A Grade 1 Blade
A Grade 1 is the best looking blade money can buy, though it will not necessarily play the best. There may be some red wood evident on the edge of the bat (up to 1.75 inches). The grain on the face will be straight and there will be a minimum of 6 grains visible. There may be the odd small knot or speck in the edge or back but the playing area should be clean.
A Grade 2 Blade
A Grade 2 blade is also very good quality and normally a larger amount of red wood can be seen on the edge of a bat (Up to 2.25 inches), this has no effect on the playing ability of the bat it is purely cosmetic. Again there will be at least 6 straight grains on the face of the bat with maybe some blemishes, pin knots or “speck” visible.
A Grade 3 Blade
The blade as it is supplied
This is the grade we produce and sell most of and it offers very good value for money. A Grade 3 Blade has up to half colour across the bat and is sometimes bleached, again this has no direct relation to the playing ability of the wood, it just has less visual attraction. There will be a minimum of 5 grains on the face of the bat which may not always be perfectly straight. Again some small knots or a little ‘butterfly’ stain may be present with perhaps more prominent “speck”.
A Grade 4 Blade
A Grade 4 Blade is normally over half colour or contains butterfly stain (see our page on Imperfections in Willow). This wood is also normally bleached just to make it “look better”, it will still play as well as the other grades. Any number of grains are possible with often only 4 grains, the willow containing ‘butterfly’ stain is very strong, there could also be more “speck”.
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Topic: Willow grading (Read 1581 times)