Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Bats => Topic started by: Cover_Drive on April 17, 2010, 10:16:27 PM
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Hi Guys,
Hope you are well!
Lately I have been thinking of buying an English made bat. So what do you guys suggest. Which one should I go for? I personally like Redback and Newbery. I don't know why but I rate Newbery higher than Redback.
Your thought on this?
Also how do you Thurxton?
Thanks
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Go for a Redback, talk to Gary. He is a nice bloke and knows his stuff when it comes to bats
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I have seen a couple of the new Newberys in various stores around the areas and they are slightly disappointing. No real profile, very basic bats in my opinion. Gary seems to be the way to go out of the 2 choices you have stated.
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Guys thanks for you inputs. I appreciate it!
h4s what exactly you mean by no real profile? By the way, I seems to be liking Thruxton.
Also is there much difference between Redback Premier and Premium?
Thanks
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I think the new Newberys are very bland and profile-less. My personal opinion but in my opinion, nothing special. The best thing to do would be to search this forum for the 2 bats you want, and I am sure someone on here has a new Thruxton or Redback :)
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Ohh okay. Thanks I am seeing Newbery getting out of frame now but its not fully out yet.
I will search this forum. Once my decision is firm then I will create a thread in "Items Wanted"
Thanks Chris, I really appreciate it!
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Well I have a redback le and a newbery Krakatoa sps(with talisman stickers) both great bats in my opinion
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I have a Redback and live around the corner of the Newbery store.
In my opnion, for what it is worth.
Newbery are considered the best "mass manufacturered" english bats and certainly give a fantastic finish.
But saying that some of the general bats you find from them are fairly average as will happen with every bat manufacturer that produce a large number of bats.
There is only so many good clefts you get out of an order.
However what they do with a good cleft i have to say is spectacular in some cases.
I have tapped some of their pro bats and they are quite simply rockets and are finished beutifully.
I personally have a Redback as my match bat and i am very happy with it. I dont have an LE, but in hindsight would have spent that little bit more for one. If they are better than what i have then i think they are exceptional value.
My feeling is that you unless you are a good pro, or willing to spend HUGE amounts of money then you will have more chance to get a great bat from say the Redbacks and SAFs than one of the larger manufacturers as their best goes straight to the pros,
UNLESS you have contacts that can get their hands on the good stuff ( and everyone say they know so and so)
Forum members on here have got hold of what looks like beuties of Newberys and If i liked heavy bats,i would have had one of the Newbery Sachins by know. A friend has two or three and those ones have massive performance.
Or you can spend 350 quid or something to get a newbery pro, which will generally be a lot better than the average bear
I personally would not hesitate one second in recommending gary to make you a bat.
I have not read a bad review. You might have read before but i have one custom and then Gary sold me something he had mended as a spare bat as i had broken all my bats last year.
The refurb was literally in my top two bats every and would find the boundary effortlessly from my mistimed swipes. As a result i used it all season as a match bat whilst "warming up" the custom for this year.
If the custom is three quarters as good as the "broken bat" then it will be very good indeed plus they are significantly cheaper.
He gives good customer service, but be quick something tells me he will be becoming increasingly busy!
Summary
The Keelys at Newbery are the best batmakers, but chances of getting their best bats is low, unless you have contacts and a big bank balance. I think they make better big bats like the Sachin profile. THeir pro bats are great , but middle i feel is high if you dont play on covered pitches and the Thruxton and bomber are not a "brilliant" bat in Newberry terms. But This is Newbery. When they are not great i feel Newberys are a bit dead/hard
Redback
Gary is a well respected and increasingly acknowledged batmaker who give you the option of custom making your bat.
I think he offers better contemporay lighter bats i.e. a mix of traditional and modern profiles, gets hold of good willow and have never heard a bad report on his bats.
My feeling is that you stand a better chance of a Standard redback being better than a standard off the shelf compnay and offer excellent value for money.
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My talisman is a custom off mike so have got a good one as he has close contacts with newbery but depends which way you want to go as can highly reccomend both my talisman is huge but redback was custom to my specs and follow up customer service has been second to none
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steelcouch thanks a bunch mate. I really appreciate it!
My budget is restricted and am not looking to spend big quids. I was thinking of spending something around 150 Pounds mark.
I have read all if not then most of Redback reviews and everyone was really please with them.
I was thinking of getting Premium. Although I am not too sure if there is much difference in Premium and Premier.
Once again thanks mate! Highly appreciated!
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No Problem.
Let me know how you go.
I would look at SAF in that proce range as well. Won the Wisden blind test award only a few weeks ago.
Five pros tested about foury bats and it was judged by three to be the best balance between pick up and perfomance.
You wont go wrong between the two
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No Problem.
Let me know how you go.
I would look at SAF in that proce range as well. Won the Wisden blind test award only a few weeks ago.
Five pros tested about foury bats and it was judged by three to be the best balance between pick up and perfomance.
You wont go wrong between the two
Will surely let you know
I wouldn't mind SAF but which current situation I would say I am more interested in Redback or Newbery
I did drop an email to Gary last night but didn't get any reply from him yet. I am also in talk with someone in regards a Newbery.
Now I have changed my mind and thought GT 335 would be better than Thruxton. What do you think?
Once again thanks
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Depends what you want in a bat, dependent on home pitch conditions, style etc. Generally a higher middle gives better pick up due to higher centre of mass, which would be good for all strokeplay on all pitches, Thruxton I think is for typical English puddings, and slow low turning tracks. However, it is down to you.
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I have Newbery GT's, Thruxton's and Krakatoa's in stock at low weights if you want to save a little off shop prices.
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Some bats might suit your style better than others, so i really dont know mate
Why dont you wait unitl Gary gets back to you and you speak with him?
I'm not an expert to be honest and what is important to me might not be right to you.
Batting, to me has a lot about confidence, both in yourself and to a lesser extent your kit.
I like to have a bat that feels right and ticks pick tick list.
for example
Recieved good reviews. I dont think i would buy a bat that regularly recived average or bad reviews from a batmaker or supplier that recived average or bad reviews
I play on pitches that arent great most of the season,
i like a balanced/light pick up
Light bats
and have as big and and responsive middles rather than small explosive middles
That is my "benchmark" for a bat
If i get to choose the cleft and or bats
Pick up a feel the bat/ hit with mallet
Know i will be dealt with properly if the bat fails
Then this all adds to the confidence and i take that out onto the field woth me.
So for me some styles are a closer fit to my tick list than others
If you have not done this already t then have a think about the type of player you are, what role you play when you bat and what type of feel do you like from your old bats, weight , pick up.
I think this will help you choose a bat that has more of a chance of matching your syle of play
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Depends what you want in a bat, dependent on home pitch conditions, style etc. Generally a higher middle gives better pick up due to higher centre of mass, which would be good for all strokeplay on all pitches, Thruxton I think is for typical English puddings, and slow low turning tracks. However, it is down to you.
We have matting over here. Under matting its small stones (ahh can't recall the proper term for it :S). Due to heavy rain it will generate low bounce and vice versa.
Before I used GM Powerbow and it was in 2.7 but I felt it heavy which I believe is as you said due to low middle
These days I am using CA 12000 Plus which has high middle and has perfect balance and pick up for me
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I have Newbery GT's, Thruxton's and Krakatoa's in stock at low weights if you want to save a little off shop prices.
I am looking for light bats such as something around 2.8ish
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Some bats might suit your style better than others, so i really dont know mate
Why dont you wait unitl Gary gets back to you and you speak with him?
I'm not an expert to be honest and what is important to me might not be right to you.
Batting, to me has a lot about confidence, both in yourself and to a lesser extent your kit.
I like to have a bat that feels right and ticks pick tick list.
for example
Recieved good reviews. I dont think i would buy a bat that regularly recived average or bad reviews from a batmaker or supplier that recived average or bad reviews
I play on pitches that arent great most of the season,
i like a balanced/light pick up
Light bats
and have as big and and responsive middles rather than small explosive middles
That is my "benchmark" for a bat
If i get to choose the cleft and or bats
Pick up a feel the bat/ hit with mallet
Know i will be dealt with properly if the bat fails
Then this all adds to the confidence and i take that out onto the field woth me.
So for me some styles are a closer fit to my tick list than others
If you have not done this already t then have a think about the type of player you are, what role you play when you bat and what type of feel do you like from your old bats, weight , pick up.
I think this will help you choose a bat that has more of a chance of matching your syle of play
I fear that Gary might not reply because I remember long time ago (like 3-4 months ago) I dropped an email to Gary and he did not reply not sure why. I also called him but got no response whereas I did leave a message. And was fruitless
Well I am in same boat as you. I play on pitches which are not great either. I also prefer light bats with long sweetspot and good balance. My GN Powerbow is 2.7 but in my hands it feel 2.9+ because pickup isn't great nor balance is
Once again thanks mate
Much apprecaited
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Just called Gary again and he didn't answer.
What time do they close?
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5.30?
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Ohh okay. Meaning our 12:30 PM. Hopefully will get him tomorrow
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Gary works full time and does batmaking as a sideline. I'd call in the evening rather than during the day.
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so thats why he always replies late at night damn he must work hard as he seems to sell alot of bats aswell
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Gary works full time and does batmaking as a sideline. I'd call in the evening rather than during the day.
Ohh okay. Sounds fair. Might give him a shout tomorrow
Thanks
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We have matting over here. Under matting its small stones (ahh can't recall the proper term for it :S). Due to heavy rain it will generate low bounce and vice versa.
Before I used GM Powerbow and it was in 2.7 but I felt it heavy which I believe is as you said due to low middle
These days I am using CA 12000 Plus which has high middle and has perfect balance and pick up for me
If you like playing with CA bat, i would carry on using the same brand as i remember taking few English brand bats from here to Pakistan for my friends who play in Pakistan and they couldn't get used to playing with those bats.
Regards
Asad
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Uhmm why is that though?
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Basically bat profiles normally revolve around the type of player you are, they type of pitches you play on and mainly current trends.
generally Asian bats are more bottom heavy from having lower bounce from the pitches and the "middle" is lower which will have an effect on the pick up.
the trend is towards very big bits of wood with huge edges and concaves. Asian manufacturers often dry the willow more than UK makers to get biger profiles.
When you play you tend to try and hit the ball where the bat's performance is best, i.e the middle.
Subsequently someone who is used to hitting the ball lower in the bat for years will, i guess play slightly different shots to someone who has played with a bat with a higher middle.
Youcould go out with a bat that feels very different and "wrong" especially if you are playing shots on a low bouncing pitch that never come off the "middle" of a more english high middled bat and was less forgiving on shots plyed from the edges.
Not a science, but more about bats feeling right for you.
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Thanks SC! I appreciate it!
I just called Gary and I missed him again but I am expecting him to reply me as he did last night. He replies a bit late for UK time lol
SC not disagreeing with you but I am pretty sure my CA has high sweetspot. The bottom hand, pick up and balance is really light.
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Thought id add a little to the topic although I've not used Redback yet so i cant really offer any thoughts apart from people rate them highly and Gary did a very nice repair for me and i will get around to getting a bat off him at some stage. On Newbery though I've owned many and I've been happy enough with some and others I've been very unhappy with.
I personally wouldn't buy a Newbery bat from a shop unless i was actually picking it myself from what was available, i was in a friends shop and he had around 200-300 bats in stock and i didn't think this years Newbery bats were anything special especially considering the price. If i was to buy a Newbery then i would be speaking to someone off this forum to ensure i got something suitable and i would know it would meet my standards.
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Uhmm sounds fair. I appreciate for your informative response.
A benefit I have (sometimes) when buying something off a store such as (ow-zat) is that I get VAT knocked off. So sometimes the list price is what I pay including shipping. But in some case they are still a bit expensive compare to others.
You are not the first person to say that. I mean H4S said similar things regarding this years Newbery.
However, I am in talk with Gary so if he has something special then my car might go there
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Anyone has Gary's cellphone number? I called him at that website number (07914851228) at all different time. Morning, afternoon, evenings etc but no response.
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Have you not had a reply by email as I have had a couple over the past couple of nights as would be best to ask him for his number
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I did get his email replies but since I am so desperate I can't wait for a day lol
I asked him for his number but he didn't give it. However, someone was kind enough to send me his number but I am yet to call him
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Unfortunatley I cant always answer the phone and you dont seem to have left any messages for me. I've replied to every email you have sent - you make it sound like im ignoring you, which I want to make clear on here isnt the case and we are communicating about your requirements.
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Unfortunatley I cant always answer the phone and you dont seem to have left any messages for me. I've replied to every email you have sent - you make it sound like im ignoring you, which I want to make clear on here isnt the case and we are communicating about your requirements.
Hi,
Thanks for replying but I by no mean thought that you were ignoring me. You always answered all my questions and are doing it. But as I said I am just to desperate. The reason why I am thinking of a phone call is that that way it is faster to communicate. Once again I am not thinking you are ignoring me or anything like that. I have always said you are top bloke
I apologize if you took it wrong way but I had no intentions regarding that.
Cheers
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no worries mate, just making it clear to everyone else as this is a open forum :)
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Sounds fair :)
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I thought I would update you guys that I have ordered Krakatoa Players from Asad (Bhai)
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Why did you go for that over a Redback?
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Similar kind of price would have got you a handmade grade 1 from Gary made to your specs, not saying the Newbery from Asad is in anyway inferior, but like Tom i wonder why you have gone for the Newbery over the Redback as you seemed very keen on getting one??
Newbery is a very good choice mind you :D
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Similar kind of price would have got you a handmade grade 1 from Gary made to your specs, not saying the Newbery from Asad is in anyway inferior, but like Tom i wonder why you have gone for the Newbery over the Redback as you seemed very keen on getting one??
Newbery is a very good choice mind you :D
Dom, can you Plz explain to me what do you mean by "Hand made". I thought all the bats made in UK are machine made but only the finishing is done by hand.
Regards
Asad
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my mistake Asad, i meant custom made (good old semantics).....i.e - specify weight, profile, pressing - a service which Gary provides. I dont think you can do this with Newbery bats unless you go up to Tim and request this service, you personally might be able to do this but i wouldn't know?
I dont know enough about the industry to say what bats in the UK are machine made and which one's are not, i guess the vast majority are machine made and hand finished - surely when you pick out all your bats from the companies you get to see who makes from hand or machine?
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my mistake Asad, i meant custom made (good old semantics).....i.e - specify weight, profile, pressing - a service which Gary provides. I dont think you can do this with Newbery bats unless you go up to Tim and request this service, you personally might be able to do this but i wouldn't know?
I dont know enough about the industry to say what bats in the UK are machine made and which one's are not, i guess the vast majority are machine made and hand finished - surely when you pick out all your bats from the companies you get to see who makes from hand or machine?
Yes you are correct that you can't get custom made from Newbery unless you know Tim or Nick. I am sure if you approach Newbery at Chalet and ask them to make a custom bat for you, they will probably make one for you. I have few made for my customers.
Vast majority of bats made in UK are machine made, can't say any more than that.
Regards
Asad
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I have asked a few times for customs down there and never had any joy.
Are Gary's machine made?
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Well perhaps you could get Asad to ask Neil down at the chalet on your behalf?
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Well perhaps you could get Asad to ask Neil down at the chalet on your behalf?
Yes I can do that, got good terms with Neil
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I have asked a few times for customs down there and never had any joy.
Are Gary's machine made?
nope
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i am fine thanks bud.
There are always a few Newberry Pro bats floating around at the right time of the year if you want the,
I have got a very nice custom from Gary that is warming up nicely and something i am very hopeful of from Asad waiting the the wings.
i am sorted
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"Vast Majority of the bats are machine made" is a bit of a generalisation are you saying that they are machine shaped?
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Why did you go for that over a Redback?
I was very very tempted to get Redback and everything was finalized and everything was set to go. But at last one thing happened which pulled me out. It was that Gary accepts money in form of bank transfer. So I went to my local bank and figured it out and found out that it was around £30 to transfer funds.
As I wanted gloves along the bat the bank transfer fee did hurt me alot and had let me down
There was no rift or any such thing among me and Gary. To my full extent honesty, Gary is a top bloke and it is very rare to find people like Gary and Asad Bhai. Both are very down the earth guy
Hopefully in future when I make my trip to England or anyone from my family then I will definately consider buying it. That way I will save lots of money such as shipping and bank transfer fee
Hope it clear things out
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So which ones are hand made guys?
I have come with these ones (not sure if correct);
Warsop, Redback, Screaming Cat, M&H, Vantage, H4L and SAF
Any more guys?
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It really depends on your defintion of handmade and what 'you' expect from a handmade bat, personally i consider a bat to be handmade if i can specify profile, weight and size and perhaps pick from around 10 clefts - the pressing is down to the batmaker, as is the rest of the operation - so from that list, all of the above in my eyes make hand made bats.
Untill there is a more widely accepted defintion of a handmade cricket bat then it is hard to say which brands do - some people will expect to have a say over pressing, handle shape, density, edge siz etc, some are just happy to trust the batmaker with a rough idea.
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Plus you missed out matt at hell4leather who even cuts his own trees down, as does Dan at Vantage cricket.
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Apart from my expectations I am mean the one who makes bat by hands just like the name says handmade.
If one was to include my specs and expectations then a custom made is not handmade right?
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Plus you missed out matt at hell4leather who even cuts his own trees down, as does Dan at Vantage cricket.
Oops my bad. My brain was nowhere near to figure out about H4L whereas I was a bit doubtful about Vantage
Thanks mate
I really appreciate it
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I just read here that there are 6 companies whose bats are made by hand
"He is one of only 6 people globally still hand crafting willow cricket bats. "
Link: http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/sX-5N1kvO3M/Craft+Handmade+Cricket+Bat+Making+Alive+Country
Last sentence
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yep saw that, 6 companies is wrong
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Thought would give you guys another update that I have recieved my Newbery Krakatoa and Newbery Test gloves today from Asad Bhai. I am really impressed with everything!
Review to follow up in a day or two
Before leaving, I never knew Newbery were handmade
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It really does depend on what you call "hand made"
Certainly hands were involved in making all the bats. Some involving more hand work than others.
Dont Newbery have the old Slazenger bat shaping machine?
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An perfect example would be Screaming Cat made by Julian
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Have you wondered how Julian gets his shoulders pre cut and the toes of his bats too?
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Spent the last 2 weeks of sleepless nights wondering Mike! ;)
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Never so far, Mike
Mind explaining it? Machine? Sanding machine? If so but isn't the rest, I would say most made by hand
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I don't know is my answer..... but know the method used to do them and the bats seem untouched apart from that in the pictures, I'd go for a machine over a man shaping any day, as long as the machine was operated by a man.....
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Uhmm sounds fair. But what makes them to be priced too much?