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[qalib13]

I'll wait for the next grade up from the Finite 

I love salix to bits, and as long as Andrew keeps making bats like he does, I will always use one, but all this introducing of grades higher than last years highest get on my nuts. To be fair to them they aren't the only ones. I've always bought Salix even when I bought other brands i still had to have one too. I remember when grade one used to the top level willow, then a few years back they made the players grade, then came the AJK branded bats which were meant to be very limited, high quality, super rare willow and now this 'Finite.'

Its flipping exhausting!

Paul or Soulman, as you have inside knowledge, i have a few questions if you would be so kind. Where do this finite grade fit in their hierarchy. Is it meant to be more scarce than the AJK designated willow? Or is AJK still Andrew's cream of the crop? Finally has Andrew given up on his experimentation with flat faces and now moving back to the rounded, more traditional faces that he started out with? Last year after I bought a flatter face model and spoke to him, he couldn't stop extolling the virtues of the flat faces. I wonder if he's had a change of heart.

[Number 11]

I remember when 5 star used to be top end, now you have LE's, Players, A1+++++++++ etc
I think everything might just be being downgraded and top willow is just re-labelled, could be wrong though.
Similar to when football brought in the Premier League, just another name for Division 1.

[GarrettJ]

Finite is probably a cleft that is very light and looks nice.

Crown at b3 or Finite at Salix or Players at GM/GN

Confusing to a buyer but with my insider knowledge i know that these are sort of rare. I found 2 in 50 clefts i weighed but i wasnt specifically looking for them due to me going for looks over weight.

[ItsJustCricket]

I think Finite will slot between Players and the AJK grade. But I agree, it does look a bit crowded in their range now! The fact that they are only offering the Finite grade in two of their bats makes it more viable though, I think. Andrew still loves his flatter faces, but wants a more balanced range for next year, with 3 rounder faced bats and 3 of the flatter variety...

[Alvaro]

Ah - so flat ones haven't been dropped altogether?

Are they going down the GM route then?

[ItsJustCricket]

Not quite as complex as GM because you don't get face options on particular bats. The Torque, for example, won't have a rounder face option. I also think they only do two different presses, rather than 3. I am assuming it's the equivalent of F2 and F7, but I won't know for sure until I'm there next Wednesday!

[Rowan]

is there really that much difference between a flat face and a rounded face?
Or do people just obsess over it because they think it will make their game better?.

[Number 11]

Finite is probably a cleft that is very light and looks nice.

Crown at b3 or Finite at Salix or Players at GM/GN

Confusing to a buyer but with my insider knowledge i know that these are sort of rare. I found 2 in 50 clefts i weighed but i wasnt specifically looking for them due to me going for looks over weight.

Thanks mate, so basically just a tad better than your ordinary Grade 1 piece of wood. There needs to be some standardisation in what to call these, Players, LE, Finite, Crown, Grade 0 maybe?

[Rowan]

Personally I wouldnt pay that much for a bat, is grae one becoming grade two, sounds like it haha.
I think batmakers just want more money.
Lucky I love a few butterfly stains on my bat

[ItsJustCricket]

The willow merchants are charging them more, though, so the bat makers can't help putting the prices up.  Neither can we.  Top grade willow is very limited, and there are a lot of people who want it, so the prices tend to go up every year, unfortunately...

[Batman7]

It's all very confusing. Be nice if it was standardised.