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[WalkingWicket37]

Seeing @wayward_hayward update The winter refurb thread reminded me that I have been meaning to post this.

Normally I'd do my own refurbs, but I decided to give myself and my bat a little treat.

I bought this Oblivion E41 LE from Mr Wayward a few months back. He'd done an excellent job on the repair, but I couldnt help but think the bat looked a bit sorry for itself with a few spike marks in the back, stickers missing and the repair visable when looking down the back. I used the bat, and even though this is all cosmetic, and the bat is a pinger, it was always in the back of my head and I couldn't help wishing the bat looked a bit less used. 

A couple of emails between myself and Gray Nicolls made up my mind. Now I just have to wait until the new year to get the bat back.

Heres a few pictures of the bat just before I sent it on it's trip to Roberstbridge.

 

[WalkingWicket37]

Can't sleep so decided to check the tracking info. Hopefully it arrives before the end of the week (and more importantly I hope it arrives before the GN Xmas shut down!)

[edge]

Any late night improvement in bat speed then Cam?

[wayward_hayward]

Ah yes, I remember this one! It did require quite a bit of work but I was pretty happy with the outcome. I always hate the dilemma of either keeping the stickers and the bat looking half finished or losing the stickers and giving it a full refurb. It normally depends on how easy it is to get hold of a replacement sticker of stickers, which in this case is pretty tricky for a GN.

It will be interesting to see how this comes back from GN and what they make of it!

[WalkingWicket37]

Any late night improvement in bat speed then Cam?

The video basically said net with a heavier bat than you normally use, so dug out my 3lb1 monster ready for a hit 

[WalkingWicket37]

Well this was waiting for me when I got home from work today

[Ayrtek Cricket]

Is it a bike?

[smilley792]

Think cam may be scared to show the actual results!

[northernboy1987]

I think it's a pony.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

[Ayrtek Cricket]

Is that's a pony animal rights will be hot on Cams case...

[WalkingWicket37]

The bat looks much better than it did when I sent it off, but there were a couple of minor dissapointments.
I asked for 1.5 grips (with a white chevron on the top), a scuff sheet and a toe guard.
What I got back was 1 multi texture grip, a scuff sheet and a tuff toe. I also asked for the edge stamps to be either left or re-marked, which GN confirmed was possible. These were however left half removed.

The supernova stickers are very nice, but the were lifting near the handle of the bat on the front, and the sticker did not stick to the tuff toe particularly well. I may take a scalpal to the front one so it sits flush to the blade.

Had the tuff toe not been applied I would have been happy with the service, but this has ruined the look and as I did not request it I feel I've been given a service I did not want.

I am tempted to removed the scuff sheet and tuff toe, then give it a sand down low before re-applying the supernova sticker to the back and a put on a new scuff sheet.

Overall I'm happy with the majority of the work, but the edge stamp instructions being ignored after I specifically enquired about these, and an ugly tuff toe I did not want being applied has taken the shine off an otherwise brillian service. 

[Vitas Cricket]

A toe wrap is pretty standard from GN for such severe damage in that area.

[wayward_hayward]

I spent (No Swearing Please) hours colouring in the Gray Nicolls stamps, all that hard work ruined!

[smilley792]

I have to admit. The tough toe has put me off considering gray nics for a refurb on any bats.

Understandable if extreme damage and issued with the customer. But to ruin a bat with such an I got addition is a huge disappointment.

Standard or not it should always be discussed with the customer.




As for the edge stamps, I'd hope this is just an oversight due to the organisation and delivery of the bat being before Xmas, and the refurb after. I.e it was just forgot.
As ignoring a customers specific request is a massive no no to keep repeat customers and feedback high.

[Number4]

I'd be disappointed if they ignored the severe toe damage and sent it back refurbed with a massive split