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[Boondougal]

How about density? Would a less dense pretty looking bit of wood be more desirable when making a top end bat? Or does density play more of a part in how it can be shaped?

[Aldred Cricket Bats]

Density is about the natural weight of the cleft. You can have a heavy cleft in a top end piece of willow that is lovely to work with and will be a great bat but heavier or you can have a lighter piece of willow that is lovely to work with that will play beautifully. Every piece of willow is different. I'm don't know about all the science involved I know what works for me and my experience has told me from playing professionally and then from making that it's firstly down to the quality of the willow, the handle and then the quality of the pressing then the shaping is all about getting the weight distribution to get the maximum feel along with maximising the performance and that's down to keeping the weight in the right area of the bat

[Northern monkey]

Density is about the natural weight of the cleft. You can have a heavy cleft in a top end piece of willow that is lovely to work with and will be a great bat but heavier or you can have a lighter piece of willow that is lovely to work with that will play beautifully. Every piece of willow is different. I'm don't know about all the science involved I know what works for me and my experience has told me from playing professionally and then from making that it's firstly down to the quality of the willow, the handle and then the quality of the pressing then the shaping is all about getting the weight distribution to get the maximum feel along with maximising the performance and that's down to keeping the weight in the right area of the bat

And there is the best post I've read on here

[Aldred Cricket Bats]

Thanks northern I just thought it would be classed as common sense really regardless of anyone's knowledge of the subject but if you actually think about it the shaping is something anyone can do but not get right you could have a heavy bat that feels really light but the weight will be too high up the bat so you don't get its maximum potential out of it like wise a light bat could feel heavy if the weight is too much down the bottom. Weight distribution is a major factor to the feel and performance of a bat that's why I have always preached the shape is irrelevant the pressing and balance is critical.

[Boondougal]

Thanks northern I just thought it would be classed as common sense really regardless of anyone's knowledge of the subject but if you actually think about it the shaping is something anyone can do but not get right you could have a heavy bat that feels really light but the weight will be too high up the bat so you don't get its maximum potential out of it like wise a light bat could feel heavy if the weight is too much down the bottom. Weight distribution is a major factor to the feel and performance of a bat that's why I have always preached the shape is irrelevant the pressing and balance is critical.

You are definitely consistent in your mantra and its hard (although people try i guess) to challenge it.
Obviously density and weight are interlinked but i guess i was wondering wether or not a less dense, and therefore volumetrically bigger cleft (for a constant weight) would give more options when it comes to getting a balance to a bat.
I was a assuming a larger volume would give more scope to play with the balance.
The other thing that i can't get out of my head is the distinction between shape and balance. I would have thought the shape of the bat (and i guess more specifically the swell location) determines the balance. The skill with craftsmen such as your self is to get the best balance for where the swell is desired. As a batsman if you want a low swell then i assume you just have to accept the pickup is never going to be as light as a higher swell.

Bat making is a fascinating skill - i appreciate your insights and the time you spend giving them.

[Seniorplayer]

Density is about the natural weight of the cleft. You can have a heavy cleft in a top end piece of willow that is lovely to work with and will be a great bat but heavier or you can have a lighter piece of willow that is lovely to work with that will play beautifully. Every piece of willow is different. I'm don't know about all the science involved I know what works for me and my experience has told me from playing professionally and then from making that it's firstly down to the quality of the willow, the handle and then the quality of the pressing then the shaping is all about getting the weight distribution to get the maximum feel along with maximising the performance and that's down to keeping the weight in the right area of the bat

Excellent explanation Paul regarding what makes a quality bat but
as someone who has always used  light bats i am a bit confused to why batmakers put the weight near the bottom which makes the bat feel toe heavy and state it is a lower middle to assist driving the ball etc as in my opinion this is not correct weight distribution as it effects the pickup.

[Aldred Cricket Bats]

The clefts we get from the supplier come in a standard cut size. these will all weigh differently. Some companies get super sized clefts, we don't they are a gimmick and also are taking up more willow trees to do so. once cleaned up to our working dimensions they will be weighed again at that stage I will start to know what weight they will be suited for in whatever grade. so when we come to actually making them up they will all have the same bulk of wood but some will weigh heavier some lighter in those same dimensions.
  Shape and balance, this is a skill in shaping because some willow will weigh heavier at one end than the other, and some will be even all the way through just because the moisture content can vary in the position of different clefts.
  Ok take the traditional style bats like our velocity range. to many peoples eyes they look at it and think the weight is all down the bottom because the blending of the toe starts low down in the bat. if you actually look at the bat the depth of the spine runs out up the bat gradually therefore distributing the weight up the bat creating a balanced pick up. the edges aren't as thick for the simple reason the bat has to have weight removed somewhere so without concaving it has to come away from the edges. if these were bottom heavy some of the greatest players of all time wouldn't have been scoring double hundreds with them on far quicker wickets than they play on now in county and international cricket. The middles on the bats were just as big as any bat now. look at a modern shape they vary from massive concaving with huge looking edges to give the illusion of a big bat and it is an illusion because the weight has been removed and the guts of the bat lost through too much concaving. then there are gentle concaved bats with big edges but not ridiculous and spines are not as deep and toes not as thick as the bulk is being kept in the hitting zone. now people think the players are hitting bigger sixes with modern bats. not necessarily so, more yes but boundaries are smaller due to, 1. stadiums being made bigger and therefore encroaching into the old playing arena and 2 they bring the boundary ropes in even further to make it appear more exciting. A good bat made in years gone by wont be any different to a good bat made now except for the profiling style, this at the end of the day is a marketing tool, but also a batter who has a bat that looks big in his hands will feel more confident but that confidence is irrelevant if the bat is not pressed and shaped well as the ball wont go anywhere with a dead bat simple as that             

[Boondougal]

The clefts we get from the supplier come in a standard cut size. these will all weigh differently. Some companies get super sized clefts, we don't they are a gimmick and also are taking up more willow trees to do so. once cleaned up to our working dimensions they will be weighed again at that stage I will start to know what weight they will be suited for in whatever grade. so when we come to actually making them up they will all have the same bulk of wood but some will weigh heavier some lighter in those same dimensions.
  Shape and balance, this is a skill in shaping because some willow will weigh heavier at one end than the other, and some will be even all the way through just because the moisture content can vary in the position of different clefts.
  Ok take the traditional style bats like our velocity range. to many peoples eyes they look at it and think the weight is all down the bottom because the blending of the toe starts low down in the bat. if you actually look at the bat the depth of the spine runs out up the bat gradually therefore distributing the weight up the bat creating a balanced pick up. the edges aren't as thick for the simple reason the bat has to have weight removed somewhere so without concaving it has to come away from the edges. if these were bottom heavy some of the greatest players of all time wouldn't have been scoring double hundreds with them on far quicker wickets than they play on now in county and international cricket. The middles on the bats were just as big as any bat now. look at a modern shape they vary from massive concaving with huge looking edges to give the illusion of a big bat and it is an illusion because the weight has been removed and the guts of the bat lost through too much concaving. then there are gentle concaved bats with big edges but not ridiculous and spines are not as deep and toes not as thick as the bulk is being kept in the hitting zone. now people think the players are hitting bigger sixes with modern bats. not necessarily so, more yes but boundaries are smaller due to, 1. stadiums being made bigger and therefore encroaching into the old playing arena and 2 they bring the boundary ropes in even further to make it appear more exciting. A good bat made in years gone by wont be any different to a good bat made now except for the profiling style, this at the end of the day is a marketing tool, but also a batter who has a bat that looks big in his hands will feel more confident but that confidence is irrelevant if the bat is not pressed and shaped well as the ball wont go anywhere with a dead bat simple as that           

cheers Paul.

[Aldred Cricket Bats]

Well got the new machine underway, installed a lathe that will do at least 3 jobs for me with one machine, perfect for a small workshop. Will sand first stage with a bigger sanding drum, buff and bind the handles for me as its variable speed. Really happy with it and then I can even start to learn some wood turning. Happy days

[Aldred Cricket Bats]

Ok a beautiful velocity with supreme stickers on to go with the rest of his bats. this is 2-11 naked picks up unbelievably I reckon feels 2-8/9 and pings like you wouldn't believe. it is a an absolute stunner
 

[i12breakfree]

That is a beautiful bat. The profile looks really nice...looks a little different from regular velocity or may be its just my eyes

[horseman]

Lets hope the bloke wielding it does it justice paul!!.

[Aldred Cricket Bats]

That is a beautiful bat. The profile looks really nice...looks a little different from regular velocity or may be its just my eyes

it is very slightly yes but the camera exaggerates it more so. the cleft was quite light for the finished weight required so its enabled the bat to keep an incredibly high spine thus making the transition to the toe appear more severe. its nearly a 70mm spine on a traditional shape blade. that's big.

[Aldred Cricket Bats]

a nice refurb of an original velocity. its a beauty too. the young lad has just got into the England disability squad plays prem cricket too, lovely. lad hes off to training camp this week
before


After

[cesare_in]

Beautiful refurb!