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G1

[WSB]

Could be grade 1,2 or 3 from the merchant.

Grade 3 clefts can become grade 1's once they've been worked and vice versa - depends upon how lucky or unlucky you are when planing and shaping the raw cleft. A grade 1 cleft may have a major blemish hidden underneath the surface and once its found might be too big to plane away. That can't be helped as no one fully knows what is lurking beneath the surface of a cleft. You can get an idea by looking at edge markings and on the back - but only an idea. Its not a science. Likewise a grade 3 may have a blemish that can be planed out easily and it can then become a grade 2 or sometimes even a 1. In all likelihood it will also be a grade 3 cleft because there are also wonky grain patterns and significant red. Generally though if you start out with a nice looking grade 1 cleft you should be able to maintain the grading if you work it with caution.

All that said - as a bat Id definitely think that the one in the photo is a grade 1. The only reason it wouldn't be is because it was made by a bat company that specifies that their bats must have a minimum number of grains to achieve a specific grade. I personally view this internal grading method as a mistake. Merchants will sell grade 1's with 7 grains that will then be instantly downgraded by a bat maker (even before they do any work on it). Its poor economics to grade based upon grains - bats should be graded upon cleanliness of the willow and straightness of the grain not number. Maybe a grade 1 bat with 10 or more grains could be upgraded into a special LE range as thats what people like - but a bat with clean wood and at least 6 nice straight grains is (going by conventional standard cleft grading) a grade 1. Not that any of it makes any real difference to a bats performance !

[Hoover]

Grade 3 clefts can become grade 1's once they've been worked and vice versa - depends upon how lucky or unlucky you are when planing and shaping the raw cleft. A grade 1 cleft may have a major blemish hidden underneath the surface and once its found might be too big to plane away. That can't be helped as no one fully knows what is lurking beneath the surface of a cleft. You can get an idea by looking at edge markings and on the back - but only an idea. Its not a science. Likewise a grade 3 may have a blemish that can be planed out easily and it can then become a grade 2 or sometimes even a 1. In all likelihood it will also be a grade 3 cleft because there are also wonky grain patterns and significant red. Generally though if you start out with a nice looking grade 1 cleft you should be able to maintain the grading if you work it with caution.

All that said - as a bat Id definitely think that the one in the photo is a grade 1. The only reason it wouldn't be is because it was made by a bat company that specifies that their bats must have a minimum number of grains to achieve a specific grade. I personally view this internal grading method as a mistake. Merchants will sell grade 1's with 7 grains that will then be instantly downgraded by a bat maker (even before they do any work on it). Its poor economics to grade based upon grains - bats should be graded upon cleanliness of the willow and straightness of the grain not number. Maybe a grade 1 bat with 10 or more grains could be upgraded into a special LE range as thats what people like - but a bat with clean wood and at least 6 nice straight grains is (going by conventional standard cleft grading) a grade 1. Not that any of it makes any real difference to a bats performance !

I'm glad you agree with what I have stated.
After 27 years of receiving willow from Wrights, Greens and Anglian, I can absolutely confirm that this bat could have been crafted from a Grade 1,2 or 3 cleft of English willow from a merchant.
Part of the reputation that each individual brand gains is how they grade their finished product, and our observation is that everyone has their own interpretation in respect to final grading. The fact that special "LE" , "Players" etc. ranges exist show "brand grading" is there, as there is no such grading from a merchant . Anglian have " Superbest" which is essentially the other suppliers' grade 1 clefts

[Seniorplayer]

Thanks for the superbest infor had seen bats  advertised as  made  from a superbest cleft and  thought they we're probably low density rather than grade 1

[Churchy1989]

It can be very confusing, I like the H4L Approach towards, clean and lighter clefts!

A stunning bat @ 2lbs 15 that is heavy and small, compared to a 2lbs 9 the same size but better pick up and response from the off!

(makes sense to me)