Spoilt for choice at the moment with willow, there's some lovely bats out there
I've not used ss or sf, but have tapped up quite a few,and most have been excellent , I'm also a big fan of Bas and ca bats.
As far as gray nics goes, hmm not sure, I've seen lots of nice ones,but they seem to be a bit harder to find a really good one, I'm sure vitas or Uzi could sort you a special one out
Paul aldred would make you a stunning custom bat
I'm another h4l convert this year, and can't wait for the season to start because of it
I think matts products are world class and are finally getting the appreciation they deserve, hence the rave reviews
Sourcing his own willow as opposed to working with whatever wrights are willing to supply has obvious benefits in the quality of bats he can produce
And his custom range uses only the very best clefts