I am not sure how much longer Paul and Sally will be around as the have been doing the session for 2 1/2 hours already. But I will leave that up to them.
Just to say thanks to you both for your time, I have really enjoyed reading your answers, thoughts and comments.
It's been fun, hopefully haven't offended anyone! We will keep checking back.
Admin sent us a load of questions earlier in the week and we have answered them, just our thoughts
Here they are:
Why bat making?It was really a case of an opportunity presented itself, and we made the most of it. Paul visited a local bat maker to get weight taken out of his bat, asked if they needed a hand he would be interested and it went from there. Sally's a career path after Uni that was diverted to the business demanded full time attention.
It’s interesting to read that you are both essentially self-taught bat makers? Who did you look to for inspiration and support?The first exposure to the craft was with Julian Millichamp, so some of the basic finishing skills were picked up from M&H, but no effort in 4 years was made to formally instruct on crafting. It was not bat makers that inspired, rather questioning why things were done a certain way, and thinking of alternatives. Our strength was that we were both competent cricketers, which meant we spoke "fluent cricket" with team mates and nutted out innovations. So it would be fair to say we did not follow any existing batmakers (there are no batmakers where we are), we simmply combine what we both needed as players, applying principles of physics and basic design elements.
Who are your bat-making heroes? Mohin Lal, formally employed by Sondhi's in Jalandhar
Are there any parts of the bat-making process that you struggle with more than others? What part of the process took longest to master? Splicing and setting the handle was a big struggle. The first bats that we did this in were for Steve Waugh, and we were REALLY nervous watching him bat with them in the 1997 Ashes series.
Despite Sally’s success at Bradbury – why do you think podshaving is such a male-dominated profession? More men play cricket. When we started Bradbury, we made a point of promoting Bradbury as being made by Paul, as in the 90's, real "MEN" did not want a bat made by a girl. They still got the bat made by a girl, they just did not know it. In India, where most podshavers ply their craft, women are not permitted to do skilled labour, so they are not given any opportunity. It is always about opportunity, it is not just podshaving, most professions are male dominated.
Can you tell just by looking at or holding a cleft whether it’s going to be a pig to work with? So much depends on what mood I am in, how it is going to turn out!
A cricket bat is essentially a pressed blade with a cane handle – are there any innovations left to try out? Do you think the MCC laws regarding bats are a help or hindrance to makers? MCC have never been any help, I do not know who they consult in the industry, but they have never consulted with us. There are always permutations available, dormant innovations in everything, otherwise, what is the point. We would be mere woodworkers if we did not challenge and innovate ideas.
How important is the handle in a cricket bat? Do you see any benefits in carbon inserts / hex handles? I believe handles are a very integral part of the equipment. The contribution a handle makes to the overall performance of a bat is hard to measure, however, it is the point of human contact with a piece of equipment that, when on song, becomes an extension of the player, it is vital. The actual physical makeup of a handle has been played with a bit, we have always stuck with quality cane and rubber, because there is little argument to suggest anything is superior. We do not change unless there is a measurable improvement to be made. The trend for 2015 seems to be fuller backed bats – is this the end for concaving/scalloping? The past two seasons have seen a return to the fuller back, and more classic designs. The concave does take weight out, whilst leaving a big edge. It is merely a tool in the designers kit to use when required, and taking weight from a cleft will always be required.
The word ‘podshaving’ has been omitted from the OED due to lack of use. What do you think could or should be done to maintain the tradition of handcrafting cricket bats from scratch? I am not bothered on retaining the word 'podshaver'. When it is used, I always have to explain myself anyway. I tend to refer to myself as a bat maker anyway. It is hard work making a bat, and bat makers get very little recognition these days due to marketing companies having the power of money to place their name on a bat despite who has made it. (The MCC almost passed a rule stating a bone fide batmaker were the only ones permitted to label a bat, but they could not go ahead with it, as it would take so much sponsorship dollar out from the players). In order to make any profit, economies of scale require certain numbers are maintained and these cannot be achieved through one person handcrafting from tree to completion. There is no living to be made by becoming working model in a museum. Whilst the craft may be entertaining and romantic for some, it certainly does not provide a lucrative return to encourage a few more people embrace it as a career.
Has anyone ever come to you with a truly original idea for a bat? Nothing that the MCC would approve.
Are there things that you will always do the same way, despite innovations like CAD? We use CAD (have done for 12 years now), and we use the most traditional skills, like the polishing with a bone. We use whatever technique is going to produce the best result for each case. At the moment, we are getting great results using a combination of CAD and traditional shaping. Basic shape through CAD that gives us a number of options in handcrafting, depending on the customer need.
A lot of media talk about modern bats makes it seem as if they’re unrecognisable from those used in the 80s and 90s. Are there any similarities or defining characteristics between the bats used by Mark Waugh and David Warner? Mark Waugh used a 2.9 long blade, nothing David Warner could grow into! We do not make Warners bats. Steve Waugh insisted on a particular 2.8 with oval handle, very different to Mark who was not fussed.
Ignoring illegal requests like laminating, is there anything you’d refuse to do to a custom bat? We do not make stupidly light weights that diminishes the integrity of a bat.
Have you experimented with timber other than English willow? Yes, and that is all we are going to say.
Do you think that club players are too hasty in discarding bats in favour of new willow? As a bat maker, and business owner, the discarding of bats equates to more sales.
How long should a Bradbury bat, well-prepared and looked after, last? So much depends on actual use. To put a time to a bat lasting does not compare apples with apples. Some players will practice 4 or 5 times a week, and then get out for a low score in a game. We sometimes get a customer complaining a bat has not been used much in a game, when it has been belted in the nets. Steve Waugh broke a new bat after scoring 100 in each innings of a test match, we asked in to return it and we will make him another (just sign your name on it Steve and send it back). He did not oblige, just ordered more, saying he does not care if it does not last, as long as he gets 100 an innings with it. Having said all that, a season is about average here in Australia, as there is a lot of T20 that is very harsh on bats, given the style of practice required. As a bat maker, we are happy with 2 seasons from a bat, on average.
If you could have your time again, would you want to be a bat-maker in 2015, or stick to the era you started making in? We have just come off a harsh season here in Oz, it is this time of the year that we question if we actually want to keep making cricket bats, and we always turn up again for another season! We do not like getting stuck anywhere, be it in an era, or a rut. I think every year/season brings new challenges. To be honest, Paul is completely devoted to bat making, Sally is easily distracted to other areas of interest, especially if it involves creativity and innovation.
Have you surpassed your expectations of where you wanted to be when you started out? No, we tend to keep it real. We have worked really hard to be where we are, to be honest, we have a jolly long way to go before we are done.
I cribbed from your website that Ricky Ponting was a long-term user your bats; how many other Aussie players in that great team would have had your bats in their kit? Out of the Aussies, it is hilarious looking back at who we have made for. In the mid to late 90's we were making for about 15 of the Aussies. Then throw in the English, Sri Lankans, Kiwis and South Africans and it reads like the who's who of cricket. We will never name current players that are using our bats. We tend not to do so much of it these days, bats available to all players are a bit better than they used to be. We are called on now and then, when the sponsors can't do what is required.
What were Ricky’s specifications? Was he fussy or did he take whatever you sent him? We started making for a 17 year old Ricky, (as Paul was in the Tasmanian Squad with him). We made for him for over ten years, after which he got Kookaburra to copy our bats (became the Kahuna). By that time he was high up on the ladder and therefore got some very good attention from the Indian makers. He started at 2.8, went up to 2.11 at one stage, then finished at 2.9. He did not care about grains, it was all about pickup and ping.
When you make bats for pros, what is the general weight range requested? Has this changed from when you first started making? Used to be 2.6 to 2.8, now, due to fitter players and the style of game the bats are heavier, more like 2.8 to 2.10
What effect has T20 cricket had on the way you make cricket bats? We have not changed the way we make the bats, players do not change what they need.
Batsmen these days are often guilty of using bats with edge stamps for companies different to the ‘maker’s name’ on the face. Do you think that this is fair on the manufacturer, or do you think that where the bat really came from should be acknowledged? Rarely does the manufacturer get their name on the bat anyway, edge or face. Since when has bat branding been fair to the manufacturer post 1980?
Is there a role for outsourcing bat-making to mass-producing factories? 95% bats are made this way, so there is clearly a role for this.
What’s the best advice that you have for a start-up maker? How do you make an impact on a market crowded by stickered up bog standard shaped sub-continental bats? We would like to think that quality will always be respected within a market. However, bat making as a start up should be considered like any start up business, do a sound, realistic business plan and do not be biased by the romance of the craft. What may be enjoyable on a scale similar to a hobby, will be under strain when challenged under the pressures of business. Like anything, it is competition out there, and you have to be able to compete to survive.
We’re seeing more runs, boundaries and sixes than ever before, especially in the World Cup. What would be your three suggestions to improve ODI cricket? Make the fence the boundary, use one ball for the fifty overs and unlimited bouncers would be a good start.
Having worked in both Australia and the UK, which country do you feel has the fussiest customers? AUSTALIA without a doubt.
As an Australian, what makes a good sledge? Silence, nothing is more powerful and unnerving.
Finally ... Who will win the Ashes this summer? There is only one answer!
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Topic: Paul and Sally Bradbury: Ask the batmaker Q&A... LIVE! (Read 29098 times)