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[SurreySam]

Not sure what the original point is? From the pictures posted, the specs on the bats look different, so they can't all have same spine, edge, toe, shoulder, blade and handle specs.

Anyway, for me the biggest change over the last few decades, has been the decrease in face camber and the availability of lighter adult sized bats. I put this down to drier timber and a fashion for larger headline specs.

[Wazza08]

We have all ignored the fact that in essence the increased demand of English willow has also required changes to the production techniques making the more dense willow (and more grainy slower growing willow) less available so ultimately willow/bat makers are of course going to try and get us to move to less dense willow that is more readily available.  That i guess will also play a part in the changes we see.

[SurreySam]

Willow is a product of its environment. Not sure how you can 'manage' that in order to change the characteristics of the timber grown.

[Wazza08]

Willow is a product of its environment. Not sure how you can 'manage' that in order to change the characteristics of the timber grown.

Exactly why you can vary it, change planting location, nutrients present, amount of light, weather will all play a part just as much as farmers are better at managing crops to maximise yields.  Trees are cut much sooner these days hence fewer/wider grains in general from what I understand from one of the willow makers I talked to about it a few months ago.

[SurreySam]

To a degree. But having lived around England's champagne region, the grape growers around here can try create ideal growing conditions but mother nature still has the final say. There have been a couple of years recently where my local grower would not process the grapes grown and instead sold them on, as they didn't want to tarnish their brand. Willow is not different being a natural product.