As long as a company is transparent about it's activity and not trying to lie the customer about it, I don't see a problem with it.
I agree to some parts in the video but the way Paul has come across here in this video to show himself superior is Hippocratic. Couple of years back when I was looking for some willow and contacted him as well among other companies for oversize willow, he was more than willing to sell the partmade bats. I still have his messages in my pm here. Now suddenly he has a problem with all the "batshapers" around as he got the big fish "Newbery" and he not longer need small orders? Upto an extent that he wants a law in this regard!
Indeed there is a talent and hard work involved in handling and pressing part of the bat making. Other than to save time, there are other genuine reasons why some are not doing it themselves.
I am shaping bats for 6 years now and mostly in open space. I still do not have finances to build my own workshop and get everything done by my own.
I can extend his logic by saying only H4L and even our talented forumite JK Lewis are true bat makers as they grow their own trees and it takes talent to take care of the tree, in nurturing, cutting it and getting it ready in the shape Paul gets when he starts his bat making process.
When you buy a raw cleft from a direct source, it is way cheaper than buying a part made cleft from a company while the final price has to be competitive. It is a false impression that those using partmades are making truck loads of money or there is no hard work involved.
I wouldn't go on and demean a company who is selling ready made finished bats as long as they are open about it. It is still a hard work. It needs good open communication, understanding customer's requirements and after sales support. Even retailers have to work hard. Nothing comes easy.
I have stayed and worked for weeks with supremely talented batmaking workers in India working for big companies and even though they are living in obscurity they are as good and talented batmakers as any others who can afford to market their skills online.
Appreciate the nod, thank you. But just to clarify slightly. I do fell trees and make clefts, I also do much of my own batmaking. However, I don't have a press, so I depend on people such as Paul and Ed Garrard for support with this operation.
Pressing is not just a skill, it is also a significant investment. I think that it is a differentiator between a true batmaker, us 'shapers', and the sticker brands. Not that there's anything wrong with shaping or stickering, but I can understand why those who have a complete equipment portfolio might consider themselves to be at a slightly higher level of the cricket bat manufacturing chain.
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Topic: Where are these brands Manufactured? (Read 18933 times)