Heres my review of an Aldred Supreme. Like Roco, I drove down to Paul's workshop to pick through some clefts and have a chat about what he did and what I was looking for. He showed me some of the bats that were already made up (beauties all, especially his own which I believe he hit 60odd with at a Lord's Taverner's game). Paul was very patient (especially since my 1 year old didn't make things easy!) and we settled on a peach of a cleft which he then proceeded to shape up in front of me. All in all, it was great to meet him and watch him work, the care he took of listening to me was a revelation in today's world of mass manufacture.
The bat arrived and horrifyingly seemed to have been damaged in transit. No matter, Paul's patience continued and he sent me another bat, just as nice if not nicer. So beyond top marks for service, cos I think he looked after me better than I could possibly expect from anywhere else I have been to.
What else can I tell you? The pick up is just what I was looking for: its a very meaty bat, but as I like wafty drives and cuts, it picks up light enough for me to play this way whilst having more than enough meat to clear the boundary with a Gayle-style swing. Point being that, for me, it achieves that balance between having a light enough pick up with enough wood to get the ball away without having arms like the afore-mentioned Mr Gayle.
The finish is fantastic, I didnt ask for a face sheet as I like oiling and sanding my bats, though Paul did tape the edges. I see cracks and damage as an occupational hazard for cricket bats; though I like my bats, they are tools, so I oil, sand and repair them and when their time's up, I get another one! Sometimes, I dont even wait that long to get another one. It seems quite a lot of people on here are the same. In any case, its beautifully sanded and polished. The handle is a thick oval, which I asked for. The toe is naturally finished and Paul recommended some EVA glue for the toe as a seal against the wet (like you would use to repair a crack) but I havent started knocking in yet so not got that far.
Oh, and the ball comes off it beautifully: the ping is fantastic off the mallet and bouncing a ball on it and I dont think it will take much work to open up the middle. I didnt care about middle position as much as I cared about the pick up: as long as the middle's vaguely in the middle, as opposed to extremely high or low, I think the way the bat picks up makes more of a difference to me middling the ball than where that middle is. As long as I can wave the bat the way I want to, I back my chances of finding the middle - if I miss, its my fault/lack of skill rather than the bat's fault as far as I am concerned.
To sum up, I am very happy and will certainly be a repeat customer.
Here are some pictures, and thank you very much Paul. In the best possible way, I hope you dont become too big/popular to loose the personal, thoughtful and kind service you provide.
Cheers
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Topic: New Supreme (Read 5020 times)