I've been to James workshop, lovely part of the world
Blokes a nice chap too,(for a Yorkshireman ) with a wealth of knowledge in the bat making industry.
The bats he's knocking out now are not bad for the money, I've not seen any of his ltd stuff, and I'm not sure how many decent clefts he gets from wrights, as I'm sure he's a long way down their pecking order.
I think once you've seen some of the bats posted on here, and maybe visited a few more bat makers and seen just what's out there with regards to quality both in looks and performance , you will understand people's comments.
One of the best bats I've had, was a grade two Ace from when James worked there