Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Cricket Manufacturers / Brands => Rob Pack Blue Room => Topic started by: deanoknight on October 10, 2023, 08:09:53 PM
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Hi all, thought this deserved a decent review.
I reached out to Rob a few weeks ago and asked him to make me something similar to one of his previous bats I saw on Instagram. I've been wanting to try a traditional profile bat for a while but as last season was seriously hampered by my wife being in hospital I never got around to it. I'll bullet point the specs etc and leave you to enjoy the pictures.
Rob pack/ blueroom as a company.
Personally I have nothing but nice words to say about Rob, he took the time over video call to show me a few clefts, he video called to show me once the bat was shaped to make sure I was happy. 10/10 customer service.
Looks.
9 grains straight and evenly spaced, one blemish at the toe area but not something I'm worried about. I asked for performance over looks, I think I got both.
Handle.
A very nice thick semi oval, as requested. I would say similar to a GM.
Pick up.
Now I know Rob worked really hard getting the balance and pick up right so it wasn't bottom heavy. He's done a fantastic job of that. Aided by more weight up the blade. Weight is just over 2'10 I wouldn't say it feels more than 2'9.5.
Shape/profile.
Very happy with this, exactly what I wanted. The middle runs low to just about the limited edition sticker. I was curious to see how this tapped up off centre compared to a 40mm edge bat and I honestly think there's nothing in it. It will be interesting to see if top edging a ball is any different in a game.
Performance
Outstanding! I know Rob does a lot of prep work but the response is lovely. I would say it feels soft enough without being undercooked. As previously mentioned the hitting area is huge and forgiving.
Overall.
Very happy! Anyone thinking of trying a smaller edge higher spine shape I would say go for it. It does feel slightly different in your stance and tapping it on the ground but I think that's more to do with the lack of bow than shape,On this it looking down the spine it looks big so should give a lot of confidence before facing.
I haven't got the tape measure out yet but let me know if you're interested and I'll take some measurements. Hope you enjoy.
Cheers.
(https://i.postimg.cc/44cBddfC/PXL-20231010-194044621.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/HjpQvT83)
(https://i.postimg.cc/4xW1MH5c/PXL-20231010-194058686.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/zyRWHB4D)
(https://i.postimg.cc/VkfRDWj1/PXL-20231010-194115500.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/LnWLsfC0)
(https://i.postimg.cc/7YM93WJm/PXL-20231010-194139892-PORTRAIT-ORIGINAL.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/N5FRYb4H)
(https://i.postimg.cc/qR3Xzbdc/PXL-20231010-194154086-PORTRAIT.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/sQ3ZLJx1)
(https://i.postimg.cc/rpbNy67F/PXL-20231010-194213927-PORTRAIT.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Y46W8PpJ)
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I saw this bat on Rob's Facebook page, absolutely lovely.
I hope there is a load of runs in it for you.
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Lovely stick that. Think you'll find some love for it on here, but many wouldn't use it. Shame, as it will no doubt perform as well as anything with bigger edges. I just think bats have been how they are for so long now, that people just believe bigger is better.
Hope it scores you plenty mate. Enjoy it.
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To be honest I found Rob Pack quite rude and arrogant. I’ve heard others say the same.
He is an MCC member after all ;)
But that’s just my experience.
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To be honest I found Rob Pack quite rude and arrogant. I’ve heard others say the same.
He is an MCC member after all ;)
But that’s just my experience.
:D That's just asking for a topic/poll on politest to rudest batmaker :D :D :D :D :D
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Do it aha :D
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Do it aha :D
Could end up libellous :D
TBH most batmakers I've dealt with have been great to deal with. Except for @jonny77 who should really offer me tea and biscuits!
(Just joking thought I'd get that in before I go see him for a re-handle today! Don't worry I'll bring the biscuits :) They might taste like cardboard as I'm trying to be good and keep calories low over winter, low sugar biscuits!)
Sorry for hijacking the thread, that bat looks awesome! Rob Pack is on the bucket list but I'm still trying to convince myself to get a Salix, but the prices are just getting silly everywhere.. :(
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Could end up libellous :D
TBH most batmakers I've dealt with have been great to deal with. Except for @jonny77 who should really offer me tea and biscuits!
(Just joking thought I'd get that in before I go see him for a re-handle today! Don't worry I'll bring the biscuits :) They might taste like cardboard as I'm trying to be good and keep calories low over winter, low sugar biscuits!)
Sorry for hijacking the thread, that bat looks awesome! Rob Pack is on the bucket list but I'm still trying to convince myself to get a Salix, but the prices are just getting silly everywhere.. :(
Let’s stir things up and get libellous in here! Shake it up a bit hahah :D
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To be honest I found Rob Pack quite rude and arrogant. I’ve heard others say the same.
He is an MCC member after all ;)
But that’s just my experience.
He was a little bit frosty/distant during my very first visit with @wilkie113 - but warmed up pretty quickly. I think it's cause he's had loads of folks waste his time. When you're offering a service like the above - sometimes you have to set boundaries on interactions and what you'll entertain - it might come across as rude/arrogant, but will help filter out the clientele and save your time for the actual customers. And before anyone tells me I'm being biased - try having a guy pop round to look through the collection for 2 and a half hours while talking to you - say they'll think about buying something only to not buy anything. Twice.
Back to the bat - absolutely stunning, you got a lovely bit of willow. The Screaming Cat style profiles have a deceptively large volume in them, and as Rob says, carrying that willow up into the join does help with the strength of the bat as well as the pickup - I had a fairly similar bat made up by him, which is about 2lb 13oz, but picks up a dream. Big fan of this style of profile :)
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He was a little bit frosty/distant during my very first visit with @wilkie113 - but warmed up pretty quickly. I think it's cause he's had loads of folks waste his time. When you're offering a service like the above - sometimes you have to set boundaries on interactions and what you'll entertain - it might come across as rude/arrogant, but will help filter out the clientele and save your time for the actual customers. And before anyone tells me I'm being biased - try having a guy pop round to look through the collection for 2 and a half hours while talking to you - say they'll think about buying something only to not buy anything. Twice.
Back to the bat - absolutely stunning, you got a lovely bit of willow. The Screaming Cat style profiles have a deceptively large volume in them, and as Rob says, carrying that willow up into the join does help with the strength of the bat as well as the pickup - I had a fairly similar bat made up by him, which is about 2lb 13oz, but picks up a dream. Big fan of this style of profile :)
I bought a bat from him and he called me emotionally fragile!
But yeah, looks a great stick.
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If these bats could be effective in hitting big sixes, we would definitely have seen atleast one international/county pro using this shape. There is a reason why the pros are not choosing to.
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And before anyone tells me I'm being biased - try having a guy pop round to look through the collection for 2 and a half hours while talking to you - say they'll think about buying something only to not buy anything. Twice.
Prices must have been too high :D
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this bat be giving me M and H Solution vibes. Looks decent and hope it scores you lots of runs!
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If these bats could be effective in hitting big sixes, we would definitely have seen atleast one international/county pro using this shape. There is a reason why the pros are not choosing to.
Potentially, although it could also be because pros have no need to worry about longevity of a bat? I mean Gilchrist hit a long ball, with arguably bigger boundaries using a similar shape.
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Having spoken to Rob a fair few times over the last few years about industry woes he seems like a genuine bloke whos had his fair rub of the industry over the years with things, he's been around long enough!
He makes some great shapes and goes the extra mile into ensuring they are prepped properly before they head out the door.
Like Buzz, spotted this one on Instagram and given the fact I've recently got my screaming cat back it peaked interest in terms of the shape etc.
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If you think that Rob is rude and arrogant, you must surely think that certain other batmakers deserve a spot in the Hague!
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Can't say I found RP to be rude or arrogant, if you're not a return customer he can come across very business-like which is not to everyone's taste I suppose!
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Potentially, although it could also be because pros have no need to worry about longevity of a bat? I mean Gilchrist hit a long ball, with arguably bigger boundaries using a similar shape.
Exactly this. It's like big hitters and sixes didn't exist before big bats. Or maybe it was the fact T20 didn't? The game changed and it wasn't down to the bats, it was the style of cricket, the skillset and training imo. Most pro's wouldn't have been playing when smaller edges were around and that was kind of my point, bigger bats are all some people have known so assume this is what enables power hitting. But tell Sobers, Botham and Gilchrist etc that.
Biggest 6 I saw in our games all of last season was a hit by a number 11 with an old Hunts County. Bat was small, the six was huge!
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Exactly this. It's like big hitters and sixes didn't exist before big bats. Or maybe it was the fact T20 didn't? The game changed and it wasn't down to the bats, it was the style of cricket, the skillset and training imo. Most pro's wouldn't have been playing when smaller edges were around and that was kind of my point, bigger bats are all some people have known so assume this is what enables power hitting. But tell Sobers, Botham and Gilchrist etc that.
Biggest 6 I saw in our games all of last season was a hit by a number 11 with an old Hunts County. Bat was small, the six was huge!
Agree with everything you said, apart from the term 'big bat' to me modern bats have bigger edges no doubt, but from what I've seen the middle is more condensed area I would say in terms of middle these types of bats are bigger. I play a half decent standard and still play on some questionable pitches one week it's slow and low next week could be tennis ball bounce, for me having the longest hitting area possible is more important than 40mm edges but it might not be for some others. Again going back to pros, the quality of a pitch makes a huge difference.
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If these bats could be effective in hitting big sixes, we would definitely have seen atleast one international/county pro using this shape. There is a reason why the pros are not choosing to.
They are not all using massive bats.
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I bought a bat from him and he called me emotionally fragile!
Imagine you hadn't bought the bat!
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Exactly this. It's like big hitters and sixes didn't exist before big bats. Or maybe it was the fact T20 didn't? The game changed and it wasn't down to the bats, it was the style of cricket, the skillset and training imo. Most pro's wouldn't have been playing when smaller edges were around and that was kind of my point, bigger bats are all some people have known so assume this is what enables power hitting. But tell Sobers, Botham and Gilchrist etc that.
Biggest 6 I saw in our games all of last season was a hit by a number 11 with an old Hunts County. Bat was small, the six was huge!
Agree to those points, but why has noone been able to convince a pro to play with a bat which has the thinnest of edges...not even in Test Cricket. Surely there must be a reason for it.
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Imagine you hadn't bought the bat!
He would have congratulated me on being assertive and strong-minded?
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Agree to those points, but why has noone been able to convince a pro to play with a bat which has the thinnest of edges...not even in Test Cricket. Surely there must be a reason for it.
They did only a few years ago, but modern pro's have only ever known big bats. It's maybe a confidence thing more than anything and also an ego thing potentially. There's no science which I've seen which proves bigger edges mean bigger hits. A top edge will go for six off a small edge bat just as easily too, it's a deflection rather than ping. So surely an edge is an edge?
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an edge is an edge?
Was going to post this
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Not a shape for me personally as middle far to low but no problems with the smaller edges.
Met Rob last year and I must say he was a pleasure to chat to for an hour or so about bat making and cricket in general
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Agree to those points, but why has noone been able to convince a pro to play with a bat which has the thinnest of edges...not even in Test Cricket. Surely there must be a reason for it.
What makes you think someone is trying?
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It would be great if a pro would play with a bat with small edges and dispel the myth that bigger edges dont necessarily mean more value for your shots. That would be awesome!
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It would be great if a pro would play with a bat with small edges and dispel the myth that bigger edges dont necessarily mean more value for your shots. That would be awesome!
They have......
https://youtu.be/xEv-CgA51A0?si=_WtcF5QuhYs2966o
https://youtu.be/8u7A0MvB9eg?si=EBeRur4--7JMm4Af
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They have......
https://youtu.be/xEv-CgA51A0?si=_WtcF5QuhYs2966o
https://youtu.be/8u7A0MvB9eg?si=EBeRur4--7JMm4Af
Those were the days!!
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Looking at the shape, I was wondering....would that bat go through a bat gauge looking at the high spine? or is the spine height exaggerated because of the small edges?
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Looking at the shape, I was wondering....would that bat go through a bat gauge looking at the high spine? or is the spine height exaggerated because of the small edges?
I'll give it a measure later.
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It's around the 65-67mm but still 60ish higher up the blade. You can probably see that gradual drop rather than a sudden drop in spine height.so I guess that's the trade off.
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To be honest I found Rob Pack quite rude and arrogant. I’ve heard others say the same.
He is an MCC member after all ;)
But that’s just my experience.
A team mate of mine spent a fortune on a Blue Room bat, and a few years later when he went to have it refurbished, RP accused him of owning a stickered up fake and refused to deal with him.
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A team mate of mine spent a fortune on a Blue Room bat, and a few years later when he went to have it refurbished, RP accused him of owning a stickered up fake and refused to deal with him.
Perhaps it had 'Designed in the UK' stickers?