Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Bats => Topic started by: Yorkershire on February 05, 2020, 04:57:18 PM
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With all the subjective viewpoints on here... and being a big fan of GMs 606/Signature/808s. Also have seen some very nice Kooks (albeit on IJC youtube channel)...
Got me thinking who do people think are the most generous companies when it comes to grading?
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With all the subjective viewpoints on here... and being a big fan of GMs 606/Signature/808s. Also have seen some very nice Kooks (albeit on IJC youtube channel)...
Got me thinking who do people think are the most generous companies when it comes to grading?
Don’t Kookaburra downgrade any willow with heartwood? I know they used to.
GM is pretty good - they are clear with their gradings and stick to it.
GN might be the worst...
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Do you mean generous as in over - or under- graded?
For a mainstream company I've always been a bit disappointed with GN grading, at least the UK made ones.
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my 'grade 4' kook and my GM Siren 404 are more of a looker than my g1 kippax, so I'd say Kook/GM
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GM are the most generous that I have come across
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I would say that Neon are pretty good with their grading, they keep it simple and don’t take the mick
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Have to say in the last few years GM have been quite generous on their customers - a lot of their grainiest bats have been at 909 and 808 rather than the supposed 1+++ levels. Also, I'd offer a word for Keeley.
Most generous in the other direction? Well, I've not been impressed, as many have said, by recent GN ranges' grading, nor with a lot of the stuff Newbury have produced since TK departed.
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Do you mean generous as in over - or under- graded?
For a mainstream company, I've always been a bit disappointed with GN grading, at least the UK made ones.
As in their lower grade bats are quite nice looking and could pass for a higher grade by some other brand. Yup, it does look like Kook downgrade heartwood IMHO from what I have seen, but I'd just get a well known Indian brand instead of a Kook...
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For what you would class as the bigger brands I would go with GM, for the "smaller" brands, from what I have had it would have to be Keeley, some of the G3's are stunners. On the flip side of this the Keeley G3 bats are more money than some of the G3's elsewhere. Its a bit swings and roundabouts in some cases.
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Most generous I think are certainly GM and also Salix some stunners from Salix in my time owned and worked on that have been downgraded for the tiniest mark etc.
GN are certainly the worst overall, can get some stunners when companies handpick or get lucky but seen some awful prestige bats and players bats. Although I believe all are now graded at Robertsbridge my two oblivion stealth’s are lovely for just over £110 each
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GM of the modern bats would be up there if you look at the 909 or even sometimes an 808 would have even straight grains and sometimes 10 plus.
Overall grading of quality I agree with Soulman, absolutely Salix, don't know whether they still do but you could buy from the farm seconds, but when I say seconds I mean bats filtered out for marks, tiny dents in production etc,etc.
These would of been grade 1 and 2 easily.
I've not seen that level of perfection in manufacturing before and it's only the customer that benefits.
I'm a big fan of Salix so maybe a bit biased, TK made Newbery bats also. Back a few years Newbery only had 3 grades of wood
SPS
player
5 star.
My own view is there should only be this few grades. 1 for the best, a grade 2 next or a grade 1 maybe with imperfections,and then a 2/3 grade.
I'd love to know why now there are about 5 grades supposedly-not sure I believe it myself, I think it's just marketing blurb.
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GN’s seem to be better for this years range, we have had a couple of stunners in recently in low and medium grades
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GM of the modern bats would be up there if you look at the 909 or even sometimes an 808 would have even straight grains and sometimes 10 plus.
Overall grading of quality I agree with Soulman, absolutely Salix, don't know whether they still do but you could buy from the farm seconds, but when I say seconds I mean bats filtered out for marks, tiny dents in production etc,etc.
These would of been grade 1 and 2 easily.
I've not seen that level of perfection in manufacturing before and it's only the customer that benefits.
I'm a big fan of Salix so maybe a bit biased, TK made Newbery bats also. Back a few years Newbery only had 3 grades of wood
SPS
player
5 star.
My own view is there should only be this few grades. 1 for the best, a grade 2 next or a grade 1 maybe with imperfections,and then a 2/3 grade.
I'd love to know why now there are about 5 grades supposedly-not sure I believe it myself, I think it's just marketing blurb.
In terms of Salix you still can, been there today seeing Andrew and having a new bat made and it’s from a seconds cleft to match my budget for bats. Review and pics to follow but he has some stunning willow at the moment
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Interesting to see that I'm not the only one...
Salix has always been a brand I've liked very classy..but yet to try.
Finally got a TK bat (although in a lower grade MightyWillow), love the handle shape.
I keep saying I'm going to get a Salix but price always puts me off...
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How's the mighty willow knocking up? Mine's starting to open up a bit. Found the toe area quite hard at first. Middle was always OK. Got some surface cracks at the nets from a thick edge. Slightly annoying. Should have knocked the edges in more.
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I do like the handle shape also. might try a second grip as it's quite thin.
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I'd go with GM as well. Other than that i feel Puma have been quite generous as well. One of my mates picked up a 56 quid Evospeed 4.2 from PDC and its got 8 straight grains and no heartwood or blemishes. SS are also quite generous. Some of their G3 and G4 bats are stunners
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How's the mighty willow knocking up? Mine's starting to open up a bit. Found the toe area quite hard at first. Middle was always OK. Got some surface cracks at the nets from a thick edge. Slightly annoying. Should have knocked the edges in more.
Mine was heavy (2lb 13/14 oz) so got James at JEDi to knock off some weight, he got it down to 2.11 but picks up really nicely now, an oz or so lighter.
I also got him to knock it on his knocking in machine. Not used it yet, but it will be my second/bad weather bat (may even make it my 20 20 bat due to its weight).
My GM Noir 808 which was new last year, and just been refurbed by GM will be my main bat as I feel it's coming into its own.
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Agree that GM , Kook, Salix are reliable and consistent with their grading, with the latter whilst spreading the range into more grades at least use that as opportunity to be accurately selective of the willow in them.
Did take a punt on some Puma bats from PDC, 2x EvoSpeed 2 at a good price and they were decent as a blind purchase. Decent quality and comfortably G2.
Gray-Nicolls without doubt at times fundamentally not generous at all when matched to price tag and some of the misleading bat names, Players, Prestige etc. Haven’t seen any 2020 bats to know if there is an uplift.
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Looking at this H4L are pretty generous with their grading too
http://custombats.co.uk/cbforum/index.php?topic=47299.0 (http://custombats.co.uk/cbforum/index.php?topic=47299.0)
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GM and SS in my experience.