Print

[Vitas Cricket]

USD 90 plus shipping for an LV mallet. This thing ain't cheap. My light weight mallet cost USD 15.

Not cheap, but as with many things in cricket, you get what you pay for ultimately. Mine has been fantastic since i got it about 7-8 months ago. I am fully confident it will last a lifetime.

LV is a rare and expensive raw material, the number of craftsman around who still work with it (it blunts machinery very readily as it is one of the hardest and densest woods in existence) is very small, meaning an upward pressure on price is inevitable.

[InternalTraining]

^ I hear ya.

What about bats that are hard pressed? I have a couple and my light weigh mallet is not creating a dent on the face. Would LV work there? Have you used your LV to knock hard pressed bats?

[amritpremi]

As far as I know cheaper (and less effective than LV but better than regular) mallet is the Puma/M&H 9/10 pounds mallet

[ajmw89]

There are 2 types of lignum vitae. Palo Santo, which is lighter in colour (usually cream sapwood and greeny heartwood) and lower in density, a Guaiacum Officinale, which is darker (cremay sapwood again but usually brown or darker heartwood) and denser.

G. Officianle is known as true Lignum Vitae, and is what is used for crown green bowls.  However, it is on a CITES watch list, which means that any G Officinale trees cannot be cut down without good reason, therefore true lignum vitae on the market is limited to what has either been cut downpreviously, what has already been made from the wood, or the small amount of trees that arre approved for felling each year

Palo Santo is much easier to get hold of, but there are other woods available that are denser and harder

[tushar sehgal]

^ I hear ya.

What about bats that are hard pressed? I have a couple and my light weigh mallet is not creating a dent on the face. Would LV work there? Have you used your LV to knock hard pressed bats?

Check on ebay.com or ebay.ca and you'll find lots of heavy hardwood mallets for reasonable price...doesn't have to LV, i recently got a japanese hardwood mallet for 45USD and its really good...although i had to sand it so make square edges round.

[InternalTraining]

How long did it take to sand the square edges? Also, what kind of sandpaper did you use?

[tushar sehgal]

How long did it take to sand the square edges? Also, what kind of sandpaper did you use?

Just used one of those small power sander with medium grit paper...maybe 20 mins!! will try to post a pic once I am able to shovel my way to the garage...