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[WalkingWicket37]

I recently tidied up a couple of bats for a teammate with the instruction "get them white again"

To me the bats looked fine, not brand new but they had that nice aged brown colour to them. I was then told "don't oil them, I want them to stay as white looking as possible".

I was a bit taken aback by the no oil request, but I did as I was asked. Speaking to a few other people they said that they don't bother with linseed oil any more as it's, in their words, "a waste of time and effort".

Not counting the use of bat wax here, I'm curious if anyone other than me actually bothers to oil their bats any more?

I love the smell of linseed oil, and the colour a bat goes that shows its been loved. However on this very forum I saw a comment about not oiling bats as they go the colour of a carrot! Is applying linseed oil to bats a dying art? If so I'll try to single handedly keep it alive...

Interested to hear others thoughts on this one 

[smilley792]

I don't oil bat's.......

[Seniorplayer]

Also prefer a clean white  bat  so no longer oil only seal the toe.

[t2ylo]

I'm also a non oiler - as white as possible please.

[Bats_Entertainment]

The reason most (nearly all) pros don't oil their bats is because they think it detracts from performance. Linseed oil is a preserving agent.

Club cricketers increasingly like to believe they are like the pros, I think.

People who worry about how white their bat is are a bit sad!

[t2ylo]

The reason most (nearly all) pros don't oil their bats is because they think it detracts from performance. Linseed oil is a preserving agent.

Club cricketers increasingly like to believe they are like the pros, I think.

People who worry about how white their bat is are a bit sad, in my opinion!

You would just love my white bat grip and fastidious bag packing quirks then ;-)

[Bats_Entertainment]

You would just love my white bat grip and fastidious bag packing quirks then ;-)

Do you go in the showers?

[t2ylo]

Do you go in the showers?

Careful, you are giving yourself away there champ!!!

[Bats_Entertainment]

Careful, you are giving yourself away there champ!!!

I'm comfortable in my own skin, whatever. Well, at least as far as my sexuality is concerned.

[WalkingWicket37]

Do you go in the showers?

I think there's a thread about that somewhere on this forum...

[Northern monkey]

I've gone back to oiling my bats
Wax doesn't do it for me I'm afraid, and all white just looks naff
And I love the smell of linseed oil

[Biggie Smalls]

This thread got weird quick , but as Jerry and George would say : "not that there's anything wrong with that" . 
Anyway , i give the face of new bats two coats of oil . I wax the remaining exposed wood . I then sleeve the bat . When i take the sleeve off to replace i don't bother oiling the face unless i am giving the face a sanding .
I think if you give an initial oil , apply a face , shoo goo/toe guard , wax , then the bat is pretty well sealed and protected from moisture variations  (assuming they are stored well).
I love white clean wood , but a well oiled bat with prominent grains has its appeal too . I have stopped trying to keep bats looking like they just came out of the batmakers workshop , because it only takes a coupke net sessions for the look to go anyway .

[Bats_Entertainment]

I think there's a thread about that somewhere on this forum...

Cleanliness being the common theme.

[Bats_Entertainment]

I think light oiling is probably the sensible thing for a club cricketer to do.

[VKS]

A couple of very light coats of oil to a new cricket bat, I feel is an important part of the whole preparation and knocking in process. Thereafter we suggest a top up coat every 6 months.

For those that don't like the "yellowy" look...try "Howzat" Oil which gives a more natural look and offers great protection to the blade too.