Custom Bats Cricket Forum

Companies => Off-the-shelf companies => Gray Nicolls => Topic started by: Tom on February 02, 2023, 03:01:07 PM

Title: New handle design
Post by: Tom on February 02, 2023, 03:01:07 PM
Grays are working on a new handle design, which will do away with a traditional splice. The design is essentially a hollowed out cavity within the bat, which runs down to around 15mm short of the toe, which reduces weight.

The handle is then created in a circular form and inserted and glued into the cavity, and runs about 1/3rd of the way down.

Could look something like this (though the cavity shape/size/position can differ)

(https://i.imgur.com/tXjmv9q.png)

More pics and docs on the patent website here, click drawings and description to see them:
https://register.epo.org/ipfwretrieve?apn=AU.2022203712.A&lng=en
Title: Re: New handle design
Post by: Buzz on February 02, 2023, 03:42:32 PM
Will be interesting to see if that meets the blade has to be made of one piece if wood law...
Title: Re: New handle design
Post by: e4sby on February 02, 2023, 03:52:16 PM
I presume the depth of the proposed new handle will be similar depth to the current spliced handle
Title: Re: New handle design
Post by: jonny77 on February 02, 2023, 04:02:26 PM
Interesting. Didn't they have something like this before many years ago? The hollowed out correct isn't anything new though, been done a fair bit i think previously.
Title: Re: New handle design
Post by: Alvaro on February 02, 2023, 07:24:07 PM
Hunts have definitely had hollowed bats - I think the Turbo had a hole drilled through the bat from top to bottom.
Title: Re: New handle design
Post by: Bats_Entertainment on February 02, 2023, 08:21:40 PM
Hunts have definitely had hollowed bats - I think the Turbo had a hole drilled through the bat from top to bottom.

I think I read that, at one point, they were making all their bats like this.
Title: Re: New handle design
Post by: Bats_Entertainment on February 02, 2023, 08:23:53 PM
I also remember reading Mark Rapmrakash saying how he wished a batmaker would invent a detachable handle.
Title: Re: New handle design
Post by: potzy248 on February 02, 2023, 08:29:08 PM
And if the handle breaks? Do you have to drill out the old one?
Title: Re: New handle design
Post by: billyb on February 03, 2023, 05:42:07 AM
Does handle innovation ever really take off?

Title: Re: New handle design
Post by: Kez on February 03, 2023, 10:46:03 AM
Hunts have definitely had hollowed bats - I think the Turbo had a hole drilled through the bat from top to bottom.

Correct Hunts basically do the same as the diagram but splice the handle as normal.

 
Title: Re: New handle design
Post by: Tom on February 03, 2023, 11:27:31 AM
Interesting. Didn't they have something like this before many years ago? The hollowed out correct isn't anything new though, been done a fair bit i think previously.
Not sure Grays did, but the C6+ handle wasn't too dissimilar in its method of affixation. Likewise the Newbery Hi-Tech from the 80's would have been similar, I believe.

I guess the combo of the hollowing and handle affixation makes this unique, but in isolation they're both (at first glance) concepts which have been explored.

(https://i.imgur.com/Sybg98N.png)
Title: Re: New handle design
Post by: Kai on February 04, 2023, 11:33:26 AM
Cool idea. Any innovations to cricket bats is always welcome with other sports taking huge strides with their equipment.
Title: Re: New handle design
Post by: Bungle on February 04, 2023, 05:28:48 PM
Cool idea. Any innovations to cricket bats is always welcome with other sports taking huge strides with their equipment.

The lawmakers may think otherwise.
Title: Re: New handle design
Post by: thegowerwaft on February 04, 2023, 05:55:18 PM
The lawmakers may think otherwise.

This needs to be read in a Judge Dredd voice... I will get my coat.
Title: Re: New handle design
Post by: InternalTraining on February 05, 2023, 07:07:24 AM

(https://i.imgur.com/tXjmv9q.png)


Is part no. 9 a solid piece of wood or is it pieced together like rubber inserts of the modern handle?

If this eliminates pressure from the shoulder area which leads to cracked shoulder/hair-line splits, I think it'd save bat owners some money in the long run.

Point regarding drilling out a damaged handle is fair. How do you manage that situation? Maybe they could create a pitched thread instead of a flat hole in the bat where the handled is glued and screwed in the hole-shaft/body of the bat.
Title: Re: New handle design
Post by: Cpatel93 on February 07, 2023, 11:21:26 AM
Does anybody know which hunts county bat had the holes drilled in them?
Title: Re: New handle design
Post by: Kez on February 07, 2023, 11:36:32 AM
The Turbo certainly did but but having seen a few custom made hunts, any bat from Hunts could have been drilled. No way to tell personally...
Title: Re: New handle design
Post by: Cpatel93 on February 07, 2023, 11:41:19 AM
@Kez perfect, thank you! You’re a legend!
Title: Re: New handle design
Post by: Bats_Entertainment on February 07, 2023, 02:41:06 PM
The Turbo certainly did but but having seen a few custom made hunts, any bat from Hunts could have been drilled. No way to tell personally...

As mentioned above, I think Tony revealed that they were making them all like that at one point. (Maybe ten years ago?)
Title: Re: New handle design
Post by: Bats_Entertainment on February 07, 2023, 03:59:32 PM
* Without wishing to ruffle any feathers, I meant all 'in-house' Hunts bats. ;)