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[WSB]

Can anyone help me find out how JS Wright grade their clefts. If anyone has their pricing methods that would also be helpful. I know there is no chance of buying their willow (at least not directly) but Im just trying to cross reference it with other suppliers to price my own as fairly as possible. I know they have posts on their website but understand that their grading has side changed - or so I believe. Any advice would be great.

[Buzz]

Google is your friend.

http://www.cricketbatwillow.com/blades-grading

You may need to call them for pricing

[WSB]

I wish it was that simple but the nature of the trade is very different. They don't reveal prices as they don't sell to new customers only their established ones - and they won't trade direct with new customers due to supply being exhausted by demand. I don't think theyve taken on a new customer for 5 or so years. So just trying on here to see if anyone knows what they sell their various grades of clefts for. Hoping someone has a price sheet they wouldn't mind revealing.

[Vitas Cricket]

Price depends on quantity, and i suspect would be unique to each customer, or at the very least groups of customers depending on their approx order sizes.

What you say about new customers is of course true, cricket is very much an old boys club. But if you spend enough then ultimately money always talks. Wrights say they haven't taken on new customers for years, yet on the flipside we have B3 on this very forum....

[Thesmiff]

If you're having issues with Wrights, try kippax they sell some of the willow they grow themselves I believe

[The Doctor]

Price depends on quantity, and i suspect would be unique to each customer, or at the very least groups of customers depending on their approx order sizes.

What you say about new customers is of course true, cricket is very much an old boys club. But if you spend enough then ultimately money always talks. Wrights say they haven't taken on new customers for years, yet on the flipside we have B3 on this very forum....

Now in our 5th year ;-)

[Northern monkey]

Talk to Matt at h4l

If I was gonna make my own bats, I wouldn't go anywhere else.
I've seen his clefts and there as good as anything wrights or kippax sell.
There's a reason h4l bats are rated so highly

[tom line]

From the sounds of it he is not looking to buy willow but rather sell it and was just wondering if anyone would share JS Wrights prices with him so he can price his own willow stocks accordingly

[WSB]

Thats about it. I have the grading information for Wrights as they are on the internet (but think they may have changed slightly ?). I also have the prices of a couple of other companies who trade in willow. Just looking to make sure I grade the Clefts that I have in line with other companies that are currently selling willow. I know bat makers grade willow differently from the merchants - Grade 1 clefts have 6 grains or more according to Wrights website for example. Clefts are 5 inches wide and bats 4 1/4inch. That means that according to Wrights a Grade 1 cleft (when trimmed down) might have as little as just 5 grains. Bat makers, sellers and buyers would see this number of grains as less than a grade 1 - even if the blade was blemish free and the grains true and straight. 

[IQ]

cricket is very much an old boys club. But if you spend enough then ultimately money always talks. Wrights say they haven't taken on new customers for years, yet on the flipside we have B3 on this very forum....

Truer words have never been spoken!

A few years ago I got a bit tired of wait times from manufacturers- especially on newer profiles etc - got really keen on bat manufacturing - found all info, met all the right people on how to start, saved enough to start with a couple of hundred clefts and just gave up after a while- so much run around.  JS Wrights have a monopoly on the clefts so they can change the prices/terms as they go.   Manufacturers cannot and do not complain even if they want(ed) to.

Also WSB,  grading between wrights and anglian is sooo different. So many different grades. So be apples to oranges for your purposes.

Also, if you dont mind me asking roughly how many clefts have you got? That would help with advice.

Best of luck in any case. We need more people selling willow, thats for sure!

[JK Lewis]

Can anyone help me find out how JS Wright grade their clefts. If anyone has their pricing methods that would also be helpful. I know there is no chance of buying their willow (at least not directly) but Im just trying to cross reference it with other suppliers to price my own as fairly as possible. I know they have posts on their website but understand that their grading has side changed - or so I believe. Any advice would be great.

Morning WSB. Maybe you could post a few photos of the clefts you have. I'm sure many forum members (myself included) would be interested to see them, and possibly to buy some too. Where are you located?

[WSB]

I have a few hundred clefts at present but they're pretty much all agreed to a couple of companies already. Looking to get plenty more and have bought some trees and viewing a few more trees later this month. As you know its a slow process as they need to be seasoned properly then kiln dried - but will have plenty of stock soon enough. I will be happy to sell in smaller quantities once I have more in the drying que.

[JK Lewis]

I have a few hundred clefts at present but they're pretty much all agreed to a couple of companies already. Looking to get plenty more and have bought some trees and viewing a few more trees later this month. As you know its a slow process as they need to be seasoned properly then kiln dried - but will have plenty of stock soon enough. I will be happy to sell in smaller quantities once I have more in the drying que.

Sounds great. New sources of supply would be very interesting. I look forward to hearing more in the future.

[Seniorplayer]

I have a few hundred clefts at present but they're pretty much all agreed to a couple of companies already. Looking to get plenty more and have bought some trees and viewing a few more trees later this month. As you know its a slow process as they need to be seasoned properly then kiln dried - but will have plenty of stock soon enough. I will be happy to sell in smaller quantities once I have more in the drying que.

Wouldn't  natural air drying be better for the willow

[WSB]

Yes it probably would but it'd then be more difficult to get bat size up and the weight down. Modern bats are bigger for a reason and thats to do with the drying methods. But if you want clefts that have been air dried then let me know and I can send green willow for you to dry.