Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Bats => Topic started by: bluex57 on September 12, 2020, 12:39:57 PM
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Hi
I have searched quite a bit but haven't seen any discussions around comparing butterfly willow with a standard grade 3 bat.
The reason I am looking for this comparison is because they fall under the same price bucket.
I currently have a Keeley grade 3 which is my favourite in my collection and it pings even better than a Kippax grade 1+ I have.
I am looking into buying a butterfly willow bat but thinking if it is worth investing in one or should I stick with a grade 3 instead?
1) What would you pick and why? We can ignore the looks and grains because i am only thinking of performance here.
2) Would you pick a cleft with butterfly stain in the playing area or would you prefer the playing area to be clean?
Looking to hear from you guys!
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Grading is, generally speaking, a cosmetic scale and not based on performance. No reason a butterfly couldn't be an absolute gun. Believe the stained area will be harder but I've heard quite a few people say that the stained area of the face went even better than the clean willow.
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Personally I would prefer a butterfly purely based on the fact that I like the look. In my experience of bats the Grade has no relation to its performance.
I like the stain smack in the middle of the playing area.
In my opinion this is a very subjective area and much will come down to personal preference rather than hard facts.
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Butterfly every single time.
If you can get a good one with a clean face.
(https://i.postimg.cc/sDK4BQm1/IMG-20200912-185850.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/KRkMwYdy)
(https://i.postimg.cc/rwmC5VZj/IMG-20200912-185830.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/XpRCbbbB)
Or
(https://i.postimg.cc/5y2jD0Ck/IMG-20200912-190121.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/dkgqyJn8)
(https://i.postimg.cc/C1NzvDzq/IMG-20200912-190132.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/2b1ky1dk)
It is always best to choose it in person though to test it and sometimes they need some extra oil to help play them in.
When choosing always look for the same things you want for a top grade bat. Well pressed, evenly spaced grains and a well balanced bat.
My two are guns.
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Personally Iv always found Butterly bats to perform very nicely, if the stain is in the playing area it is a bit harder than a sapwood blade but performance is not worse but it does sound a bit firmer until it’s really played in.
I have this one available that Iv made if you want to try a Butterly cleft.
As you can see the stain is outside the main playing area and it’s a lovely bat
(https://i.postimg.cc/yxG18NqY/31-A235-CF-474-B-45-DE-BA1-A-E987-A4-EA52-D3.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/T5rMkfYZ)
(https://i.postimg.cc/P5YXdhST/3715-BBBF-C2-E4-4-B20-BA0-E-63-E8245514-D3.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/QFNGbLLy)
(https://i.postimg.cc/pXgVNyYs/663-EFF09-00-BD-4-B76-BB69-87-D4793100-DF.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/gnHb8z7h)
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Having had quite a few G3 and Butterfly bats, I'd say it's pretty much negligible - both perform equally as well imo (I'm a big advocate of performance being down to the batmaker's ability as opposed to the grade of willow, I've used a G2 myself all season when I've had the choice of 150 odd bats so happily put my money where my mouth is etc...!)
G3s tend to look nicer, however like @Buzz says if you get a clean butterfly then they're pretty much unbeatable value wise.
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Thanks everyone for the replies. Really appreciate it.
Thanks Soulman for the offer but unfortunately I am already in conversation with RS so can't take you up on your offer. Sorry.
They have given me an option to choose from the following 4 clefts:
Cleft 1:
https://ibb.co/RSTdfsY
Cleft 2:
https://ibb.co/p0cPY4P
Cleft 3:
https://ibb.co/JtSW2Gm
Cleft 4:
https://ibb.co/G5FTnnk
Will you guys be able to help me choose please?
Thanks
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Cleft 3 for me.
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Probably cleft 2 for me.
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Cleft 2 for me, but cleft 3 is a very close second
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Cleft 1 for me as from that image it looks like butterfly is more towards the edge and playing area looks like sapwood
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Cleft 1 for me as from that image it looks like butterfly is more towards the edge and playing area looks like sapwood
Isn’t the whole point to get the butterfly in the playing area (crispier ping)?
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Cleft 3 for me
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Isn’t the whole point to get the butterfly in the playing area (crispier ping)?
That's what i thought as well. If you want more sapwood than why go for a butterfly anyway?
Thanks for your response guys.
Looks like it is either 2 or 3. Depending on which one is lighter, i'll pick that one.
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I would choose cleft 2.
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I searched the forum but couldn't find an answer to this.
What is the difference between the butterfly stain and heartwood? They both seem to have darker shade in the bat/cleft.
Or is the darker part still heartwood in a butterfly bat and the massive spot on the right is the butterfly stain (see below)
https://ibb.co/G5FTnnk
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Heart Wood is the inside of an old tree, it tends to be brittle but really can fly.
A butterfly stain is one of the below and can make the wood darker too.
(https://i.postimg.cc/C1NzvDzq/IMG_20200912_190132.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/2b1ky1dk)
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Heart Wood is the inside of an old tree, it tends to be brittle but really can fly.
A butterfly stain is one of the below and can make the wood darker too.
(https://i.postimg.cc/C1NzvDzq/IMG_20200912_190132.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/2b1ky1dk)
Ah ok, makes sense. So essentially, the darker tone in this is the butterfly stain and not heartwood? I believe Cleft 2 that you suggested has some dark wood so presumably that is not heartwood?
I am a bit skeptical of heartwood and want to avoid it because I have one bat which has heartwood on the edge and without even much use it has cracked quite a bit.
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Probably cleft 2 for me.
😉
The stain will give longevity to the bat too.
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Thanks everyone for the replies. Really appreciate it.
Thanks Soulman for the offer but unfortunately I am already in conversation with RS so can't take you up on your offer. Sorry.
They have given me an option to choose from the following 4 clefts:
Cleft 1:
https://ibb.co/RSTdfsY
Cleft 2:
https://ibb.co/p0cPY4P
Cleft 3:
https://ibb.co/JtSW2Gm
Cleft 4:
https://ibb.co/G5FTnnk
Will you guys be able to help me choose please?
Thanks
Cleft 3 for me.
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Cleft 2 for me
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they tend to be heavier though, anyone ever seen a butterfly break.?
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thanks for the response guys
i actually ended up choosing another cleft as the ones in the thread were too heavy to end up with a 2.10 bat.
I have just got the pictures of the finished bat weighing at 2.11:
https://ibb.co/WK9wZg1
https://ibb.co/HhHh2HM
looks great to me, what do you guys think?
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How does it feel in your hands?
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havent received it yet - will post an update next week when i have got it - hopefully it picks up light!!
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The engraving is a really nice touch, I like that.
Looks a good one, the grains are spread evenly, and the definition of the grains and watermarking I've often attributed with bats that ping. (Had a fair few which look like that which performed excellently)
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Mini thread hijack. I’ve also jumped on the RS butterfly hype train (https://i.postimg.cc/N01qpXs4/D97-F89-C9-34-FF-42-FD-8-B97-56-B82-A5-AE7-E0.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/Gp0nFKCt/975-DD378-4500-4-DBD-9469-4580-FD4-DA393.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Should hopefully have it in the next week or two
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Mini thread hijack. I’ve also jumped on the RS butterfly hype train (https://i.postimg.cc/N01qpXs4/D97-F89-C9-34-FF-42-FD-8-B97-56-B82-A5-AE7-E0.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/Gp0nFKCt/975-DD378-4500-4-DBD-9469-4580-FD4-DA393.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Should hopefully have it in the next week or two
haha excellent!
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What's the cost of these shipped if you don't mind me asking? Just wondering what the difference is between them and a UK made lower grade.
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£130