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[safbats]

fair enough, I've an absolute beauty of a bat that I got cheap due to a few pressing cracks, just wondered what would happen to such a bat at most batmakers.

Pressing cracks and hairline cracks in the willow are different things here... The willow is split through a section of it not just on the face

[Kulli]

Ah, get you now, that must really be annoying.

Presumably the sort of bat I have would get sold off at a discount in most places then.

[safbats]

PM me if you'd like to put money where you mouth is and make one for me! I'm genuinely intruiged more than anything!

Actually do you mind if I ask a question Dan, why go for a laminate?  Is it the performance talk thing that you'd be interested in?

[safbats]

Ah, get you now, that must really be annoying.

Presumably the sort of bat I have would get sold off at a discount in most places then.

Yes you'd hope so

[safbats]

Ok last question

[Dan W]

Actually do you mind if I ask a question Dan, why go for a laminate?  Is it the performance talk thing that you'd be interested in?

Of sorts...I'm not declaring that I think they're a magic 'wonder bat' that will split balls in half, though I do find they have a if not performance then a resilience and perhaps consistency that outweighs some of the top of the range bats.

I really dig your scientific approach to batmaking, so would happy to finance you experiment to see what a saf laminate would look like!

[safbats]

Of sorts...I'm not declaring that I think they're a magic 'wonder bat' that will split balls in half, though I do find they have a if not performance then a resilience and perhaps consistency that outweighs some of the top of the range bats.

I really dig your scientific approach to batmaking, so would happy to finance you experiment to see what a saf laminate would look like!

Dan call me or email me and we can chat I reckon...  I will be doing one for me to look into but at the moment it isn't on the radar due to the MCC laws, so on the back back burner

Ok.... need to go be back in a bit to see if I get that last question

Thanks all...

[Kulli]

How much are bat-making trends driven by the players and how much by the manufacturers?

[Dan W]

What's been worst, yet widely adopted and considered positive, gimmick or trend in batmaking?

[tushar sehgal]

I might have missed the boat on questions but if not here is 1/1.5

What are you passionate about other than cricket/bat making (you mentioned guitars is there anything else)? If you could have been something other than a bat maker what would you have picked (I know you are an engineer first)?

[safbats]

How much are bat-making trends driven by the players and how much by the manufacturers?

They are driven by shops and therefore the every day consumer more then anything else. This isnt a new phenomenon. Consumer driven sales drove the willow suppliers to start supplying the hybrid salix alba caerulea and nowadays it is driving the big edges on bats 

[safbats]

What's been worst, yet widely adopted and considered positive, gimmick or trend in batmaking?

Big edges, therefore concaving and therefore the quest to make a big looking bat for a lighter weight....  It has driven loose pressing techniques, dried out willow from some and bats which are all edge with no spine...

I dont think it shows the true nature of how a piece of willow should be handled to get the best from it

[safbats]

I might have missed the boat on questions but if not here is 1/1.5

What are you passionate about other than cricket/bat making (you mentioned guitars is there anything else)? If you could have been something other than a bat maker what would you have picked (I know you are an engineer first)?

I love rugby and played a bit when I was younger my boys now go and I've got the bug again... 

... I've done the race engineering bit which is what I wanted to do as kid so I'll stick with wanting to be a bat maker still loads to achieve