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[sanredrose]

I don't know who makes GM India bats, but they are definitely a good value for money. A friend of mine purchased a GM Zona 505 bat for me and Mogul F2 707 bat for him. I use the 505 as a practice bat and he uses 808 as match bat for T20 games. I have used both and noticed no vibrations on the handle. Ping on the 505 is not so good but definitely worthy practice bat. I still use it for practice, since my team buys cheaper priced balls in bulk quantity from Pakistan. 50% off of them turns out to be of poor quality and some of them end up being bat breakers ...

I will post pictures once i get home tonight.

[skip1973]

You can buy the Indian ones from sportsdirect as select or select plus I see.

http://www.sportsdirect.com/gunn-and-moore-apex-select-cricket-bat-851185?colcode=85118590

http://www.sportsdirect.com/gunn-and-moore-purist-select-plus-cricket-bat-851188?colcode=85118890


Most of you live in the uk so go and have a look.

With a majority of bats made in India it is strange to say they are for the indian market if sold in the UK also. Isn't it more reasonable to say they are just made there because they have cheaper labor? Every price point has a market.

For a casual novice who plays a social match once a year why not? I hire golf clubs just to have a hit. They were garbage  and so will these bats be planks, probably, but for a social game for someone testing the waters why not?

Bangladesh bloke at my club uses a kashmir something with a cloth wrap. Still makes runs and hit a six. Only ever played street cricket.

They are not supposed to be sold anywhere outside India, GM here try to be vigilant in stamping it out but you can't help rogues on ebay or backyard sellers trying to make a buck.

[sarg]

They are not supposed to be sold anywhere outside India, GM here try to be vigilant in stamping it out but you can't help rogues on ebay or backyard sellers trying to make a buck.

Skip, i have no exposure to the ebay stuff here in Australia, but the sportsdirect ones are available here. Ive seen Mogul Player bats on prodirect before Christmas too. Couldn't possibly be uk made for the price.

I am sceptical they would be made differently to the ones intended for the local market. Bat quality, production standards materials and durability would be inferior to uk made one, no doubt, but I find the whole made for market stuff sounds like marketing.

Most bats are made there. The workmanship, glues and some other parts would be identical for the cheap stuff. Bloke in the indian factory doesn't know who each bat is made for? Grading would be done on completion and then the stickers applied.

Really, for a bloke with no cricket experience playing a casual game or a no 11 bunny would it make a difference? Particularly as they probably are using those terrible slazenger rocks.

I realise we want to protect our sponsors, but the people buying these SD bats are not researching willow, care about bat making, preparing the bat or reading this forum.

[sanredrose]

Here are the pictures ...

[skip1973]

Skip, i have no exposure to the ebay stuff here in Australia, but the sportsdirect ones are available here. Ive seen Mogul Player bats on prodirect before Christmas too. Couldn't possibly be uk made for the price.

I am sceptical they would be made differently to the ones intended for the local market. Bat quality, production standards materials and durability would be inferior to uk made one, no doubt, but I find the whole made for market stuff sounds like marketing.

Most bats are made there. The workmanship, glues and some other parts would be identical for the cheap stuff. Bloke in the indian factory doesn't know who each bat is made for? Grading would be done on completion and then the stickers applied.

Really, for a bloke with no cricket experience playing a casual game or a no 11 bunny would it make a difference? Particularly as they probably are using those terrible slazenger rocks.

I realise we want to protect our sponsors, but the people buying these SD bats are not researching willow, care about bat making, preparing the bat or reading this forum.

I should of looked at those links first, they are both kashmirs, all of those are Indian made. I can't believe GM would allow Indian made English willow bats to be sold legitimately in the UK. I agree with what your saying but people are buying these bats thinking they are genuine GM bats thinking they are getting super deals.

[13th Man]

I don't think GM and made in Aus, only UK and under license in India.  GN yes but not GM

Yeah I meant Aust purchased made in England.

[Contrails]

Most bats are made there. The workmanship, glues and some other parts would be identical for the cheap stuff. Bloke in the indian factory doesn't know who each bat is made for? Grading would be done on completion and then the stickers applied.

That's interesting because the F2 zona I saw in Mumbai was different to the usual sub-continent profile/shape.  It had a flatter face and less bow than the usual curve of the sub-continent bats.  So even if these bats get made in the same factory as SS/BAS/SG, their profile seems to be quite different.

[Kulli]

I'm pretty sure the SD only models are Uk made, I'm sure @Perkins17 could confirm.

[IQ]

All Kashmir bats (from sports direct or Sports indirect or ones to be sold in India) are made in India- different labels for different places. Much like Kookaburra Bats - made in same place and everything - just different stickers and sent to different places.

I'm pretty sure the SD only ENGLISH models are Uk made, I'm sure @Perkins17 could confirm.

Yes, thats absolutely correct.

Sports Direct PRO/Player models are lower grade English Willow bats made in UK. Hard pressed so feel very dead and take a long time to come alive! DONT BUY THESE! lol


>> Bat quality, production standards materials and durability would be inferior to uk made one

Not at all but there are other things to consider...

DSC make all the GM bats in India - these bats are top quality and have similar components (I have a feeling handles etc might be exact same ones in both places and might be shaped differently in both places- GM india have thinner handles). Brands for glue might be different. They use brand called FEVICOL in India which is the top quality PVA glue available there.

GM made in India are softer/pingy bats - Not saying soft press is more pingy - what I mean is they are very much like SS bats. All bats models have similar shapes though (PURIST are same shape as an ICON). Excellent sticks- like SS bats I have never seen a bad GM made in india.

Being softer they might have instant performance and shorter lives than GM UK bats (Up untill last year GM UK were harder pressed and took more time to open but that has changed so not sure if it holds true anymore)

GM UK use a different kind of wax to buff in the end and so have a better finish than GM Indian ones. The UK ones feel like a layer of wax on top of the bat surface whereas the GM india ones are normal.



>>Grading would be done on completion and then the stickers applied.
Not true at all. Their grading is very honest- I am guessing they are going exactly by JS Wrights rating -  similar to Kookaburra/SG/SS where you can see great grains in even lower grades.  In another thread last year I posted pictures of GM India 404s and 505s with a lot of straight grains.

Personally, I feel gray Nicolls do the worst grading - be it UK, Aus or India where they make almost all of these. Some of the Grade 1s  or Players bats Gray Nicolls sell are unbelievable.

[Perkins17]

I'm pretty sure the SD only models are Uk made, I'm sure @Perkins17 could confirm.

So I will try and clear a few things up as much as I can.
The UK, all of Europe, New Zealand, South Africa, Australia and America get all English Willow bats made here in the Nottingham factory as well as a number to high end Indian retailers.
The Indian made GM bats will bare stickers saying 'made in India under licence' as well as no English flags nor will it have GM now and ToeTek. Now I don't want to say exactly where they are made but they are of a high standard and as far as I've seen the bats don't have the same GM profiles the UK made DXM bats have. These bats are meant for the Indian market only but I have seen myself people in England and Australia trying to sell them as the UK made bat but I suppose that's just some people trying to make a quick buck!
We also have kashmir bats that are made in India such as the ones in SD named 'Select' as well as some of the cricket sets with bats in.

SD are a different case as they have their own ranges such as the Zone and Apex these are made in the UK and will be grades 303,404 and 606 they will bare another name but are easily identifiable in person. Pro direct had some mogul players bats in the same vain as the SD bats where it is a different grade label to the normal range. Some Australian retailers had similar bats where instead of Limited edition they had Custom Edition.

I'm trying this on my phone so I hope I covered everything if not then just ask and I'll try and reply. 

Sent from my HUAWEI GRA-L09 using Tapatalk

[sanredrose]

That's interesting because the F2 zona I saw in Mumbai was different to the usual sub-continent profile/shape.  It had a flatter face and less bow than the usual curve of the sub-continent bats.  So even if these bats get made in the same factory as SS/BAS/SG, their profile seems to be quite different.

My friend showed me three Zona 505 bats like the one in above picture and each one of them had a different shape/profile. So i guess they just make a batch of low end bats on order and start sticking stickers on them.

[sarg]

All Kashmir bats (from sports direct or Sports indirect or ones to be sold in India) are made in India- different labels for different places. Much like Kookaburra Bats - made in same place and everything - just different stickers and sent to different places.
Yes, thats absolutely correct.

Sports Direct PRO/Player models are lower grade English Willow bats made in UK. Hard pressed so feel very dead and take a long time to come alive! DONT BUY THESE! lol


>> Bat quality, production standards materials and durability would be inferior to uk made one

Not at all but there are other things to consider...

DSC make all the GM bats in India - these bats are top quality and have similar components (I have a feeling handles etc might be exact same ones in both places and might be shaped differently in both places- GM india have thinner handles). Brands for glue might be different. They use brand called FEVICOL in India which is the top quality PVA glue available there.

GM made in India are softer/pingy bats - Not saying soft press is more pingy - what I mean is they are very much like SS bats. All bats models have similar shapes though (PURIST are same shape as an ICON). Excellent sticks- like SS bats I have never seen a bad GM made in india.

Being softer they might have instant performance and shorter lives than GM UK bats (Up untill last year GM UK were harder pressed and took more time to open but that has changed so not sure if it holds true anymore)

GM UK use a different kind of wax to buff in the end and so have a better finish than GM Indian ones. The UK ones feel like a layer of wax on top of the bat surface whereas the GM india ones are normal.



>>Grading would be done on completion and then the stickers applied.
Not true at all. Their grading is very honest- I am guessing they are going exactly by JS Wrights rating -  similar to Kookaburra/SG/SS where you can see great grains in even lower grades.  In another thread last year I posted pictures of GM India 404s and 505s with a lot of straight grains.

Personally, I feel gray Nicolls do the worst grading - be it UK, Aus or India where they make almost all of these. Some of the Grade 1s  or Players bats Gray Nicolls sell are unbelievable.

Excellent information. Many thanks IQ. Really appreciate you clarifying this.

[sarg]

So I will try and clear a few things up as much as I can.
The UK, all of Europe, New Zealand, South Africa, Australia and America get all English Willow bats made here in the Nottingham factory as well as a number to high end Indian retailers.
The Indian made GM bats will bare stickers saying 'made in India under licence' as well as no English flags nor will it have GM now and ToeTek. Now I don't want to say exactly where they are made but they are of a high standard and as far as I've seen the bats don't have the same GM profiles the UK made DXM bats have. These bats are meant for the Indian market only but I have seen myself people in England and Australia trying to sell them as the UK made bat but I suppose that's just some people trying to make a quick buck!
We also have kashmir bats that are made in India such as the ones in SD named 'Select' as well as some of the cricket sets with bats in.

SD are a different case as they have their own ranges such as the Zone and Apex these are made in the UK and will be grades 303,404 and 606 they will bare another name but are easily identifiable in person. Pro direct had some mogul players bats in the same vain as the SD bats where it is a different grade label to the normal range. Some Australian retailers had similar bats where instead of Limited edition they had Custom Edition.

I'm trying this on my phone so I hope I covered everything if not then just ask and I'll try and reply. 

Sent from my HUAWEI GRA-L09 using Tapatalk

Excellent answers to all the questions. Many thanks Perkins17.

I love it when we get the facts straight. I'll point people to this thread in the future.

[IQ]

My friend showed me three Zona 505 bats like the one in above picture and each one of them had a different shape/profile. So i guess they just make a batch of low end bats on order and start sticking stickers on them.

Sounds like bats from different seasons. If you have pictures I can tell you which ones are newer ones.