I hope you guys aren't getting too bored of this - I'll try not to review too often in case the novelty of it wears off... But I'll also try make sure I'm not too verbose, and that they're easy reads...
With that being said, this one is a rather special one, so it is exempt from the above rule - it isn't too often that I'll get a bat custom made for me, and after the mourning of a bat which was butchered in a weight reduction, I appear to have gotten into a bat buying frenzy!
So a good year ago, almost to this date, Jonathon
@jonny77 sent me some gloves, which MyHermes overcharged him shipping for. Helped him out by getting some pictures of what the package weighed, and he mentioned that if I ever wanted a bat, to just drop him a line. Of course, in the mourning stages, I came across his thread again, and dropped him a message about how good his bats looked and complimenting his good work, and we just kicked off from there. The profile I first wanted was a Graeme Smith profile, and I wanted it in around 2.10-2.11 if possible. Of course, this isn't possible, and Jonathon told me not to be silly, it'd probably be 2.13-2.14. I initially went with that, but then changed my mind, and asked him to try replicate the bat I've used which I've never gotten over how good it was - a very broken SS LE - and have it at 2.10. (For pictures in its brand new state -
http://custombats.co.uk/cbforum/index.php?topic=28959.0)
In the end Jonathon said he'd first attempt the Smith, and given how much wood is in it, adjust it slightly to something that somewhat resembles the SS if the GS was too heavy. In the end, I ended up with something which is somewhat of a hybrid...
Looks pretty darn good for a G2, eh?
Here are the profile pictures:
You can see the somewhat SS duckbill, with the Graeme Smith Epic volume flowing into the handle.
You told me to be thorough with feedback
@jonny77 - some orbital sanding marks I can see when I put my nose up to the blade.
Physical AttributesSpecs:Spine - 65mm
Edge - 37mm
Shoulder edge - 15mm
Shoulder leading into handle - 40mm
Toe edge - 22mm
Toe centre - 27mm
Blade width - 106mm
Camber: around 4mm
Bow: Very subtle
Handle Info/Dimensions:Thick Oval handle, with 3 rubber inserts. Cannot see any laminate lines, so assuming a 4 piece cane handle.
42mm x 36mm at the bottom hand. (Depends where you measure, as grip is ribbed)
35mm x 35mm round at the top hand roughly
Profile Dimensions:Apex - 175mm from toe
50mm Spine Start - 95mm from toe
50mm Spine Dropoff - 420mm from toe
[NOTE] Very unscientific, and based off feeling off the mallet
Responsive area - around 8cm to 32cm from the toe
Sweetspot area - around 115mm to 265mm from the toe
Balance PointAfter some feedback on some additional info to add, I've also weighed this across 2 scales on each end, just to provide an idea of the weight distribution of the bat. I appreciate that this isn't exactly the most scientific way of doing things, and there are errors in measurements.
Rhino VS Salter
Weight - 1231g/1235g or 2lb11.45oz/2lb11.6oz
Toe : Handle - 706.6g : 527g
Handle : Toe - 525.3g : 708g
In terms of the bat length, it's actually about 3-4mm longer than standard, the additional length which is in the handle. (Around 854mm)
Balance point is around 362mm from the toe. I don't know what this all means, but the bat feels very light to me. Compared with a HUGE Kookaburra I have that is:
Length - Approx 851mm
Rhino : Salter
Weight - 1238.8g : 1243g
Toe : Handle - 767g : 474g
Handle : Toe - 472.2g : 769g
2lb 11.7oz : 2lb 11.8oz
Balance point : 323mm
Again, this isn't massively scientific, I'd probably need a thinner block of wood, (Rather than a CD case) and some calipers that reach 40cm to do this, but despite both bats being around the same weight, they do pick up quite differently - and I wouldn't even say the Kookaburra felt too heavy! (Yes, I know, I'll get round to reviewing this one. And the edges are around 46mm before you ask... And yes, that is a full profile...)
How does it feel?Weight and pick upSo as I mentioned earlier, I initially wanted a Graeme Smith Profile. I was afraid it was going to be a touch heavy when Jonathon showed me his take on the Graeme Smith profile copy. He had it with just a smidge of concaving, and 38mm edges, 66mm spine, 20mm shoulders and 25mm toe on the edge. (Would have been 30mm in the centre roughly). He said it would end up being around 2lb 13oz. With the kind of pick up this has, I'm a little bit regretful that I didn't agree to him just finishing it there and then. The thick oval handle, solid shoulder thickness coupled with the duckbill and how the spine runs into the handle all accumulate to give this bat that very impressive feel. The thing is, I haven't even picked this up with gloves on yet, which tend to make bats feel even lighter I find!
Finish and shapingThe finishing is excellent, as you can see from the pictures. It is of a very high quality, while maintaining a natural look. The shaping looks very clean, with lovely blending with the shoulders, along with some slight signs of a handmade bat. (ie. Shoulders aren't perfectly symmetrically blended, but this isn't a negative) It very much reminds me of my first 2 custom made bats, which
@mattw sorted me out with when he was a sponsor @Vantage Cricket. (I really regret letting those 2 bats go!) The shoe goo has been put on well, as has the scuff sheet. The bat has been finished with a high quality black grip, and based off how the rubber feels and grips, I'd probably guess UK made. The stickers are of very high quality - I had the option of white or black, and just let Jonathon decide, as I liked both. There is embossing, debossing of 'Scott' against a matt textured black background and chrome. The texturing and debossing/embossing is something you can appreciate to some extent in pictures, but you really have to be in person to see the effect it has on the overall image/finish of the bat.
PerformanceAs mentioned, the sweetspot is pretty generous! It's not by any means the largest I've had, but it's all in the right place, and coupled with the light pickup, I can see this bat sending the ball to the boundary with ease. (Assuming correct user timing/middling!) Normally an issue I have with thick handles and thick shoulders is that the bat can feel 'clunky' with the tapping up. This one isn't one of them, there seems to be the right amount of flex and stiffness for feel and feedback. Of course, this is all technically speculation until I get it out at the nets, but I've used a fair few bats, and this has a feel like some of the better bats I've used.
ExperienceEase of OrderingThis was very much a pain free process on my part. (Can't say the same for Jonathon) Jonathon was very accommodating of my requests, and pushed back the right amount, and ultimately always gave me the final decision on things. Initially I was quite fussy, but then after a while, I just wanted to see what Jonathon was capable of, so gave him a rough idea of what I wanted, and then left the rest to him. I can say that I'm very pleased with how I was treated - he even offered to fix up the handle, as he was annoyed he'd made that small error! (Going to keep it this way for now, and take a saw to it if I find it obtrusive)
Variety of OptionsI was kind of surprised with the little details which I was offered - from how I liked the spine shaped into the handle/toe, to if I wanted a rounded/square/semi-square toe, and if I wanted it tapered. Shoe Goo and scuff sheet were also offered alongside the bat.
Value for MoneyJonathon does his G2s at £225 (IIRC), which really is pretty incredible value for money, given the level of service and the end product. It's not the biggest bargain you could land, but you'll struggle to find many places that will do a G2 custom to the level of detail and service that
@jonny77 offers.
ConclusionFirstly, a big thank you to anyone who has reached this far. It is approaching 3am, and I've been writing this review for hours. The measuring of the balance points etc took ages, and couldn't help but get distracted by tapping up a ball with this bat.
I'm very happy with what I received, and has convinced me that as flashy as some of the new bats can be, and attractive as forum trends can get, nothing quite beats getting a custom made bat. It's the whole experience, from dictating what you want, to working with the batmaker to get something that will work, and finally receiving the bat and checking every square inch, knowing that you had some sort of input into the creation of this bat. (Unless, ofc, you've been made a plank) I've had bats custom made from Red Ink, Vantage, Gray Nicolls and Laver from memory, and every single one of these experiences was definitely special - I would like to believe that this kind of a feeling is why this forum started off, and why many of us joined - and I hope that we continue to encourage smaller and upcoming makers with our purchases. (Cue the folk who will definitely point out that my collection contains many big brands - I just love bats.)
And finally, a big thanks to
@jonny77 for helping me figure out what I wanted in the end, and delivering such a high quality product.
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Topic: G2 Custom Scott Cricket bat review (Read 12041 times)