them. The Gareth Cross I still have and I am lending it out in the hope that it will really "open up" as it still feels way too hard! It does respond quite well but I get on with lots of other bats far better!!
I would never have considered another B3 bat after those experiences, until I tapped up a blank bat @procricket had at Eversley nets which responded superbly well! Granted that the pickup wasn't great for a 2'9.9 bat but as I use 2'10-2'11 I still found it very comfortable. Dave then confirmed it was a B3 bat and it is a fantastic bat.
As some of you will know first hand, I do have some excellent willow available to me - and I am the first to admit that I am nowhere near good enough to do my bats justice!! (A bit like Mr. Bean driving an F1 car!!!) So the half dozen bats I choose for match kit will be excellent. And the blank B3 is one of the bats, which in my book shows that B3 can make one hell of a bat!
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(A bit like Mr. Bean driving an F1 car!!!)
I think i would enjoy watching that actually :)
I don't know why I didn't think of it but good point about loaning the bat out. I haven't done as I like my Mull a lot but might have to resort to it this year as I do want to use it.
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Can you not just request a slightly softer press?
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Can you not just request a slightly softer press?
Pretty sure Neil says what the pressing service is in these two videos
https://youtu.be/GzGFKnEQrUk
https://youtu.be/QTSYFB970CA
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B3 can make one hell of a bat!
Yes, I'd agree with this. My LB Trott Profile is ruddy marvellous. The first B3 I had wasn't and got sold on, but that was very early in their life.
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Pressing was excellent on both the two I've had, 2/3 years ago. I can see why people feel like they're hard pressed as they feel different off the mallet, but they ping beautifully when actually used!
I believe @edge has it right here, they definitely don't feel the same off the mallet as other bats (mine doesn't feel as nice off the mallet as any of my H4L's), but using them in a net or match situation mine performs as well as any other bat I've owned.
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I believe @edge has it right here, they definitely don't feel the same off the mallet as other bats (mine doesn't feel as nice off the mallet as any of my H4L's), but using them in a net or match situation mine performs as well as any other bat I've owned.
I disagree, it is possible to get a B3 to feel good off a mallet, it only took me many months of knocking ;) haha. Used it at throwdowns last night and it felt very very very good!! obviously the bat has gone through removal of scuff sheet, oiling, too many to count knocking sessions and throwdowns. Yesterday was the first time it felt ready, which means I finally will use it this season :)