Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Bats => Topic started by: Yorkershire on April 03, 2018, 10:58:18 AM
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Okay... maybe there's something contagious in the forum.. but woke up with the urge to clear my bats and settle on 2 bats... one for bad weather and nets with cheap balls... and a match bat... not in a rush. Need to get rid of my current bats first but would be interesting to hear people's feedback.
Keep one of my existing bats as nets/bad weather/spare bat... and no I'm not getting 3 separate bats :P
- An Aldred butterfly - Like the idea of a bat having character
- Insignia - Always admired the shape from afar and never had a hunts bat. Kinda wished I'd bought via Jake when he had a great offer on.
- A GM - Seen some lovely GM bats
Unfortunately there can only be one...
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I’m afraid we are going to have to cancel your subscription to this forum. Who has heard anything so ludicrous as only 2 bats
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i bought a gm neon signiture as a spare/nets bat, highly reccomend it, really nice pickup and the pressing is fantastic, minimal knocking in required, really good value for money
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Obviously I'm biased, but you really can't go wrong with a Hunts. Quality bats across all the grades.
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Second that, get a hunts
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Interesting so far:
Aldred butterfly - nil points
Hunts Insignia - 2 pts
GM - 1pt
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Can I ask what your current bat/s is/are?
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Sure
Currently Have a Custom Jedi, 2 x AM Monarchs, 10 year old Charlie French fusion. Some other Asian firewood...
Keeping the Jedi - I actually do like it
Keepin one of the AMs as my spare bat - both have lovely grains
Brother has CF so not sure whats happening with that...
Firewood is getting donated to some cricket charity to team mates if they want them.
To Add the AMs are long blade. One has had weight reduced by Jedi and handle slightly chopped. Getting older I prefer standing more upright, back etc..
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I would keep one of your current bats to use as your spare.
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Hunts - I love them! Yet to have a bad bat made by Hunts
GM - very consistent. As they seem to hate heartwood there is the potential for some lower grade bargains.
Aldred - I've never had one but I hear they pick up well...
Disclaimer - I'm one of the members on here who has never batted long enough to understand a bat or use one properly.
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Thank you... I thought you may have had some brand loyalty when you posted the 3 brands you are considering. Have you thought about a B3 instead of the GM? There are other custom brands on here that could sort you a lovely stick as well. Just trying to lure you into the addiction of the forum 🏏😛
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Thanks, have a little loyalty to JEDi but felt like a change. I am aware of the other brands on here... but have mentioned why them 3
B3 had crossed my mind but not seen many up here. Seen a few GMs up close and they look lovely.
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I would keep one of your current bats to use as your spare.
Hi Buzz that's the idea. :)
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Hunts can make a butterfly for you.
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Hunts can make a butterfly for you.
A butterfly insignia... oooohhh that sounds tempting? Just out of interest with Jake no longer around, can I go direct or would I have to go through someone?
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The Aldred butterfly I have and others I've seen are as good as any bat I've ever used, would likely go for one of those if I were you.
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I would go for a GM. I've had a couple over the years and they've been very good. As has been mentioned before you can pick up a decent bat on one of there lower models.
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Have a word with a forum sponsor and get a Hunts made butterfly with bright illuminated stickers in a custom shape that happens to be the insignia?
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From personal experience of those 3 I would choose GM, last 2 years the performance has been exceptional on my 3 bats, handles are the best in the business feel wise for me.
Hunts always pinged just didn’t last (iv only ever broke 2 bats and both were Hunts made)
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Thanks all for your replies!
Split between a GM Chrome or a Hunts. As mentioned previously the Hunts Insignia in Butterfly is appealing also.
Thankfully got some time to think it through :D
Life was much easier as a young'un and not being able to afford multiple bats. :(
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Insignia all day long - mine is splenfuckerous!!
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Personally I would have gone for the Aldred.
Since you've narrowed it down I would go for the Hunts.
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A butterfly insignia... oooohhh that sounds tempting? Just out of interest with Jake no longer around, can I go direct or would I have to go through someone?
If you want to go direct then call them and ask for Duffy, he will sort it for you :)
01480 451234
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If you live near hunts i woukd go personally...they kind of messed my order up. I went via talent
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Have to say i have a massive respect for Paul Aldred's bats, he made my match bat almost 2 years ago. When it arrived i was gutted, paid £300+ for a players grade custom and looked down to see 7 grains in the front with a knot in the middle of the playing area, 4 grains through the back and heavily angled. Didn't want to moan about looks as had seen 2/3 people praise poor looking bats from him. 2/3 weeks into using it after it had opened up a little it went like a train far better than any of my other bats which were a bit more pricey at retail value. I've seen very few bats that look amazing but they all perform brilliantly, looking to get a butterfly from him soon to test the theory of butterfly vs G1/ players grades.
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Have to say i have a massive respect for Paul Aldred's bats, he made my match bat almost 2 years ago. When it arrived i was gutted, paid £300+ for a players grade custom and looked down to see 7 grains in the front with a knot in the middle of the playing area, 4 grains through the back and heavily angled. Didn't want to moan about looks as had seen 2/3 people praise poor looking bats from him. 2/3 weeks into using it after it had opened up a little it went like a train far better than any of my other bats which were a bit more pricey at retail value. I've seen very few bats that look amazing but they all perform brilliantly, looking to get a butterfly from him soon to test the theory of butterfly vs G1/ players grades.
Love a story like this!!
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Interesting, care to share pictures @jjelricksmith ? Never seen anything I'd consider overgraded from Aldred before.
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Interesting, care to share pictures @jjelricksmith ? Never seen anything I'd consider overgraded from Aldred before.
Yep sure will grab some later today, i would say performance graded rather than looks. Best bat ive owned.
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Please don't mention grading on performance! :-[
(https://s3.amazonaws.com/lowres.cartoonstock.com/miscellaneous-worms-can-tin-opening_a_can_of_worms-opening-jfa2492_low.jpg)
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Love a story like this!!
Yup! One of the reasons I am interested in trying a butterfly, besides the fact lots of people refer to the excerpt from the Quilts & Podshavers book is because:
As mentioned previously one of the best off the shelf bats with an amazing middle was a friends bat. It was a cheap Malik bat, it had the most awful looking face.
I hadn't heard about butterfly willow back then but it does make me think whether it was a butterfly bat or not. With the recent discussions about butterfly willow and Aldred videos it got me thinking.
I've had bats with lovely grains but again one of my favourite bats is the Charlie French and that only has around 8 grains. My JEDi has around 8 too. All my other bats have at least 10 grains but cant say they are any better ping wise.
Even with the GM don't think I want buy above a 909.
Im almost now toying with just sticking with 7-10 max grains.
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I've got a B3 Butterfly which has a Hunts County Insignia duckbill style design.
I'd got my cricket gear in at work one day and an old boy was very taken by the butterfly. He reckoned that they used to be the ones reserved for the Pro's back in the day.
Bear in mind that the pro's used to revere longevity in a bat, especially one that they had become used to, unlike today's situation.
However, what I can say about the B3 is that the grains look all over the place, but it's an optical illusion caused by the stain, they are actually very straight.
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I have 2 Aldred Butterflys and a Hunts Carelux - While the Hunts is a lovely bat, you CANNOT go wrong with an Aldred Butterfly. I got the first bat in the Titan profile - shorter blade, longer handle and no concaving. Aldred knows how to make a butterfly. And it's not prohibitively expensive, still a £1 handle. Just do it.
And my suggestion - if you normally use a 2lb 9oz bat, ask Paul to make one slightly heavier as he uses a thick handle and therefore the slightly heavier weight to maintain the same pick up.
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Most bats will open up if you play them in long enough
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Most bats will open up if you play them in long enough
Don't be saying that on here... people can't wait and need any reason to buy a new bat :D
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@edge sorry i forgot to take some so will just share this one of the current bat collection. I would not say its overgraded at all as it goes like a train. I've just emailed Paul to order a butterfly to use on the occassional sunday and mid week T20 when they use canon balls.
https://imageshack.com/a/img922/1351/ogYCkG.jpg
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The knot is under the tape across the middle but i wouldnt say it affects performance at all and Paul obviously knew exactly what he was doing when choosing as players grade.
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Sheesh that's some expensive collection of top-line bats you have right there...!
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Sheesh that's some expensive collection of top-line bats you have right there...!
Ebay works wonders, only ones there i didn't get from Ebay are the Aldred and the salix factory grade, i got the salix 2 years ago at the Serious cricket try before you buy for £60. I think for the rest of them i paid under one M&H retail price.
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Know you haven't considered Phantom but they advertised these a few weeks ago on FB/Twitter. Sold them all in about half hr. Said they were getting more in soon but at £150. Usually range is TK made but not sure the butterfly ones are? Middle one looks very nice tho!
https://twitter.com/Phantom_Cricket/status/968760556013355009?s=19
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Know you haven't considered Phantom but they advertised these a few weeks ago on FB/Twitter. Sold them all in about half hr. Said they were getting more in soon but at £150. Usually range is TK made but not sure the butterfly ones are? Middle one looks very nice tho!
https://twitter.com/Phantom_Cricket/status/968760556013355009?s=19
Wow at £100 great deal.
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Ideally where should the stain be? Do people have a preference?
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Ideally where should the stain be? Do people have a preference?
I just spoke to Paul and he is getting a new batch of willow this week or next week so if you ever wanted one this would be your best chance.
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Just an update... Shifted some bats so ready to purchase. Just couldn't get past my need to have value for my money...
Have just let James at JEDi know I want a new JEDi :D :D :D Hope to get a choice of clefts by end of week.
Just great service, quality and value. Although, I am sure give it a year my head will turn again and the idea of switching will cross my mind ..