Custom Bats Cricket Forum

Companies => Off-the-shelf companies => Topic started by: potzy248 on July 29, 2019, 09:44:27 PM

Title: Visit to Keeley
Post by: potzy248 on July 29, 2019, 09:44:27 PM
Ive been to a couple of bat makers in my life. Laver is pretty cool and highly recommended. However, touring this factory and surrounding grounds is like Charlie visiting the chocolate factory. It is truely amazing. Nick was more than happy to talk and discuss everything. Highlights were picking up and looking at all the actual players bats that have been sent in for replication. Ever top batsman you can think of had a bat there. Most impressive were David Warner's bats (when he used the monsters), Gayles, Roots and Roys. Ian Bell's Kookaburra was also one of the nicest shapes I have seen. While there he they had a lot of the WI's teams bats being made including Shae Hope. We ended up buying 9 bats (Group of 20 of us). If you were ever thinking of doing it go. We took a bus there and some of the roads were very skinny so that was an experience.

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Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: InternalTraining on July 29, 2019, 10:21:12 PM
What was the weight of Jason Roy's bat? Do you have any close up pics of Roys' bats?
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: potzy248 on July 29, 2019, 11:13:33 PM
What was the weight of Jason Roy's bat? Do you have any close up pics of Roys' bats?

Sorry no pics. It was pretty much the normal TC New Balance shape but fuller and bigger. It would not have weighed more than 2.10lb. Funny story that Nick told us was Roy was the only one who constantly asked for free bats or cheaper. Pretty sure he wouldn't be short of a bob.
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: InternalTraining on July 29, 2019, 11:37:07 PM
860 or 560? Or both are same shape? Mid/mid-low sweet spot?

Roy probably breaks a lot of bats too.
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: potzy248 on July 30, 2019, 01:53:31 AM
860 or 560? Or both are same shape? Mid/mid-low sweet spot?

Roy probably breaks a lot of bats too.
1260 - mid-low I would say with a duck bill.
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: Churchy1989 on July 30, 2019, 08:11:32 PM
Surprised they let you take photos..
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: potzy248 on July 30, 2019, 08:52:36 PM
Surprised they let you take photos..

He said go nuts.
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: edge on July 30, 2019, 08:59:30 PM
Surprised they let you take photos..
What, the trade secrets of shaping a bit of wood might escape forever if photos go on the internet? Cheers for sticking them up on here though potzy, looks an interesting trip round.
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: Bats_Entertainment on July 30, 2019, 10:12:14 PM
Secrets? What secrets?
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: Mortimer on July 31, 2019, 09:47:30 PM
Some interesting GN bats there
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: Canners on August 01, 2019, 08:08:26 AM
What bat did you take home @potzy
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: potzy248 on August 01, 2019, 10:52:23 AM
What bat did you take home @potzy

Got a Joe Root copy @Canners.

So many I could have got though. I just kept on going back to roots bat and chose that.
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: alexevo94 on August 01, 2019, 10:57:06 AM
Got a Joe Root copy @Canners.

So many I could have got though. I just kept on going back to roots bat and chose that.


Got any pictures?
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: potzy248 on August 01, 2019, 11:08:26 AM

Got any pictures?

Still waiting for it to be made and then out to NZ @alexevo94. I will when it arrives mate.
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: brokenbat on August 01, 2019, 12:16:24 PM
Still waiting for it to be made and then out to NZ @alexevo94. I will when it arrives mate.

Any other details of the actual Root bat? Weight etc?
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: potzy248 on August 01, 2019, 06:37:06 PM
Any other details of the actual Root bat? Weight etc?

Its getting made to his specs so i'll let you know when it arrives.
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: Canners on August 01, 2019, 08:33:09 PM
Got a Joe Root copy @Canners.

So many I could have got though. I just kept on going back to roots bat and chose that.

Look forward to seeing that mate
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: 19reading87 on August 01, 2019, 10:10:44 PM
What was the ugliest pro bat you saw?
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: potzy248 on August 02, 2019, 12:34:10 AM
What was the ugliest pro bat you saw?

Great Question @19reading87

There was a very average looking GM from a guy Chopra I think. Was very concaved and the face was not pretty. There was a Dhoni bat with the very round toe which I think is pretty yuck.
A lot of them were wrecked beyond repair or delaminated so much that tape was holding the wood on.
To be honest all of the bats were nice and you would expect that being most of them were from International players. I would not call any of them ugly but some were definitely more impressive than others - Warner, Gayle, Root, Billings Nemesis bats were huge, Williamson, and of course Kholi's.
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: InternalTraining on August 02, 2019, 01:14:08 AM
I would not call any of them ugly but some were definitely more impressive than others - Warner, Gayle, Root, Billings Nemesis bats were huge, Williamson, and of course Kholi's.

When you say "huge", do you mean bigger than the standard  gauge  that umps carry these days? How huge can these bats be if they still pass the gauge?
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: brokenbat on August 02, 2019, 01:16:47 AM
When you say "huge", do you mean bigger than the standard  gauge  that umps carry these days? How huge can these bats be if they still pass the gauge?

Am sure he meant big for the weight and close to max specs
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: potzy248 on August 02, 2019, 02:11:38 AM
When you say "huge", do you mean bigger than the standard  gauge  that umps carry these days? How huge can these bats be if they still pass the gauge?

Much fuller and bigger over all. Would just fit through gauge.
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: potzy248 on August 02, 2019, 05:25:38 AM
I have a question.
How does Keeley afford to sponsor so many people? Someone bankrolling them?
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: Mfarank on August 02, 2019, 05:35:25 AM
I have a question.
How does Keeley afford to sponsor so many people? Someone bankrolling them?
I dont think he sponsors them. They pay him for the bats
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: potzy248 on August 02, 2019, 05:43:31 AM
I dont think he sponsors them. They pay him for the bats

No Chance. No Pros would be paying for bats unless they get them blank and then put their actual sponsors on.
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: Luke-scicc on August 02, 2019, 06:03:08 AM
That's what does happen I believe.
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: LukeFramBurton on August 02, 2019, 06:16:04 AM
TK gets no advertising from it - it’s only people like forum users who would know that Kohli’s bats are made by him and not MRF - so I’m sure that the pros contact him to request and pay for his services.
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: SOULMAN1012 on August 02, 2019, 06:20:09 AM
No Chance. No Pros would be paying for bats unless they get them blank and then put their actual sponsors on.

The Pro may not pay for for example if Root wanted TK made bats he would order X amount and NB would either pay TK or Root would with I being back paid via NB or an agent etc. That’s how I believe it works from conversations in the past with a bat maker that makes for international & county pro’s who don’t use his brand.

TK or any other would make 1 or 2 for a massive superstar I would guess but as you say makes now sense to give your top willow away free of charge, especially when your own brand gets no recognition for it
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: Bats_Entertainment on August 02, 2019, 09:02:31 AM
Was the question not about the relatively high number of professionals who are turning out with his stickers on their bats?

My own question is how does manage to turn out such a seemingly high number of bats? And can they all be of the sane undisputed quality?
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: Sloggerz on August 02, 2019, 09:43:15 AM
Where is this factory? Can someone post the address please.
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: potzy248 on August 02, 2019, 09:46:40 AM
Yeah the question was about the amount players clearly using Keeley bats with Keeley branding. Surely the pros are not paying for these and all the softs.
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: WalkingWicket37 on August 02, 2019, 09:47:59 AM
Where is this factory? Can someone post the address please.


http://letmegooglethat.com/?q=Keeley+Cricket (http://letmegooglethat.com/?q=Keeley+Cricket)

https://keeleycricket.com/contact.shtml (https://keeleycricket.com/contact.shtml)
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: Tom on August 02, 2019, 09:48:47 AM
They don't sponsor any massive names with the Keeley brand, so it's probably just a case of kit for the player. Which at cost price is probably about £300 a player.

Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: potzy248 on August 02, 2019, 09:54:12 AM
[url]http://letmegooglethat.com/?q=Keeley+Cricket[/url] ([url]http://letmegooglethat.com/?q=Keeley+Cricket[/url])

[url]https://keeleycricket.com/contact.shtml[/url] ([url]https://keeleycricket.com/contact.shtml[/url])


We put that address into the GPS and it took us to some ladies house. She was like WTF when a huge bus turned up.
The factory is a out 500 meters further down the road on the right.
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: Alvaro on August 02, 2019, 11:03:00 AM
Do they really make a high number though compared to GM/ SS/ etc who reeeally churn out bats? They clearly aren't short of work but the numbers are anyone's guess

A solid consistent process, not doing that many customs, not having to get too distracted by marketing promoting themselves and churning out a handful of shapes pre-made to the rough shape to be stickered elsewhere in most cases seems a doable business model when the quality sells itself.

I wonder if as Keeley's own sticker brand grows, the supply to other brands may whither to mitigate.
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: Mfarank on August 02, 2019, 11:29:42 AM
I wonder if as Keeley's own sticker brand grows, the supply to other brands may whither to mitigate.
Its unlikely. SS is a huge brand and they still make bats for players not sponsored by them
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: WalkingWicket37 on August 02, 2019, 12:04:10 PM
Its unlikely. SS is a huge brand and they still make bats for players not sponsored by them

I think Alvaro was referring to brands such as Phantom and BB, who he currently makes for, rather than individual players.
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: Alvaro on August 02, 2019, 06:28:23 PM
Spot on
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: Mfarank on August 02, 2019, 06:40:35 PM
I think Alvaro was referring to brands such as Phantom and BB, who he currently makes for, rather than individual players.
A little birdie told me that Phantom have already moved all production (except for the absolute top grade) to RS in india. I recently also saw a teammate's Phantom Dark edition and it had all the traits of an indian bat.
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: SOULMAN1012 on August 02, 2019, 08:13:21 PM
A little birdie told me that Phantom have already moved all production (except for the absolute top grade) to RS in india. I recently also saw a teammate's Phantom Dark edition and it had all the traits of an indian bat.

Thought the dark edition was the absolute top grade!
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: Mfarank on August 02, 2019, 09:19:24 PM
Thought the dark edition was the absolute top grade!
Then i suppose the birdie was off by only a little
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: Neon Cricket on August 04, 2019, 06:57:15 PM
I wonder if as Keeley's own sticker brand grows, the supply to other brands may whither to mitigate.

From what I've heard this is very much the case, but when you've been busy making 500+ bats for the world cup you can understand why (!!)
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: Dazz on August 07, 2019, 03:25:59 PM
Can you just turn up at the factory or do you need an appointment?
I only ask as the contact form on the website has so far drawn a blank!!
Title: Re: Visit to Keeley
Post by: potzy248 on August 07, 2019, 08:00:59 PM
Can you just turn up at the factory or do you need an appointment?
I only ask as the contact form on the website has so far drawn a blank!!

You need to email through first. They can take a long time to respond so I would get onto it early.