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[SOULMAN1012]

Afternoon all.

I'm in the process of finally deciding on getting a laver & Wood having admired them for a while. I usually use around 2.9 in weight so I have asked for 2.7 - 2.8 max fully dressed weight as I know these can put on weight in the UK.

But from those that have them and have used them how do they rate? I know this could be a bit subjective but I am looking to only have 5-6 bats max and I have cleared a lot of room in my kit collection to get close to this number. I am looking for one more kind of obscure brand to have in my collection that's from abroad and seeing as Scat no longer produce bats I'm lea I g towards laver. Looking for some honest reviews from owners before I order.

Oh these are specs Iv discussed with Laver

Short handle
Standard blade length
2.7/8
Oval cane handle
Sweet spot mid/high extended
Profile full special (extended to very long driving area)
Special reserve Grade min 7 grains including some heartwood.

[smilley792]

I rate them. Bat turned up in a decent amount of time for a customer company on the other side if the world.

My order
mega profile
Special reserve
Round handle
2.14

What arrived
mega profile
decent looking stick (was expecting quite ugly)
round handle
3lb.

now weights 3.1.


weight issue and customs fee are the only bad things.

finishing and performance us amazing. Judt hnsure when ill use it due to weight gain.


Would i buy again? Maybe but i think id ask for a 2.11 abd discuss the wright gain with them before ordering.

[j.f.101]

I'd highly recommend them - got a Reserve and a Legend in a forum deal 4y ago and they're still going strong now! Think I asked for them about 2,9 finished weight and the reserve turned out at 2,9.5 whereas the legend is actually about 2,11 (though picks up better than that) but they haven't changed noticeably in weight at all. The reserve in particular does seem a little harder pressed than my other bats, though I don't know whether I'd have noticed before I found out that that was quite common with Lavers! 

[Vitas Cricket]

Mine (arrived just under 2'9) gained over 2 ounces in a year, stored in the same conditions as all my other bats which barely change weight, if at all. It felt a little dumpy in the hands after the weight gain.

To combat this I removed the toe guard and the very thick scuff sheet, as well as fiddling with the grip setup to get it just below 2'10 and a great feel/pickup once again just as it was when it arrived.

Be aware that the handles are spaghetti thin on the ones i've seen. I have two grips and it still feels pretty thin.

Performance wise definitely one of the top 3 best bats i've ever owned.  Finishing as good as there is, no problems with customs or communication. Wouldn't buy again as it's basically the only cricket bat i ever wanted that i can't get at trade price. If this wasn't a factor i wouldn't hesitate to buy again, but would want to know their thoughts on the weight gain.

[Northern monkey]

For the money they are up there with my best bats without question.
A bit on the heavy side when it arrived, but performance and pick up etc were spot on

Would not hesitate to buy another

[langer17]

Performance on mine were exceptional. I was just picky with heaps of bats and sold mine after 1 game where I got 50. Still don't know what I was thinking.

[iand123]

What causes the weight gain? Assume it's the difference in humidity between NZ and the UK although also assume the willow started life here

[SOULMAN1012]

What causes the weight gain? Assume it's the difference in humidity between NZ and the UK although also assume the willow started life here

Assume so mate can only be moisture content I would have thought

[Jenko]

I've got three of them mate and was almost going to add number 4 this season before common sense came over me. Good sticks though and good customer service

[Six Sixes Cricket]

Great customer service, great bats, prefer the carbon core handle. Bats are guaranteed to gain at least 2 ounces.

[langer17]

Great customer service too, if something isn't right, they'll basically bend over backwards to make sure the customer is happy.

[skip1973]

I have had a few over the years and found them a little hit and miss, 1 really good one and 2 that were not great, the weight has always been a bit of an issue. I have recently sent him a my favourite bat of all time to be copied, will be interesting to see how it goes. Should be with me in a week or so.

[Maverick79]

As with most comments on this thread, the one I had was slightly heavier than ordered on arrival but then gained more weight over a period of time. I had a special reserve - cleft is picked for performance over looks. Very nice bats, a fair amount of concaving on the profile I had and they are finished very well. Mine felt as though it was pressed quite hard ( a lot of people say the take a good while to open up), I got impatient and sold it on as I couldn't be bothered to play it in for a whole season

[Tailendfielder]

Hi guys,

I went and met James. (He is huge) turned out he went to same school as ajk by coincidence and played for my local rugby club moseley. He was convinced i needed a heavier bat than i asked for based on my build. Despite asking for a 2.8 to 2.9 it came through heavy. Could be same as above. I could never get on with it and its just a souvenir of my travels now.

[Jogetnz]

Back in the day when a young lass from down under headed to the UK on the big OE they were warned to watch out for the Heathrow Injection which ment that within a few months the pounds would pile on, maybe a similar affliction applies to wood sent from down under?

Just a theory anyways.