So-- here is my second bat purchase during my comeback trail.
I have not had a LW in well over a decade. And I did not want to spend too much this time as I am just trying to get my bearings right after a prolonged time off from the game. So no Signature or Reserve was on the agenda. I had quite liked the Conqueror profile when TallPaul had reviewed it on his channel. But I hated the oversized stickers and was looking for a cheaper version than the Reserves he had in his kitty as these were being made in Hyderabad. Anyway, I got one shipped to me in the US for $269 (all inclusive) from NZ and had requested Ant to send me a bat with a softish pressing and some grains. As this was the Special Reserve, I really was not expecting much in terms of looks but was hoping that it will have the pop from get-go. Well, I got it in my hands and am seriously impressed. The pressing is quite softish and the bat has about 8 straightish grains. Considering the willow grade, the grains are surprisingly quite straight and nice. The blemishes are small as you can see. The retro stickers do not hide anything. The weight is a little over 2.9. The edges and profile look quite meaty. The response with an old ball and the good old mallet is quite impressive. Unlike the other ones, this does not say made in India and this was shipped directly from NZ. So I do not quite know who made them and I am not going to ask Ant about it. It also does not have the oversized sticker on the side which is a big plus as far as looks are concerned.
The handle looks a little thin but it's not a big problem. The pickup will improve with another grip.
It came with the nice LW green bat cover and the anti-scuff sheet applied. I would have preferred without the sheet to be honest.
Overall, I am very happy with LW as usual; more so this time as this was comparatively not that expensive. Good service. Good bat.
Here are some pictures. Please click on them to see bigger versions.