Topic: The range of grades in my collection (Read 1777 times)

SOULMAN1012 · « **on:** April 06, 2014, 03:53:11 PM »

Just thought I would show my main selection of bats. Haven't got the HH gear with me as its at my club after netting today ready for next weekend.

Any way there has been a bit of chat about grading and pricing etc recently so though I would show my bats for 2014 in grade order. I believe the grading is right but could be wrong. By that I mean the grade 2 selection I have listed are mid range in the main so I would say are grade 2.

The point of this is that to me by taking the time to select your bat or by using trusted sponsors etc you can get an amazing bat at any price point. The second point to me is to highlight that grading can be some random its impossible to argue either way. I have clean and heartwood blades in every grade range here and they all play exceptionally well. In fact If I could only keep one group of these it would be the Grade 2,s.

Hope you like the pics and the topic makes sense

Grade 1

B&S supreme with LE decals
M&H Harliquin G1

2x HitsHards when they were new last year. The one on the left as you look is Grade 1 but is a sub as has a small pressing crack towards the toe.

B&S very clean blade evenly spaced and mainly straight grains. M&H heartwood, straight clean grains. Both play exceptionally well and are super powerful bats.

Grade 2

Gray Nicolls e41 5star select edition
Gray Nicolls X181 750i
Gunn & Moore Icon 909
Salix custom shape

These all play exceptionally well and these are in my view the pick of all my bats. I would have no qualms using any of these as my main match bat. The e41 is the nicest looking blade i own in my opinion with the tiniest mark towards the bottom. The Salix is a wonderful cleft with lovely heartwood and the pick up on X181 and 909 is sublime. Are the G1 bats above better than these? In my view no there not.

Grade 3/4

Kookaburra bubble star
Ton Power Blaster

Both of these are less than �150 and entry level bottom of standard range so I assume G3/4. Performance wise again amazing and the blade on the Ton is excellent for entry level tiny butterfly mark on edge. kook again has heartwood. Do these play worse than G1 or G2? In my opinion no.

jwebber86 · « **Reply #1 on:** April 06, 2014, 04:27:01 PM »

good post chris and some lovely looking bats.

i think a lot of the issue is that there is no way of really knowing how a bat is going to play until its finished. so the grading of the clefts can only be on looks.

i completely agree that hand pick or using a trusted supplier is by far the best option and can allow for some absolute belters from the lower ranges

19reading87 · « **Reply #2 on:** April 06, 2014, 04:42:37 PM »

I thought the GM 909 was classed as grade 1 willow mate??

kal_m · « **Reply #3 on:** April 06, 2014, 05:02:34 PM »

Nice collection my friend...!!

nudgemaster · « **Reply #4 on:** April 06, 2014, 05:05:31 PM »

Wow...........

How can one person have so much good looking willow!!!

mujju · « **Reply #5 on:** April 06, 2014, 06:01:10 PM »

Lovely. Collection mate ..good post

shoab68 · « **Reply #6 on:** April 06, 2014, 06:40:48 PM »

Lovely Collection Chris. I envy you ---

Ryan · « **Reply #7 on:** April 06, 2014, 06:49:58 PM »

Chris, why have you down graded the salix for having half heatwood when the M&H is 100% heartwood? Looks a lovely bit of willow or does it have a blemish somewhere?

SOULMAN1012 · « **Reply #8 on:** April 06, 2014, 06:54:32 PM »

Quote from: Ryan on April 06, 2014, 06:49:58 PM

Chris, why have you down graded the salix for having half heatwood when the M&H is 100% heartwood? Looks a lovely bit of willow or does it have a blemish somewhere?

That was a G2 cleft mate that I selected. That would be a G2 by Andrews grading for Salix mate. Or a G1 in the HH range.

SOULMAN1012 · « **Reply #9 on:** April 06, 2014, 06:55:33 PM »

Quote from: nudgemaster on April 06, 2014, 05:05:31 PM

Wow...........

How can one person have so much good looking willow!!!

That's half of it, the others I couldn't be bothered to photo or there in the garage. Just a few more GN bats and some Salix bats.

Ryan · « **Reply #10 on:** April 06, 2014, 06:56:26 PM »

Just wondered, both look lovely though.

SOULMAN1012 · « **Reply #11 on:** April 06, 2014, 07:23:03 PM »

Quote from: 19reading87 on April 06, 2014, 04:42:37 PM

I thought the GM 909 was classed as grade 1 willow mate??

Like I said mate I said G2 as there would be the original and original LE above it so wouldn't understand how you could have 3 ranges from G1 willow. GM may grade as 1 but then what are the Original and original LE as to my knowledge there is such thing as G1+ well certainly not that I'm a custom too. At Salix we have G1 to G4 and believe wrights have the same the myth of G1+ etc is just used by companies in there internal grading systems.

procricket · « **Reply #12 on:** April 06, 2014, 08:06:35 PM »

Them Hits Hard bats look beautiful Chris great range from a classy company mate.

SOULMAN1012 · « **Reply #13 on:** April 06, 2014, 08:22:29 PM »

Quote from: procricket on April 06, 2014, 08:06:35 PM

Them Hits Hard bats look beautiful Chris great range from a classy company mate.

Cheers mate the one on the right is my match bat and will be used for its 2nd season this year. Can't remember when I last used a bat the following season but after a winter refurb it looks almost like that again now. The one on the left is my spare for match days and is coming along nicely has a slightly higher spine than the other with the spine running all the way to the toe which is my current preference on my bats.

Chad · « **Reply #14 on:** April 07, 2014, 01:21:29 PM »

Quote from: SOULMAN1012 on April 06, 2014, 07:23:03 PM

Like I said mate I said G2 as there would be the original and original LE above it so wouldn't understand how you could have 3 ranges from G1 willow. GM may grade as 1 but then what are the Original and original LE as to my knowledge there is such thing as G1+ well certainly not that I'm a custom too. At Salix we have G1 to G4 and believe wrights have the same the myth of G1+ etc is just used by companies in there internal grading systems.

It is G1 on the catalogue, as graded by GM. Salix also have 3 G1s, with Finite, Players and Grade One. I do agree with you with regards to not understanding why there has to be 3 grade ones, but fact is, GM no longer do the 909, and Salix seem to have added an extra G1.

(Mind you, the Players Editions could also be counted, but I think Perkins said that they're made from the same willow as LE)

Author Topic: The range of grades in my collection (Read 1777 times)

SOULMAN1012

The range of grades in my collection

jwebber86

Re: The range of grades in my collection

19reading87

Re: The range of grades in my collection

kal_m

Re: The range of grades in my collection

nudgemaster

Re: The range of grades in my collection

mujju

Re: The range of grades in my collection

shoab68

Re: The range of grades in my collection

Ryan

Re: The range of grades in my collection

SOULMAN1012

Re: The range of grades in my collection

SOULMAN1012

Re: The range of grades in my collection

Ryan

Re: The range of grades in my collection

SOULMAN1012

Re: The range of grades in my collection

procricket

Re: The range of grades in my collection

SOULMAN1012

Re: The range of grades in my collection

Chad

Re: The range of grades in my collection