So iv had a week away with the family staying in Northamptonshire and visiting Cadbury world, Warwick castle etc when it dawned on me over lunch on Wednesday that I’m sure Rob Pack can’t be that far away. So a quick check on Google maps showed me to be staying 14 miles away so a visit just had to be made.
So I only had about an hour as I was fitting this in on the way home and with a wife and 3 kids in the car I wasn’t going to get long.
So when I arrived I found 4/5 bins of pre-made bats across all grades and weights. Helen told me what each colour band meant in weight categories and the letter on top of the handle was grade so C=County grade, P= Pro etc. wasn’t anyone in there at this point and I was handed a mallet and an old ball and left alone. So I went through about 40-50 bats as I was told that bats are graded on performance not appearance which iv always been a bit dubious of and if I’m honest still am. Now some were very firm pressed in the lower end but I also felt some were also very firm in the LE bin as well and then some were very responsive as well across all grades so I couldn’t say that there was distinct difference in initial “ping” across the county grades and the LE grades.
Anyway Rob them came in and we introduced ourselves and I told him I was visiting on a holiday and had always wanted to visit we chatted cricket and what I was looking for etc. now I know I own a brand and make bats myself but I’m a bat badger at heart and have always wanted a RPC with the quaver stickers. So anyway we got into bat making and he was very keen to hear how I found it and we spoke at length he seemed just as interested in me and my brand as I was in all he has achieved. So he gave me the grand tour saw some clefts, the press, some of his old puma bats etc and then we moved onto the bat I had picked. I asked if it was possible to shave edge down a little and move the swell a little higher of which he said it was a proceeded to accomplish Ian about 5 mins when would have taken me 30mins and he did all free hand, mark of a true podshaver. I then had finished in the famous RPC stickers.
In the end I feel this was the best performance wise in the 50 odd I went through at the price point I wanted to spend. Given this will really only see the odd net session etc i wasn’t going to spend and just don’t spend more than £150 ideally but as I was visiting I was happy to pay a bit more.
So RPC custom really with mid/high profile, light concaving, medium thick semi oval handle, 35mm edge, fairly square toe. Weight is 2.10 exactly fully finished.
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Topic: Visit to the Pack Cave (Read 3699 times)