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[well past my peak]

Most of us know how to knock in a bat, some of us enjoy the task others loathe it or if you are like me enjoy parts of the numerous stages.

Generally I knock in myself however at times due specials etc I have shelled out for the batmaker to do task. It's obliviously to me that the end results of my knock ins and a batmakers are different.
The main points difference are they don't knock in the middles only edges and toes and although the bats are not dry they certainly don't have the smell or colour of a freshly oiled bat.
I know there is no way they are spending the same amount of time as me, and I am aware many people just stick a scuff on and hit the nets. So it appears to me that many of the batmakers are somewhere in the middle of the two extremes, I guess they do just the bare minimum to prevent any issues. So what is this minimum effort?

[Number 11]

A lot depends on the actual willow, I've had some bats in the past that needed 3-4 hours till I thought they were ready. Then I had a GM Cannon that ended up with 12 hours worth, turned into a monster pinging bat.
Most services you pay for are done by some sort of machine, either auto hammer or pressed.

[FattusCattus]

Someone might know what knocking in machine Dan at Chase has? That has been the best knocking in I have received (apart from @Vitas Cricket s right hand )

[Tom]

Sometimes, truth be told, they don't. They'll round off the edges, scuff sheet the bat and perhaps give the toe and edges a bit of a whack, but when you're paying for this you're more than likely locking in more of a warranty

[well past my peak]

Sometimes, truth be told, they don't. They'll round off the edges, scuff sheet the bat and perhaps give the toe and edges a bit of a whack, but when you're paying for this you're more than likely locking in more of a warranty

yeah this was my thinking,
anyone ever smelled the sweet scent of linseed from a batmakers knock?

[WalkingWicket37]

I'm somewhat skeptical about a batmaker or retailer knocking in for me. While I don't doubt that they would do this (to some degree) if you paid for the service, it comes down to volume for me. If shop/brand X sells 5 bats today, all to be knocked in I doubt they'd be able to get all 5 of them done "properly" in a week, with all the other stuff they'd no doubt have going on.

Those knocking in machines are great, but they only do a set number of knocks at a set pressure over the whole blade. This may be sufficient for some bats, but the individual qualities of each cleft mean that even this isn't guaranteed to fully prepare every blade.

Now for my own preference. If I do pay someone else to knock a bat in for me, be it man or machine, I will do my own additional knocking in myself anyway; as I like to be certain my new stick is ready to.
I like to think of the factory or retailers service as one to reduce the amount of time I need to spend knocking in, rather than having it arrive ready to play. Lastly if there isn't a scuff sheet applied I will not ask for one, as I feel a bat is better prepared if I oil it, knock it in and then apply a scuff sheet, but that's just me.

[Biggie Smalls]

I refuse to let anyone else knock a bat in for me , period . If you want a job done right.......

[Number 11]

I refuse to let anyone else knock a bat in for me , period . If you want a job done right.......

Same here, a friend had a bat "knocked in" by the shop he bought it from, turned it into a dud. Think the ran it through a roll type press and over did it.

[Vitas Cricket]

yeah this was my thinking,
anyone ever smelled the sweet scent of linseed from a batmakers knock?

I got down and dirty oiling two GN Legends last week before knocking them in, amongst other bats too.

Yes the vast majority of knocking in centres around the edges and toe as these are the weakest area. Some people still regard knocking in as spending tens of hours hammering away on the middle, as well as all manner of traditional approaches; throw downs, nets with old balls, short/slip catching etc. The way modern bats are pressed means this is less important, especially with the advances in anti scuff sheets. I'm not saying we don't hit the middle/face of the bat with our lignum mallet, but it does get less attention than the vulnerable areas.

It's an extremely hard balancing act. There are some customers who will say a bat isn't knocked in if they notice the tiniest of tiny seam marks when whacking a brand new ball with a sharp seam. There are other customers who for example make a purchase on a wednesday/thursday including knocking in, and then on friday/saturday they are on the phone demanding to know why their bat hasn't been delivered for the weekend.....

In short it is hard to keep everyone satisfied, demands for both instant delivery and also instant usability have meant retailers and batmakers have changed the way bats are made, sold and prepared. There is still an old school customer base who want to play their bat in for weeks/months on end using a mallet, old balls, throw downs etc before even dreaming of letting it loose in a game.

I'm confident any bat we knock in is ok to use as soon as it has been received by the customer, especially if it has an anti scuff sheet. My advice to anyone is to avoid the new ball for as long as possible when using your new bat, so openers/top order players or guys who go to nets with team mates who have a habit of using brand new sports direct dirt balls, keep your brand new bats out of the spotlight for a while.
You can take this too far though and never actually use your bat! Bats are supposed to be used, and they will pickup up minor damage on the way. If anyone wants an ornament instead of a bat, i'll happily sell you one

[Northern monkey]

Hate knocking bats in, I really do.
I stick a decent scuff on and get out and use it, unless the edges are stupidly square, in which case I'll round them off a bit.
I always put fibreglass tape on the toe too, before I use em

[ppccopener]

top stuff from Vitas there,there are clearly some who do it properly.

For some of the rest of us the old Julian Millichamp you tube video is hard to beat.

Purely for the fact he just smears the oil god damn everywhere with his bare hands...front,back, sides all over the handle. dips the grip in it and hands completely covered in linseed oil.
whacks the bejusus out of the bat with a mallet, then more smothering.6....7...8....coats of oil is just about enough

complete legend.

 

 

[Tailendfielder]

I enjoy knocking a bat in. Getting to know it, however, family and neighbours hate it!

[Wickets-then-runs]

I enjoy knocking a bat in. Getting to know it, however, family and neighbours hate it!

They're just jealous that you have a new bat, that's all... 

[avkrish]

I bought a bat from and got it knocked it in by an old Forum sponsor who has probably drawn maximum flak recently from some members, and I have to say that they have done a great job. The entire face edges, toe and face was properly whacked in.

And there was another who said that the bat was knocked in even though I had confirmed with them earlier that no knocking in was done on the bat. So, it depends on the seller / maker's ethics.