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[Kulli]

One of the lads I play with over here (he only plays a few games a season as he's ridiculously good compared to our level) used to play with a few (mainly now retired or past it) kiwi internationals, and being a typically laid back Kiwi if he needed any kit he usually just got in touch with any of them who happened to be playing in the Uk at the time and got them to send over any gear they were done with.

Anyway, this particular bat was sent by Hamish Marshall as it had begun to crack at the edges. I've no ideal if he ever used GM or it was just one that someone else in the Gloucester side had broken and was going to throw out, but now it's pretty much dead I though you guys might like a few snaps of it, as I've never seen a GM this grainy before. I might try and give her a refurb but the middles pretty delaminated and the edges are all beginning to splinter.

It reminds me a bit of Dave's Trott copy in that it's go no concaving and is pretty much as thick edge wise at the shoulders as it is at the middle. It currently weights around 2'8 but is pretty dry so may have been a bit heavier before.

Also, it's be good to know if it is a regular shaped Purist II, or if someone can spot if it is even a GM or not.





I counted around 25 grains, but they don't run that straight so it's not 27 all over.



I can snap some better pictures if there's anything anyone wants to see.

[Cowcorner]

I love a good retro bat - I miss GM's old stickers, there's something quite cool about them...

[smilley792]

it looks trott ish, but i dont think its spot on. its not a pursit either i dont think.

speaking to a ex gm employee, he said not many pros used stock gm profiles, they all have there own designs that were stickered up to the gm current range(hence some gm pros bats saying pro instead of the 909 sticker)

so id say its a genuine pro bat.

[Kez]

Speaking to some pros they find them just at there best when the middle delaminates! and a bat will stay a net bat until it does.

[Kulli]

it looks trott ish, but i dont think its spot on. its not a pursit either i dont think.

speaking to a ex gm employee, he said not many pros used stock gm profiles, they all have there own designs that were stickered up to the gm current range(hence some gm pros bats saying pro instead of the 909 sticker)

so id say its a genuine pro bat.

Yeah, it's definitely not the same profile, it was just the first thing that struck me was that the edges were equally chunky towards the top of the blade as with that shape.

The only other thing I noticed was that it had rubber inserts in the handle and I though all Gm bats had cork, but it's possible that's only certain model, or that if you're good enough to be sponsored you can request it. Would like to know who's bat it was, but my knowledge of bats used by Gloucester players around the 2008 season is pretty sketchy.

Speaking to some pros they find them just at there best when the middle delaminates! and a bat will stay a net bat until it does.

This one was a bit delaminated when I first saw it and absolutely flew, but is now probably well beyond the point where it's at it's best.

[Alvaro]

That might be a Gidman bat.

[Kulli]

That might be a Gidman bat.

That would make sense, found plenty of pics of him using a Purist II, but none with a high enough res. to really make out the shape properly.

[Chad]

Flipping heck, that's a lot of grains! I heard from a retailer up here that he saw some of Flemming's bats, which had 30 grains on them! (Was a few years ago, but pretty sure he said 30!) Seems like the Kiwis love their grains!

[Alvaro]

Here's my grainy Purist II which unfortunately also had a smashed toe...

[Kulli]

Got in touch with GM who were able to tell me the following

Made 13th May 2009 on the then new CNC machine and finished by head batmaker Kevin Stimpson
For Alex Gidman
Original weight 2'10 in the catalyst shape

so 10 points to @Alvaro for his guesswork.

[Kulli]

Picked up another GM pro bat, again just a regular county player so likely nothing too special about the cleft or shape compared to an off the shelf OLE, but it's still pretty grainalicious looking (I make out about 16-17, so a few less then the other bat, but still pretty).

Chris Dent's, presumably from last season or the season before. any Gm experts able to tell me a likely year and if it looks like a standard Octane.


Still at my folks place in the UK so will give it a clean up and post some better photo's once I have my grubby mitt's on it if anyone wants.

[19reading87]

1 1/2 grips on it??

[Alvaro]

Nice. Given Chris's fluctuating bouts of scoring, this will have little or loads of life left in it...

[Kulli]

[Buzz]

I would be really tempted to pay the money for a GM re-furb for this bat - it will come back looking brand new