Hi guys, just another post. I acquired this one brand new from eBay, and was surprised that it was being sold on without any use! (Was probably a touch heavy for the guy) I could be wrong, but I think I saw this on the forum once, but I'm not 100% sure...
I think this is the biggest bat in my collection now, beating the B3 Mullanator 1 Stripe who used to hold that title. The edges are around 47mm, and the spine height is also slightly higher than the Mullanator profile. The pick up is good for the weight, it weighs around the 2lb 15.2oz mark. Not really going to put a 'pick up weight' on it, it picks up nicely for the weight, but it does feel heavier than my other bats. (Mostly because it's a good 3 ounces heavier than anything else I own) It does feel manageable though, and I've thought of going back to a heavier bat just to make it easier to time the ball. (Always felt that you had a bigger margin for error with a heavier bat, but always struggled against spin with one)
Anyways, pictures, then further thoughts!
TKC Pepsi - Number 3814 (2lb 15.2oz)
Mullanator - Number 3183 (2lb 11.55oz)
Comparisons
As you can see, the grains are pretty straight and evenly spread on the Pepsi, as well as being well defined. (Could be due to what smells like Salix linseed bat wax) There are a few blemishes here and there, but overall, a very good looking cleft, which could be passed off as a G1 by many other companies. I've also found that oversized clefts tend not to look as good, probably because there are far less oversized ones, therefore whatever is cut out is used and not bought and bleached by bigger companies. (So good looks are really a bonus for this one) There seems to be a hard bar on this bat, in line with the blemish on the inside edge, but it isn't a very prominent one. The stickers on this bat are top notch, I really do like the new B3 embossed stickers, although I'd say the purple ones are nicer than these blue ones.
In terms of finishing, hard to comment as it's already been in someone else's hands before, but it seems like the B3 finishing is really pretty damn good. (I remember the finishing on the Mullanator to be lovely)
In terms of performance, in its current state, I would say it's actually not quite as good as my Mullanator, despite being a good 3-4 ounces heavier and bigger! This is probably just because I've given the Mullanator some mallet time and use in the nets, but goes to show that bigger and heavier doesn't always mean a better response! However, the coverage seems to go from about an inch or 2 from the toe all the way up to the 2 stripe sticker! Just to give you an idea of the ridiculous dimensions, the edges are just under 30mm at the 2 stripe sticker, and around 31mm at the top of the bespoke sticker!
Profile wise, both are actually really similar, with the Pepsi having a deeper concave, higher spine and larger edges, and the Mullanator having an ever so slightly thicker shoulder region. The swell positions seem to be almost identical, and the pick up and weight ratios seem about similar too. (ie pick up light for their weights and are well balanced)
In my honest opinion, you really do not need the 47mm edges! The 40mm on the Mullanator is more than sufficient! In my view, if you want something like the Pepsi, but can't really go up to 2.14, I'd highly recommend you ask for the Mullanator profile instead. (Number 3183) Mine is just a 1 Stripe, but honestly performs just as well as the top grade bats in my collection.
The Pepsi will mostly likely end up at around the 3lb mark once I scuff and shoe goo her, but I look forward to taking it to the nets when I find time and giving it a test!
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Topic: B3 TKC Pepsi 2 Stripe (Read 3303 times)