Topic: Keeley cricket and the industry generally (Read 22745 times)

Luke-scicc · « **Reply #15 on:** May 25, 2020, 10:30:15 PM »

This thread seems a bit of a waste of time to me, if you don't like the way keeley make bat's or the price they charge don't buy one. How many large scale manufacturers in any industry make anything 100% by hand and charge a low price for it?

KW9221 · « **Reply #16 on:** May 25, 2020, 10:35:12 PM »

Quote from: Luke-scicc on May 25, 2020, 10:30:15 PM

This thread seems a bit of a waste of time to me, if you don't like the way keeley make bat's or the price they charge don't buy one. How many large scale manufacturers in any industry make anything 100% by hand and charge a low price for it?

I completely agree. There are so many brands who are charging �600-700 for sharpie pen and people are buying them. I don�t pay �600 for any bat but my keeley bats have always performed.

SOULMAN1012 · « **Reply #17 on:** May 25, 2020, 10:43:46 PM »

Quote from: Luke-scicc on May 25, 2020, 10:30:15 PM

This thread seems a bit of a waste of time to me, if you don't like the way keeley make bat's or the price they charge don't buy one. How many large scale manufacturers in any industry make anything 100% by hand and charge a low price for it?

Salix is 100% all from hand and start at about �175 for the graded model. Chase I believe is 100% hand made in U.K. and start at sub �100 for the R1 but about �150 for the R4. The difference for me is the people behind these two brands for one reason or another the are not as present on Social media as Keeley and other associated brands and they also don�t have other business�s or people pushing the brand. Some company called �the bat room� or something only seems to sell Keeley bats and even had a load of blanks and the stickers for you to pick from and I think there are one or two others. Or you can go to a county pro who is happy to sell you these what I can only assume are these �650 �pro bats� for �250.

Ajdal · « **Reply #18 on:** May 25, 2020, 11:19:44 PM »

Keeley bats are massively over-rated in general. I have had approximately 10, all top dollar pro grades and only 2 were very nice and both of these came from a certain international player.

If 8 out of 10 grade 1 bats are (No Swearing Please) from a bat maker, i dont get why they've such a good reputation.

The 500 pound laminate cracked me up

Psi · « **Reply #19 on:** May 25, 2020, 11:21:01 PM »

I personally have never paid more than �135 for a bat (except for one that was a present) but I do have one so-called G1 Keeley labelled up by another reseller. It's probably not really G1 because it has more than 1 inch of heartwood, but it picks up very nicely and compares very well with all the other bats I've tried. Disappointing if it is cnc made, but doesn't matter as long as it performs... I'd be pissed of if I'd paid �400 though...

I can't believe Keeley is finally going out of fashion on CBF. Must be the effects of lock down...

potzy248 · « **Reply #20 on:** May 25, 2020, 11:47:35 PM »

I've seen them CNC'd first hand. They were still. very rough when they came out and would still need a lot of hands on work.

I have no problem with CNC bats. My B3's and GM's are all fantastic.

I understand where you're coming from though @LEACHY48, especially with their pricing these days.

Nmcgee · « **Reply #21 on:** May 25, 2020, 11:56:27 PM »

Its more misleading rubbish that youd never get away with in any other industry. Pro, Players, Limited Edition, Handmade....

CNCd or pre shaped or pre pressed. You shouldnt be using the term Handmade.

edge · « **Reply #22 on:** May 25, 2020, 11:59:29 PM »

Quote from: SOULMAN1012 on May 25, 2020, 10:43:46 PM

Salix is 100% all from hand and start at about �175 for the graded model. Chase I believe is 100% hand made in U.K. and start at sub �100 for the R1 but about �150 for the R4.

Trouble with saying things like '100% hand made' is where do you draw the line? Is machining the clefts down from bulk to a bat-ish shaped blank (like a lot of batmakers do) ok, or is that not hand made? If that isn't hand made then is using a bandsaw ok? If using a bandsaw isn't ok, do you have to cut the splice and handle by hand? I think putting 'hand made' on a pedestal only leads to confusion if you're not clear about what needs to be done by hand and why. Noone in the world has a machine that just takes clefts in one end and spits gun bats out the other! In the same vein I doubt anyone makes bats totally by hand either.

brokenbat · « **Reply #23 on:** May 26, 2020, 01:59:36 AM »

There is an infatuation with �hand made� bats. Who cares whether a manufacturer uses hand tools or CNC to achieve a certain shape? A cleft shaved down to its final shape will perform same regardless of what tools were used to shape the cleft. Does using a drawknife inject extra life into a bat?
The real skill is pressing and handling and from what I hear (never had one myself) this is where TK stands out.

Tom · « **Reply #24 on:** May 26, 2020, 02:16:29 AM »

From a business perspective, Keeley are doing about the only thing they can do.

Cricket bat sales have dropped off a cliff. There will quite probably be no club cricket played this season, therefore no need for a new bat. And we have around a quarter of the working British population without work (furloughed) or unsure that they'll have jobs to go to. That means a massive decline in money being spent on non-essential items (cricket bats).

That leaves 2 customer profiles for Keeley:
- The bargain hunter. Someone who has money right now, but is willing to spend �100 in order to save �150 in the future.
- The rich. Someone who can afford to spend money and is prepared to spend money in order to get something special, perhaps as a status thing.

The �200-�500, off the shelf, mass-market bat market will have all but died out. So you either sell a few bats and try to keep some money coming in, or live off the name you've build for 30 years and offer those with money something 'special'.

LEACHY48 · « **Reply #25 on:** May 26, 2020, 04:54:39 AM »

Quote from: Luke-scicc on May 25, 2020, 10:30:15 PM

This thread seems a bit of a waste of time to me, if you don't like the way keeley make bat's or the price they charge don't buy one. How many large scale manufacturers in any industry make anything 100% by hand and charge a low price for it?

This is an open forum where we all voice our opinion on all things cricket. Not sure how me doing this is a waste of time. In the same vein as your reply, if you don't like this thread you have the option to not read or reply.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion though.

But to answer your question, a multitude of manufacturers don't use heavy machining and don't charge an arm and a leg.

GDP1964 · « **Reply #26 on:** May 26, 2020, 06:26:37 AM »

A multitude of manufactures don�t use machinery in the manufacturing of there bats how do you define a multitude.
2-4-6 manufacturers just curious to know

thedevil · « **Reply #27 on:** May 26, 2020, 06:33:29 AM »

Quote from: Tom on May 26, 2020, 02:16:29 AM

From a business perspective, Keeley are doing about the only thing they can do.

Cricket bat sales have dropped off a cliff. There will quite probably be no club cricket played this season, therefore no need for a new bat. And we have around a quarter of the working British population without work (furloughed) or unsure that they'll have jobs to go to. That means a massive decline in money being spent on non-essential items (cricket bats).

That leaves 2 customer profiles for Keeley:
- The bargain hunter. Someone who has money right now, but is willing to spend �100 in order to save �150 in the future.
- The rich. Someone who can afford to spend money and is prepared to spend money in order to get something special, perhaps as a status thing.

The �200-�500, off the shelf, mass-market bat market will have all but died out. So you either sell a few bats and try to keep some money coming in, or live off the name you've build for 30 years and offer those with money something 'special'.

This ^ is bang on IMO.

Quite simply, sell 10 bats at �650 over a month to people with money burning a hole in their pocket or sell 26 @ �250 which would attract more regular customers(albeit a lot of people that don't have the income currently and aren't in the market for bats)

Whilst I don't completely agree with it and it is a ludicrous amount of money for a bat...If people are stupid enough to pay it let them

potzy248 · « **Reply #28 on:** May 26, 2020, 06:33:40 AM »

Quote from: GDP1964 on May 26, 2020, 06:26:37 AM

A multitude of manufactures don�t use machinery in the manufacturing of there bats how do you define a multitude.
2-4-6 manufacturers just curious to know

I'd say only the small independent bat makers don't use CNC machines. All the big brands do and I'm absolutely fine with it. Technology should be used when its available.

Mfarank · « **Reply #29 on:** May 26, 2020, 06:41:13 AM »

Quote from: Mfarank on May 25, 2020, 09:53:03 PM

Also this is printed on every Gunn & Moore in the market.

I would once again like to draw everyone's attention to this. Remind me how much one of those player edition bats cost? Are they not CNCd? I personally have zero problem with it though. And yes the 133 quid keeley i bought last month is an absolute bargain to me. So i guess they dont always cost an arm

Author Topic: Keeley cricket and the industry generally (Read 22745 times)

Luke-scicc

Re: Keeley cricket and the industry generally

KW9221

Re: Keeley cricket and the industry generally

SOULMAN1012

Re: Keeley cricket and the industry generally

Ajdal

Re: Keeley cricket and the industry generally

Psi

Re: Keeley cricket and the industry generally

potzy248

Re: Keeley cricket and the industry generally

Nmcgee

Re: Keeley cricket and the industry generally

edge

Re: Keeley cricket and the industry generally

brokenbat

Re: Keeley cricket and the industry generally

Tom

Re: Keeley cricket and the industry generally

LEACHY48

Re: Keeley cricket and the industry generally

GDP1964

Re: Keeley cricket and the industry generally

thedevil

Re: Keeley cricket and the industry generally

potzy248

Re: Keeley cricket and the industry generally

Mfarank

Re: Keeley cricket and the industry generally