Print

[JK Lewis]

Batmaking takes ages when you have a day job and a family, even after the cricket season has finished! I rarely get more than a couple hours in the workshop at a time. So these 2 were started well over a month ago, and finally got finished last night. I ordered some new labels from Adcal, so as to distinguish between my two bat styles. Now I have the 'Red' version - concaved back, defined middle - and the 'Gold' version - traditional profile, long middle. Photos below:

[JTtaylor145]

Fantastic effort. Well done on the bats. How many hours did it take you to do each of them?

[SOULMAN1012]

Very nice effort mate, like the profile on the Red one, also a couple of nice clefts you have there.

[JK Lewis]

Fantastic effort. Well done on the bats. How many hours did it take you to do each of them?

That's a good question! I guess around 6-7 hours each, something like that. Mainly planing and sanding, as I do it all with hand tools. All the stopping and starting doesn't help. I could probably make a bat in a day, but my wife wouldn't let me stay out there that long without finding other jobs for me to do. 

[iand123]

They look great, not sure on those grips though

[JK Lewis]

They look great, not sure on those grips though

Yeah, I'm an idiot, I should have taken photos prior to wrapping up. They have nice gold grips, which get marked easily. I want them clean for when I hand them over to new owners.

[Northern monkey]

Won't go wrong with either of those profiles
Really nice job

[Seniorplayer]

Another top effort JK

[Churchy1989]

Where are you based?

[Andythomo21]

Great effort mate.  I really appreciate the work of anyone who can hand make a cricket bat.  Would love to do it.  Are these made from your own clefts @JK Lewis ?

[JK Lewis]

Where are you based?

Over in Suffolk. Long Melford, near Sudbury. Willow growing country.

[JK Lewis]

Great effort mate.  I really appreciate the work of anyone who can hand make a cricket bat.  Would love to do it.  Are these made from your own clefts @JK Lewis ?

No, bought these ones in. But, i have now identified some proper size Willows. So, next spring, they're coming down!

[sachin200]

What are their weights?

[JK Lewis]

What are their weights?

The Gold one is 2lb 11oz (with 2 grips), the Red one is about 2lb 9oz I think - That's the one that went to the East Asia Cup in Japan.

[Seniorplayer]

No, bought these ones in. But, i have now identified some proper size Willows. So, next spring, they're coming down!

Ideally the willow  Rounds need to be  11 inch over bark measurement quarter girth 48 inch circumference  without defects a good splitter should then get you upto 8  clefts.