Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Bats => Topic started by: Kulli on August 03, 2020, 08:10:39 PM
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When I first joined CBF I had owned the same bat for 3-4 seasons. I then went on a burst of bat buying before finding a cheap low grade CA that was close to perfect and using that for 4-5 years. I bought the odd other bat on eBay if it was a bargain or to refurb, but not that many.
When that bat finally gave up I spent the next 2-3 years spending an absolutely fortune on new and used bats of all shapes, makes and sizes hinting for one that I really felt at home with. Plenty that I liked, but none that really felt perfect. Began to feel that Maybe the knowledge I have gleaned on here has pushed me to the point where I would always be chasing the next, bigger, ‘pingier’, shinier bat, without ever actually being satisfied. While it’s an expensive habit, it was money I could afford to spend so it wasn’t a major issue.
Then in November I bought a fairly cheap GM at IJC, which opened my eyes up to the fact that GM seemed to have upped their game since I last owned one. I used this bag (a diamond Sig) all
Winter before seeing a photo of the Ben Stokes PE. This, I though is the perfect bat!
The only issue is that I had been using 2’9 bats (the ‘perfect’ CA was sanded down to 2’7 by the time I stopped using it) And these only really seemed to come in 2’10 upwards. I hummed and ha’d for a few week aboit whether it was worth £600, before finding a very lightly used one for half that. It arrived and it was love at first sight, they really are a beautiful shape. Used it for a few nets and two games before I had to admit that it was too heavy.
Eventually I saw a thread on here where @imogzyboy had found a BS PE on eBay in 2’9. After a few months I managed to prize it out of his hands and haven’t (really) looked at another bat since. I’ve even deleted all my set eBay searches. And I’ve yet to be out in three games using it and I’m averaging 52 (up form an all time low of 9 last season).
Here she is:
(https://i.ibb.co/L14bj5q/E31390-F7-5174-40-E9-9230-18429495-E97-D.jpg) (https://ibb.co/3ctG6z8)
That’s the only photo I have of it before I stuck some ‘aftermarket’ stickers on it so I could be a FKW, and I know the mods don’t like some people posting fake stickers so that’ll have to do I’m afraid.
Anyone else ever found ‘the One’, anyone believe it exists when you’re as obsessed as most of us are?
P.S. I also spend quite a bit of the winter working with Gio Colussi, which cost as much as a few high end bats, and that may also have something to do with it.
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Yes I have found the one the bat I got off b3 which was owned by James Taylor which found it way into my bag and seems to keep coming back ready for my return to the crease
Normally players tend to use the 1 but keep swapping but going back.
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I think so but not too sure and I think its this place that makes me think like that :D
Similar to you @Kulli I used to own a max of three and use one all the time - since finding this place its become a lot more and i'm always tapping them up to see which one I think is going better. I'm still deciding but I'd be happy to walk out with any in the collection come game day.
Think i've found 'the shape' now but in terms of ping and feel they are all slightly different.
(https://i.postimg.cc/J0thTG2h/Bat-shape.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/N2qYFfYh)
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GM Neon 808 from Vitas. Came back from refurb stickered an LE. What a bat.
@KettonJake knows how to pick a bat.
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GM Neon 808 from Vitas. Came back from refurb stickered an LE. What a bat.
@KettonJake knows how to pick a bat.
Buried in the garden with full honours?
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I am now making my own bats but I have 3 that I’ll never part with.
The bat I made for myself which was the 4th bat I ever made just came out Perfectly and is huge and light.
Off the shelf by GM Icon James Vince PE is just the perfection for me in terms of shape, size and pick up and it’s performance is just off the chart.
Finally I have a very special Keeley which I’m reliably informed was one of Stokes match bats made by TK when he was sponsored by NB. True or not I have no idea but the bat itself is almost identical to my Vince PE which in turn on the GM website is the same specs as the Stokes PE and again it’s huge and ping is just superb.
My bat buying days are over and now just going to turn to making bats as well as I possibly can
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GM Neon 808 from Vitas. Came back from refurb stickered an LE. What a bat.
@KettonJake knows how to pick a bat.
Something funky definitely happens in the 808 grade at GM. I had an old Icon 808 that is in the top 5 of bats I’ve ever owned and got to a point where I couldn’t prize it from a teammates hands. Serious value at £140 back when it was first released.
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A GM Cannon I used until it was badly delaminate. Refurbed it recently but it's not really useable, but kept it for sentimental value. Great bat and scored my first senior ton with it. Although shaped a few recently which have been tough to let go!
I've never been one to hoard bats though, find acgood one and use it until it breaks!
(https://i.postimg.cc/J0qv6y2Z/20191116-144921.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/1V8v4zP3)
(https://i.postimg.cc/6qwFfVYB/20191116-145009.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/hzyCSdkY)
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Yes I have found the one the bat I got off b3 which was owned by James Taylor which found it way into my bag and seems to keep coming back ready for my return to the crease
Normally players tend to use the 1 but keep swapping but going back.
You hope!
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@Kulli it is still going.
Exactly as always, Dave is right about bats.
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I'd owned a few before i visited B3 and had a custom made based on Michael Clarke's spartan. It was a three stripe and although it was great I ended up selling it. The reason being I'd taken it for a B3 refurb and, before leaving, picked up an unstickered showroom bat.
I'd been a religious 2.8 bat person. Not based on anything other than that's what i thought i needed. But the bat i picked up was a mullenator in a 2.11. 2 stripe and i haven't parted with it since, that was five years ago. I've since bought new, ebay and CBF to see if anything is better. They've all been sold. I have an ian bell 2015 kook kahuna. Doesn't compare to the b3 for ping and feel in my hands.
For anyone who plays guitar, you know that feeling when you pick up seemingly identical guitars in the store but one just sings to you? It's that with this bat. I'll never part with it
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Found my Excalibur a couple years ago when I tried a GM neon signature at nets that @t2ylo had brought along. As soon as I tried it at nets I knew it was the one, the handle, the pickup, the performance.
I think he was a bit reluctant to let it go at the time, but I was persistent and a few weeks later it was in the bag. I'm not playing so much at the mo but for the past 2 years I've been totally faithful and couldn't think of using anything else.
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In the days of when few people owned bats, pads and gloves, there was such a thing called the "club kit bag" which contained some of the oldest and quite often the smelliest gear you could ever imagine. Indeed most of the gear had stuff living in it !!!
Anyhow one evening during T20, I was pushed up the order so went searching in aforementioned bag and found an interesting new addition being a rather tatty GN bat. Given the alternatives had screws holding them together, I took it to the middle and hit two enormous 6s which probably til this day are still the two best shots I have ever hit. Unfortunately it disappeared from the kit bag as quickly as it had arrived and I suspect whoever had deposited it in the kit bag had second thoughts after seeing (or hearing) of my sixes.
Oddly enough I seem to have the similar luck with women.
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Many years ago I picked up a MB Malik bat on a whim after my match bat broke beyond repair. New bat wasn’t particularly good looker but straight out of the film wrapper was a rocket. Never had another bat go like it.
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I have had 2 that always stick in my mind, the problem is that 1 is my last junior bat, a V500 5 Star harrow which was just the business. But of course I grew out of it.
The 2nd was one of my 1st ever adult bats, a Newbury Mjolnir. The original shape before they mucked around with it. That was a gorgeous bat, balanced, massive middle, of course edge size would be nothing compared to bats today but that simply didn't matter back then.
I think as I have got older my batting style has changed especially also (when I had 4/5 years out of the game circa 05-10), bats seemed to change drastically, so I am still trying to replicate those again.
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Found my Excalibur a couple years ago when I tried a GM neon signature at nets that @t2ylo had brought along. As soon as I tried it at nets I knew it was the one, the handle, the pickup, the performance.
I think he was a bit reluctant to let it go at the time, but I was persistent and a few weeks later it was in the bag. I'm not playing so much at the mo but for the past 2 years I've been totally faithful and couldn't think of using anything else.
Your mate sounds like a most excellent chap
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I am so glad I am not that fussy about bats!
Although when I have one I like I do keep it for a few seasons.
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I had a very special bat as a junior, we went down to Chase and I got a size 6 bat which was originally a pro grade cleft, but due to some issue it was cut down to a junior bat. It was so much better than any other bat I had up to that point and probably started my interest in cricket bats!
As a senior, I got a very special bat from Phantom. I went to visit their showroom and noticed this unstickered bat hidden in the corner, after tapping it up I had to have it, the ping on it was miles better than any other bat I have used. It's very similar to one that Chad uses, it must be special to beat out all his other bats :)
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I’m not too fussy. I have trimmed down my bats to only 6 and I rotate them. They all perform well, are different weights, have different handles etc but it doesn’t make a difference to me. So long as a bat goes well the rest is down to me.
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I am so glad I am not that fussy about bats!
Although when I have one I like I do keep it for a few seasons.
Have to agree here. I've generally picked a bat up and if I like it I go with it. When I was younger I couldn't afford to buy multiple bats, so even if I had one which wasn't amazing I'd play with it until it went. Never really affected how many runs I scored tbh.
Also, the more you play with them the better they get, but think people want instant results these days too.
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still searching :(
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Thanks to cbf I've tried a number of bats and found my sweet spot is SH, mid middle and under 2,10.
Yet the one for me at the moment is a SSH, L&W Special Reserve Ultra (mid to low?) and 2,12 (2,13 with thicker grip and counter weight). Sounds epic and hit a big six to win the game last Sunday.
Looking to swap a bat for a teammates H4L Butterfly which I can use in the nets to preserve the Ultra.
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I have found at lease 30 odds ‘the one’ since joining CBF. When I first joined CBF, I had 6 bats and now I have 136.
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I have found at lease 30 odds ‘the one’ since joining CBF. When I first joined CBF, I had 6 bats and now I have 136.
You have 136 cricket bats? 😳😮😮😮
Time to get the camera out!
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Yes and it's about to break!
Picked up off here, Newbery Krakatoa SPS off @Chad (the piano sold it really 😂)
Absolutely flies but has gone through the toe and up the back
Hoping my GM noir ends up as good! In its early stages but it's promising
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I had found "the one" but it was not my bat.
It was a cheap grade 3 Kashmir willow DSC bat. Prolly cost US$20.
The weight and balance was unreal for me. I was playing strokes with it like crazy. Every single shot that I wanted to play, executed to perfection. I found the middle of that bat at every time. Picked an off toes ball pitched on the leg stump to deposit for a huge six without any effort. Played inside out strokes for sixes in a nice size boundary.
The same bat was just another ordinary bat for the owner. He had bought it for nets or something.
Before I could make a move to get it off his hands, he moved out of the country.
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I had found "the one" but it was not my bat.
It was a cheap grade 3 Kashmir willow DSC bat. Prolly cost US$20.
The weight and balance was unreal for me. I was playing strokes with it like crazy. Every single shot that I wanted to play, executed to perfection. I found the middle of that bat at every time. Picked an off toes ball pitched on the leg stump to deposit for a huge six without any effort. Played inside out strokes for sixes in a nice size boundary.
The same bat was just another ordinary bat for the owner. He had bought it for nets or something.
Before I could make a move to get it off his hands, he moved out of the country.
Hunt him down.
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I've had so many that I ahve foolishly gave away or sold!! I still see some of them here locally scoring runs and hitting massive hits...too bad i can't claim any of them :(
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Still haven’t got out since I started using it. 33*, DNB, 35* and 74*
Why didnt I find this at 15 (and get proper coaching)
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Still haven’t got out since I started using it. 33*, DNB, 35* and 74*
Why didnt I find this at 15 (and get proper coaching)
This is CBF so... *waits for sale thread*
I've had two bats I felt were perfect for me at the time - a Kookaburra Big Kahuna bought when I was a teenager, and my current match bat. Got a stupidly light cleft in and had to take as little off it as I could to get it up to my weight, and it just makes batting feel easy.
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This is CBF so... *waits for sale thread*
I've had two bats I felt were perfect for me at the time - a Kookaburra Big Kahuna bought when I was a teenager, and my current match bat. Got a stupidly light cleft in and had to take as little off it as I could to get it up to my weight, and it just makes batting feel easy.
I’ve got a massive pile of bats to sell on, they’ll be on eBay late summer/early autumn when I can get back to the U.K. cutting down to the one, a wet weather bat and a reserve :D
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[quote author=DorsetDan link=topic=48246.msg768462#msg768462 date=1596790118]
I sold it because I didn't like how it sounded [/quote]
was it aluminium? :D
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I’ve got a massive pile of bats to sell on, they’ll be on eBay late summer/early autumn when I can get back to the U.K. cutting down to the one, a wet weather bat and a reserve :D
You say that now 😂 "actually I'll maybe just hang on to this one..."
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Ha, pretty optimistic to say I’ll get down from 60+ to three, but I’m going to give it a go.
You guys also need to do your bit in buying them, of course!
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what is your ebay username so we can keep an eye out?
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Ha, pretty optimistic to say I’ll get down from 60+ to three, but I’m going to give it a go.
You guys also need to do your bit in buying them, of course!
Only because we're such a generous and kind hearted bunch 😂
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Currently got it - one of Joe Roots from Sondhi.
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what is your ebay username so we can keep an eye out?
258Bones
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thanks
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The best bat i've ever owned bar none was Woodworm Torch i bought top of the range in 2005 off the back of Pietersen innings with same bat in Ashes the 158!...it was 2lb 8, picked up like a feather and went like a train, i've still got it and go back to it on occasions but its not as good as it once was but the balance of it was perfect i've never kept a bat anywhere near as long as that one, however see my recent new thread today on the Keeley superior ive just secured im hoping she will be the one she lloks beautiful
I had a v600 panther kashmir willow when i was a junior that was so bad it was good too, i averaged 130 with it one season, mainly because it made me play different i would never get out caught playing recklessly as I didnt trust the bat enough to take the aerial route so i just always aimed to hit the ball along the ground with it and made buckets of runs
Worst bat ive ever had was a limited edition gunn and moore purist i bought around 2008 that Michael Vaughan used at time it was dead as a dodo, absolutely hated it
I've just replaced my Stanford SF Limited edition too which ive only used in about 15 innings, thats 2lb 9 but i dont like the balance and pick up of it, bit bottom heavy for me so i'll probably look to sell that one soon