Topic: My grainy heartwood butterfly (Read 17880 times)

TangoWhiskey · « **on:** May 28, 2014, 11:19:54 AM »

I contacted Paul a couple of weeks back regarding a new bat. I had a few options on the table in my price range and I have to admit since I joined here I have had my beady eye on one of his creations, so I didn't take too much convincing!

I was waiting for my Newbery to sell to free up some funds before I jumped in and I was eying up a grade 2 Gold Sovereign, but then Paul posted a few clefts in his butterfly section and the grainy one second from the right caught my eye:

So over the next few emails which, despite being busy Paul answered everything quickly and patiently, we hammered out the details of what I wanted. I ordered and paid and continued to pester, the post payment customer service from Paul was still very kind and professional, I could tell he was very busy but he still took time to answer my menial emails.

So after about a 10 day turn around my grainy butterfly turned up at the office today. I would like to take some nicer pictures to do it some more justice but it will have to wait til I get home:

Today is going to be a long day, I can not wait to get it home and start knocking it in and tapping balls up on it.

I would totally recommend Paul to a friend even before I have checked out the performance of the bat, he is very helpful and the bats he makes represent some great value for money. If this bat performs anything near to how it looks then I am sure it won't be the last of my dealings with Mr Aldred!

Cheers Paul.

Wickets-then-runs · « **Reply #1 on:** May 28, 2014, 11:29:41 AM »

I know what you mean by saying that you can't wait to get home to bounce balls on it. As I get all my bats delivered to my office, I now have a ball there to tap them up with! That's a sweet looking blade, for sure. I am really keen to hear how a bat with amount of grainage (?) performs especially being a butterfly.
I emailed Paul a couple of times but he didn't seem that keen to help. He would be pretty flat out with the quality of bat he is producing at the moment I would imagine. Good on him, great job!

Alvaro · « **Reply #2 on:** May 28, 2014, 11:31:19 AM »

That shape is beautiful.

TangoWhiskey · « **Reply #3 on:** May 28, 2014, 11:47:23 AM »

Quote from: Wickets-then-runs on May 28, 2014, 11:29:41 AM

I know what you mean by saying that you can't wait to get home to bounce balls on it. As I get all my bats delivered to my office, I now have a ball there to tap them up with! That's a sweet looking blade, for sure. I am really keen to hear how a bat with amount of grainage (?) performs especially being a butterfly.
I emailed Paul a couple of times but he didn't seem that keen to help. He would be pretty flat out with the quality of bat he is producing at the moment I would imagine. Good on him, great job!

He must have been too busy emailing me back, I sent him literally hundreds! He was very helpful, especcially as I could tell he was very busy. He does coaching on the side too which also means his time is stretched.

Gingerbusiness · « **Reply #4 on:** May 28, 2014, 11:49:26 AM »

This is what passes as a 'sub-standard' butterfly cleft...

Most companies 'Grade 1+' wouldn't look as good as that!!

Sign me up!

TangoWhiskey · « **Reply #5 on:** May 28, 2014, 11:59:09 AM »

Quote from: Gingerbusiness on May 28, 2014, 11:49:26 AM

This is what passes as a 'sub-standard' butterfly cleft...

Most companies 'Grade 1+' wouldn't look as good as that!!

Sign me up!

Yep, Paul is probably too honest for his own good! It looks lovely, almost if it would be a real shame for me to soil it by using it with my excuse for cricket!

jwebber86 · « **Reply #6 on:** May 28, 2014, 12:01:53 PM »

looks lovely and for the price paul sells them at i can't see many other bats getting close

wayward_hayward · « **Reply #7 on:** May 28, 2014, 01:08:01 PM »

I'm in love, beautiful grains and shape.

AverageCricketer · « **Reply #8 on:** May 28, 2014, 01:18:47 PM »

Roughly 25 grains is what I counted. 😱 What was the price?

TangoWhiskey · « **Reply #9 on:** May 28, 2014, 01:19:56 PM »

Quote from: AverageCricketer on May 28, 2014, 01:18:47 PM

Roughly 25 grains is what I counted. 😱 What was the price?

�170, absolute bargain.

AverageCricketer · « **Reply #10 on:** May 28, 2014, 01:35:31 PM »

Quote from: TangoWhiskey on May 28, 2014, 01:19:56 PM

�170, absolute bargain.

That's what I call value for money. Cheapest 25 grain bat ever. Bats twice as expensive don't even have half the grains or that beautiful heartwood.

Manormanic · « **Reply #11 on:** May 28, 2014, 01:55:09 PM »

took me a minute to find the so called butterfly!

Aldred Cricket Bats · « **Reply #12 on:** May 28, 2014, 02:06:45 PM »

Quote from: Wickets-then-runs on May 28, 2014, 11:29:41 AM

I know what you mean by saying that you can't wait to get home to bounce balls on it. As I get all my bats delivered to my office, I now have a ball there to tap them up with! That's a sweet looking blade, for sure. I am really keen to hear how a bat with amount of grainage (?) performs especially being a butterfly.
I emailed Paul a couple of times but he didn't seem that keen to help. He would be pretty flat out with the quality of bat he is producing at the moment I would imagine. Good on him, great job!

I am always interested in helping everyone. can't remember what you were looking for wickets but we try and accommodate most people but we draw the line sometimes at requests that are just too expectant as we do not want to compromise our standards and ethics. Unfortunately I may have missed the odd email, I try not to but sometimes they escape. I am not running a factory I am running a purely bespoke small home workshop that I am gradually building by word of mouth rather than big advertising and doing exactly what I say we do and that is handmade my cricket bats from scratch to order for each individual customer. I have never wanted to be a company that claims to be a bat maker and then just labels pre mades up or tidies up part made bats i have always wanted to learn the craft and keep learning that's why I do this the way I do it. It's not about the money to me although I do want to make a living out of it, it's about the pride in what I do and the feeling I get from it exactly the same as when I was playing, hopefully I'm a bit better at this than I was at playing

.
Anyone who wants help or honest advice please don't hesitate to get in touch
Paul

TangoWhiskey · « **Reply #13 on:** May 28, 2014, 02:12:08 PM »

Quote from: Manormanic on May 28, 2014, 01:55:09 PM

took me a minute to find the so called butterfly!

Haha well could you point it out to me, I'm still looking!

Northern monkey · « **Reply #14 on:** May 28, 2014, 03:22:55 PM »

Stunning bat
The quality of willow and the exemplary workmanship speak volumes for the bats Paul's turning out
It really does look too good to use

British manufacturing doesn't get any better!

Author Topic: My grainy heartwood butterfly (Read 17880 times)

TangoWhiskey

My grainy heartwood butterfly

Wickets-then-runs

Re: My grainy heartwood butterfly

Alvaro

Re: My grainy heartwood butterfly

TangoWhiskey

Re: My grainy heartwood butterfly

Gingerbusiness

Re: My grainy heartwood butterfly

TangoWhiskey

Re: My grainy heartwood butterfly

jwebber86

Re: My grainy heartwood butterfly

wayward_hayward

Re: My grainy heartwood butterfly

AverageCricketer

Re: My grainy heartwood butterfly

TangoWhiskey

Re: My grainy heartwood butterfly

AverageCricketer

Re: My grainy heartwood butterfly

Manormanic

Re: My grainy heartwood butterfly

Aldred Cricket Bats

Re: My grainy heartwood butterfly

TangoWhiskey

Re: My grainy heartwood butterfly

Northern monkey

Re: My grainy heartwood butterfly