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[Bats_Entertainment]

I think years ago the top end bats were obviously better than the lower end ones. Cheaper bats were pressed/ built for durablity in club use.

I wish manufacturers still used the 'star' system (with five being the highest).

[Seniorplayer]

Buying a bat was far less complicated when the star system was widely used.

[GarrettJ]

Are you talking about the consumer or a bat maker?

Handpicking directly from the factory by shop owners .... Both the batmaker and shop owner Wouldn't sell many bats with big mallet dents all over the face

[GarrettJ]

I liked the county way of the 3,5 and 8 star model ... The 8 being very rare pieces of perfect looking willow which you hardly ever saw in club cricket

Remember my brothers county reflex which wasn't even a 3 star, joint second best bat I have ever used alongside a county insignia 5 star .... Both bought from the local sports shop by my dad who has never played cricket in his life. People still ask me if I have those bats to give away. The secret behind them was 6 months of serious knocking in by an 11 and 15 year old who had no internet, no sky, no iPod, no mobile, no stupid American tv programs to watch and nothing better to do than enjoy the sound of leather on willow.

Too much bullshit going on these days in the selling of bats but thinking about it I think 99% of club cricketers keep it very simple where as a select few like to know more and select the very best and get caught up in irrelevant details. A little bit of knowledge in the wrong hands is very dangerous.

Best to be totally oblivious to it all and just buy a bat and be done with it. If it isn't scoring any runs, it's the batsmans fault not the bat. I had this problem with a bat I was personally given by shiv chanderpaul, couldn't get the ball off the square but it obviously wasn't a rubbish bat, it was me.

[Bats_Entertainment]

Buying a bat was far less complicated when the star system was widely used.

There was less bullshit in the world, generally.

[tim2000s]

All the reminiscing. There was less bs? Not so sure about that.  There was certainly less available information so you couldn't choose to become a total willow nerd in the same way and there wasn't the ability for large groups of nerds to collectively form a community anywhere near as easily, but I call pants on less bs...

[Northern monkey]

How about banning the wording of grade this or grade that? On bats or adverts
Never gonna happen I no

Would that stop the BS? Etc

[Bats_Entertainment]

All the reminiscing. There was less bs? Not so sure about that.  There was certainly less available information so you couldn't choose to become a total willow nerd in the same way and there wasn't the ability for large groups of nerds to collectively form a community anywhere near as easily, but I call pants on less bs...

I wasn't suggesting everything was better 'back in the day'. Just some things!

[procricket]

Whilst were here and talking BS some need to stop saying made in the UK whilst there at it.....

[Bats_Entertainment]

Whilst were here and talking BS some need to stop saying made in the UK whilst there at it.....

Or handmade?

[Aldred Cricket Bats]

Like you, Paul, Owen Jones identifies greed as an evil thing. And the reason for the decline in proper apprenticeships etc.

Like many sports folk, I guess you would tell me that you're not really into politics? But, from your posts, you clearly are!

Well I suppose I am interested in politics to certain degree. My big thing about anything in life is, I don't believe any politicians do things for the right reason. There is always an ulterior motive behind it. It is either an effort for self promotion or they are pushing something forward that will benefit them financially. I had the same thought when i was cricketing I believed in team ethics not individual promotion. I read a great article about the England rugby coach at the moment Stuart Lancaster in his belief that it's not just about the physical attributes that makes a good player it's about what you have in your heart and why you are doing it. Those thoughts were my demise at Derbyshire as I stood up to the opposite when dominic cork was in charge. I made the poor decision as to tell the truth to the chairman when asked my opinion as a senior player and so I told him. I never played another first class game for the next year and a half and then released. It proved to be true though cork was sacked a year later and he had the same impact at Lancashire. Great player mind but there's more to it. Do I regret it? No, it was gutting to come to an end when I felt I had so much to offer the club and still do to be honest as far as management and motivation but I don't regret being honest, I know I can always hold my head high knowing I did what was true and honest.
   Why do we want to do anything? Everyone has different motivations. Mine are satisfaction not financial. Granted I want to make a living but I'm not interested in being a millionaire or taking over the world, if it made me reasonably comfortable financially that would be fantastic but at the end of the day I love doing it and really love the thought of keeping a true tradition alive. Why? Just because I think we should, it's down to the few of us who still think like this in all trades. I don't want to claim that I am selling hand made bats and not actually doing it myself from start to finish, anyone can do that anyone can follow the flock, if I could make the softs too I would. If I had the finance I would set a factory up in the uk to do it. It's down to what is held true to yourself in my humble opinion. If you haven't seen the link on my page take a look this is what I am talking about tradition it just shows how I shape a bat by hand using the traditional tools. This is how it was always done but is slipping away rapidly. Lots of labels not many makers or people who press themselves either in the grand scheme of things

 

[TBONTB]

Bit out there but bear with me.

To stop all the half truths and lies of omission, could a trade body or consortium of manufactures be started to regulate and accredit bat makers. (May already be one if I am naive tell me to sushhh)

So to call Cornish pasty a proper pasty it has to be made in cornwall to certain standards, the same as parmesan, champagne etc. All have geographical or certain conditions that allow it to be called what it is called.

Could this be done for cricket bats, so to be called handmade, the process has to be done 80% by hand, or the shaping has to be done by hand. For it to be called made in the UK the process has to take place in the uk. Not ship the clefts to India, shape them then handle them in the UK and claim they are made in the UK.

Or another string in the bow could be that if a company still wants to make bats in India, guarantees as to fair wages and certain safety conditions, like wearing shoes, protective glasses etc. I know that this would cost an arm and a leg, and there are many issues with participation etc, but hypothetically would it solve many of the grading, miscommunications that exist?

Back to my dissertation.....

[Beachcricket]

I tried to do this and it was difficult to get enough support for the idea sadly, so it's now on a back burner along with a lot of research.

[Aldred Cricket Bats]

Well if you make them yourself as a small business you have to make good bats or else you won't get customers back so you don't make a living. You don't get minimum wage working for yourself, you get what's left. Not a bad incentive to be good at what you do.

[TBONTB]

Very fair point. If I did not already have a dissertation underway I would love to do it on the determinants of success  in the cricket bat making industry. There is very little literature about cricket bats other than wood construction etc!