Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Companies => Custom companies => Topic started by: yvk3103 on September 03, 2008, 04:18:58 PM
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I was on the screaming cat website and Julian has created some amazing profiles. Lot of meat in all his bats and decent weight ranges also (2.8 to 2.15)
Sure these bats especially the professional and premium grade willow will be realy killers....the down side though is the price AUD 675 (approx £ 324) for the professional and AUD 625 (300) for the premium..... :'(
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Take a look at the Stuart Surridge website for Screaming Cat in the UK
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Did visit the SS site.
they offer only the premium range which is about 60 quid cheaper but then the bats will be ex-stock.
I guess, in that price range (£300) one would want something more personalized.
If I had £300 to spend i rather go to Newbery and negotiate for 2 UZI SPS or C6 or get 2 made from M&H
Also in case of any complaints its easier to follow-up and get service or replacement.....
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May I suggest that you give Julian an email and ask for somekind of package, when I spoke to him he was looking to expand more into the Uk and create a special deal for overseas buyers. I think it was a wee bit cheaper than the price quoted on the site and I'd get a free pair of gloves. I do agree with your points though that anything over £220 for a bat is a bit silly money wise.
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I did send an email to Julian earlier this evening.
Hope I get some reply from him.
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Hi,
Got a reply from Julian:
"Yes I did make these bats and I can reproduce them with ease. However Adam used a 2.11-2.12 bat which included 2 grips.
The bat shape is the same as my Series 1 shape, which is a very popular shape with many players.
I can certainly make a bat the same for you.
I am running a special package for the UK at present, if you purchase a Premium Bat (AU$625) I will upgrade it to a Professional Custom Bat and include 1 x batting gloves, 1 x bat cover, 2 x spare grips and postage. I make up a custom bat as soon as I receive payment and it is usually ready to be sent within 3 days. Postage to the UK usually takes 1 week.
For the really big profile, your bat would have a dead weight of 2.10 but will pick up like a 2.7-8.
I really don't recommend going for 14 grains, you will find that this is usually lower grade willow and has a very short life span. I would recommend 7-9 grains, all of my Professional Grade bats are made from the best willow and, as I grade them on their playability, you will only receive a bat that is Truly a professional standard bat."
Sounds good. But even with the extras the bat would cost £300 :o
What are your thoughts.
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It's not a bad price, I'll pay anything up to £300 for a bat and with Julian throwing in the extras it sweetens the deal considerably. Not to mention your getting a bat custom made from the man who many regard as the finest podshaver around. May drop Julian a line regarding this.
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I agree with you that it will probably be one of the best / better bats once can get given Julian's cababilities and experience but he £300 is prohibitively high.
I may consider it at £220 - £250 with postage and no extas
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(Yawn!!!) Sorry for that, it's 3:00 a.m. in Madrid woke-up to take a call. It was Julian returning my call.
He has agreed to make series 1 / 3 bat from his best timber (professional grade) for AUD 550 (£250) + extras Gloves, fitted anti-scuff sheet, extra grips and extra set of stickers.
Managed to shave A$ 100 off the price as a friend from Aus will be meeting em in Frankfurt and has agreed to carry the bat for me.
Though thsi is a good news, I am again confused...... wether to go in for a Julian Millichamp or a Newbery (sorry Mike, whenever I decide to buy a Newbery something or the other comes in the way).
Guys, need you honest opinion.
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Just to mention, it was so easy talking with Julian.
he really listens to you and explains everything in great detail. Avery soft spoken guy.
I had butterflies talking to the best podshaver, but not even once he made me feel that my knowledge and understanding of willow and bats was inferior to his (though I knew it myself and had to think twice before saying anything to avoid making a fool of myself)
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Julian is one of the few cricket bat makers to reply back to me so he is high up in my estimation just because of the that.... not mention the other stuff.... I would feel nervous around most podshavers Yash it is just one of those things.... I remember meeting Guscott and Chillcot after a game once and being nervous as heck talking about the game I just played just incase I made a fool of myself :)
Ok my take on the Newbery vs Screaming Cat thing.... Both Tim Keeley and Julian Millichamp were trained by the man himself, John Newbery. Both have excellent reputations within the international arena. The only thing I would say is that if you go with the Newbery will Tim make it for you?
If he does, I would be just as stuck as you but I probably end up going for one off Julian.... but saying that if I get chance to speak with Tim I'd might end up going for one of his.... what can I say I'm a bit of cricket bat whore....
Oh no this is confusing end of the day is I'm chasing a Millichamp at the moment, then I will be chasing more then likely one of Tim's.... and on the lookout for one of John Newbery GN scoop's...
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I quite agree with you.
I too rate Julian at the top as he took the troble to call me (not evein email). It's not that his products are sub-standard to he does not have business, it's just about customer orientation and making a "prospective" customer special.
The best was he took my budget constraint positively and found out alternatives to give me the best willow within/near to my budget.
He even told me that if £250 was still too much for me, he could look around for a willow with some cosmetic blemishes and make one bat for me and at the same time assuring that the bat made from such willow will in no way be inferior to his premium/professional bat.
Even though he reduced the price by A$ 100 (£50), he stuck to his original offer of giving a pair of gloves, 2 extra grips, bat cover and fit a anti scuff to the bat.
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£250 sounds a fair price for what you're getting, especially with the shipping from Australia. If I had that kind of money I'd certainly go for it.
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Yeah I agree, got yourself a very good deal there I'd snap that up. However on the Newberys, I've had quite a few Newberys and all have been exceptional and played very well, not sure how many bats Tim makes these days though as he is quite ill from what I've heard.
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Shipping is not included in the price as I have arranged it to be delivered to my brother in Melborne, who will carry it with him to the UK in October.
No hurry as the season is over now.....
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Thats's a very good price as your getting an exceptional (I would imagine coming from a guy like Julian) bat and all them extras.
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check this video from Julian Millichamp:
http://video.google.com.au/videoplay?docid=-8461984891164955804&q=millichamp&total=1&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0
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nice ,i might get one as i live in australia!!!
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I have ordered one from Julian. This will be a replica of the bats he used to make for Adam Gilchrist and quite similar to the Series 1 profile.
Since the postage was quite high, I had it delivered to my friend in Melbourne who will carry it for me to UK.
Paid AUD 550 for Professional grade willow, fitted anti scuff sheet, 2X extra grips, bat cover, extra set of stickers and Professional/premium series batting gloves.
Julian is a top guy, understood my requirements and suggested changes to the usual series 1 profile to suit my style of play.
The bat will have a dead weight of 2.10 but Julian says it will pick up like a 2.7 or 2.8
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Sounds good, you'll have to let me know how it goes as at that price I may be interested as a one off special present for myself!
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Julian sent me an email saying that the bat is a rocket..... I would be very happy even if it is a aeroplane:)
He may consider adding this profile to his exisitng offerings . . . . sounds encouraging
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Anyone looking to buy a bat from Julian should call and talk to him on getting a better price. No much to discount maybe about £50 if one chooses not to take the free cloves (£25).
The main killer is the shippin price which is between £50-£75 (AU$100-150).
Also check for any customs duty that HMRC may add. (I had this problem with my BAS bats. Just got a invoice from TNT saying they paid £60 as customs duty on the 2 BAS I got from India even though the parcel came marked as "samples not for sale" and with a declared value of £51)
Try getting the bat sent by 1st class post rather than courier as all couriers are subject to customs scrutiny. Also ask for the invoice to be either sent seperately or inside the package.
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Hmm, when i sent a bat to the UK through Australian post, it only cost me about $20, and i think its $5 more for tracking.
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In that case I would assume that Julian uses a courier service which delivers the bat in 3 days.
how much would a first class, signed for and trackable post from AUS to UK cost? How many days does it take to deliver the parcel from the booking/posting date
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Yeah, id imagine he would, as i think Australia post takes about 2 weeks, longer wait, but much cheaper and its still safe..
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Had a look at them in GCCC Melbourne today. They looked good. Impala was also impressive. They only had two GN Legends in the store, but they were very big bats.
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were the impalas nice???
also did you see any cheap EW bats
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Thought you already found a bat mannie?
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i did but my mum said it will be better for me to buy a new one around xmas
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Impala's were good. I was tossing up between the S.Cat and the Redback Small Mens. Both had realy nice light pick ups. The redback is a big bat. Middle was a bit to high for my liking though.
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Yeah, i found that aswell tugga, when i was over i picked up a rattler, mainly due to the willow being nicer and the redback having a thin toe.
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Guys, got my Screaming Cat today and it is mind blowing.
Given the amount of wood on this bat, it picks up very well like a 2.7/2.8
Have forwarded pictures to Sam and Tom requesting them to upload them for me.
Let me have your thoughts on this bat
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Glad you got it cant wait to see pics... whos sam?! Lol
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Some pics attached
[attachment deleted by admin]
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looks a beauty! is it signed by julian personally? or is it just a sticker.
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Signed personally I think there's a close up pic attached
[attachment deleted by admin]
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looks personal to me, a great touch i think, just adds to an already superb bat
still prefer my newbery though :)
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Signed personally by Julian. He did so as this was a hybrid profile (series 1 & 3) that he created.
He upgraded the pair of batting gloves from the premium range to the professional range just because I wanted gloves with a bit of yellow in it.
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From what i can see it looks very nice, the face looks nice and clean.
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the face is impeccable.... not even a slightest blemish or marking..... clean like a summer sky (not English summer sky though)
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The bat looks like an absolute beauty and a hell of a lot of wood for the weight. Bet you can't wait to unleash it!
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yes, my hands are itching to play with it. However, will have to knock-it in first and then wait for the winter nets...:((
Have a look at the Screaming Cat gloves, which I am planning to sell. They are very soft and comfortable....just like my Salix Pod1's
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Anychance of a picks of all your bats together please mate?
But lovley bat, really wish i could afford a screaming cat, guess ill be saving up for a while and hope to get one!
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http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2008/09/17/7431_country-living.html
Small bit about Julian here along with a video.
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I did get a DVD with the bat with a short movie. can this be uploaded so other forum member can see it?
If yes, I can have the DVD posted to you.
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http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8461984891164955804
Was it this DVD?
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Here is one you've probaqbly not seen
http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2008/09/17/7451_country-living.html
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yes a better quality audio and video. but almost the same
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buying a couple of spare screaming cat labels from Julian. Each set will cost £15. Anyone interested in these stickers?
I can get one or two extra sets sets.
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guys there is Puma MIllichamp bat up for sale on the other cricketbats.com
the guy (Prashant) has been trying to sell for some time. IS asking for £210 incl pnp
if someone is interested they can bargain £30-40 quid
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Hi all,
I have just got a package together with Julian, Pro Bat, Pro Pads & Pro Gloves. Should all be here next week.
I'll post pics of the bat once it arrives, from advice and discussions with Julian I went for a 2lb 12oz Series 3. Should have huge meaty edges! Double grips with an over exageratted oval handle.
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Screaming Cat bats look excellent but when you have to pay delivery the price is to much in my opinion >:( .
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MBCC how much is that costing?
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I think a screaming cat will be my next bat. I'm gonna see if I can get one for £30 playing poker!! Up to US$100 so far....
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best way is to get the bat collected by or delivered to someone you know in Melbourne / Aus and then use Aus Post 1st class for posting.
I paid £35 for the 1st class postage and the bat was delivered in 4 working days. Pretty quick for £35.
Another way to get the cost of the purchase from JM down is to pay him locally and get £25 reduced from the final price (which JM will save as he will not have to pay as charges to PayPal)....
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By the way anyone ordering Screraming Cats, should ask for 3-4 extra grips (free) and get the antiscuff fitted.
The grips are really top class, very soft and provide good gripping.
The antiscuff is a zillion times better than the one we get in cricket stores. Try and get a extra one for £4.
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MBCC has your bat and the soft goods come?
Please post some pictures
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Just bought a screaming cat, using it this week in the first game of the series, Felt good in my hands and looking forward to striking a cricket ball.
Has anyone come actually played with one of these?
Or actually felt the sensation of hitting the middle of the bat and sending it all the way to boundary?
Was much effort required or was it just pure sweet enjoyment?
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I did nets with my Screraming Cat and it felt very good. Some balls just flew off the middle.
Which Series have you got?
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http://www.cricket-box.co.uk/acatalog/Screaming_Cat_Cricket_Bats.html (http://www.cricket-box.co.uk/acatalog/Screaming_Cat_Cricket_Bats.html)
£119.99 for a Screaming Cat, tempting :P Pads and gloves are cheap too!
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Thanks Tom!!
The Cricket Box had 3 full size Screaming Cats left in stock - a 2lb 8oz Premium, 2lb 9oz Pennant, and 2lb 9oz Perpetual.
Evidently they still have 4 x Premiums in Harrow size, for those who are a little smaller in height! Didnt ask the prices of those, but they are likely to be VERY competitive indeed!!
Alas, the SH Premium has now been sold ;-)
but they still have a Pennant for around £150 and the £120 Perpetual - both of which are still likely to be amazing bats.
Both these bats are literally half price compared with the SC website. So be quick!!!
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Considering they are graded on performance do you reckon that the perpetual would be poor, being the base model, as it probably the left overs...
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Ithink you should remember just who makes these bats - Julian Millichamp.
Having read his website about these bats, it is stated that the clefts are hand-picked by him. So not really the left-overs Raymond. And all the bats he makes are 100% hand-made by him. Therefore I am pretty sure that all his bats would feel and perform beautifully.
And consider that even this perpetual bat sells for 485 Aussie dollars normally - which is £270 in our language!
So when you consider that it's £120 on that website, thats gotta be a bit of a bargain. But I doubt it'll be for sale for long though - or not at that price!!
You tempted Raymond??
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Well if he is using the willow he grows out in Aus then the bats will be awful, if he uses English willow they will be better.
I heard that mr.millichamp has very good links with the good people in india........not sure if every single bat is made by himself but then again it might be, lots of stories do the rounds!
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True SS - the website does state that the bats are 100% made by the main man himself!
But you never know if this is now out of date info - as the websites are always the last things to get updated! After all, he does state that you can only buy SC bats directly from him. And yet there are a couple of places in the UK where you can source one too now.
But I would tend to sway towards the 100% hand made by him, as I am just an old romantic at heart - a traditionalist!!
But another issue would be to see if the bats sold in the UK (by cricket box, etc) are of the same high standard as if you went directly to JM himself?
That would be a more interesting (but expensive!!) test to carry out.
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Same here - i would hope that he made them all. However, if the demand was high for them there is no way he would could afford to make everyone by hand when he can have them made to look almost identical in India and Pakistan for £30-£40 a go......
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Good point. But until there are lots of reports or reviews of sub-standard quality SC bats, then I guess we shouldn't speculate really.
JM has his reputation based upon very high quality cricket bats. So until those standards slip, then I think it is only fair to assume that he still makes them?
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agreed!
In his batmaking video you dont realise how incredibly easy he makes it look.......much respect to him!
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He does seem to keep it simple and makes it look far easier than it deserves to be!
But isn't that the case for top craftsmen?
And talking of Screaming Cat, it looks as if my Screaming Cat Professional is back from Salix after it's refurb!!
Should have worked from home today!!!
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Some of the stuff is on ebay. Bat doesnt look too bad.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-Screaming-Cat-Pennant-Player-Cricket-Bat_W0QQitemZ160377940372QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_SportingGoods_CricketBats_SM?hash=item2557452994 (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-Screaming-Cat-Pennant-Player-Cricket-Bat_W0QQitemZ160377940372QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_SportingGoods_CricketBats_SM?hash=item2557452994)
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I noticed that baby on there too! Fantastic price and direct from the Cricket Box shop too.
If the bidder gets that for £119, it will be an absolute steal!
As I mentioned before, Steve at the shop had another Pennant left - 2lb 9oz series 1 for £149. Which again is a great price when you compare to the Aus website! If it was May/June and there was a Pennant for sale for that price, it would be snapped up!
You thinking of bidding on the ebay one then?
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No, just noticed it. Looked good for a pennant and is a good bargain!
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It is considering the cr@p GBP to AUD exchange rate! $1.80 to the pound!!
And it's just hard to bring yourself to buy one bat for £350 due the exchange rate!
JM does throw in lots of extras evidently though! So he realises the exchange rarte is causing people to not part with their money so quickly!
I am watching the exchange rate closely to see what it does though! It the pond gets any weaker, then all of JM's custom from the UK will dry up!
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Penant gone! lol
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Found another video for all you screaming cat lovers!
This ones the best i think.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ird3gE5LrKA&feature=player_embedded# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ird3gE5LrKA&feature=player_embedded#)
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great find gj!
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Awesome vid
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Interesting mallet he uses. Looks like its plastic....
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the best JM video i have seen.
His bats are simply amazing. I am still cursing myself for selling mine.....
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JM is pure class at making bats!
My Screamers are possibly the two bats I would not even entertain the idea of selling!!!