So, here's more info on these bats and some more pics.
Screaming Cat Professional - 30th anniversary Julian special - reviewed previously here
http://custombats.co.uk/cbforum/index.php?topic=4878.0Laver & Wood Reserve - reviewed here
http://custombats.co.uk/cbforum/index.php?topic=5443.0 Next up is the
M&H DistinctionThis bat was custom made but ordered through Yash who has a good relationship with the folks over there.
I have been very apprehensive about this brand and all the stories about them having lost the past glory and so on and so forth. But when the Distinction came out it seemed to be custom made for my specs - Big (correction, humungous) spine, low middle and gentle bow. Agreed the edges are small by modern standards but this bat’s centre has more meat than I had ever seen on a bat (note: this was before the Laver arrived). So, I decided to give it a shot.
With the stock shape taking care of many specs that I would have normally given, the only additional guidance was the weight (2.10-2.12-ish) and to make the bat out of the best pinging willow regardless of grain and other facial cosmetics.
Result? The bat has turned out to be a belter. The willow face is not a looker which was a bit underwhelming when I first opened the box. But that feeling lasted only until I hit it with a mallet. Brilliant rebound and very nice pick-up. This and the Scat pick up the lightest among the bats in the Top 7 list. And the middle really is a beast! The shape tapers off quite a bit towards the edges so it is not as forgiving but I am not too bothered with that. I like big spines (with or without a big edge) because my zone of error when mis-hitting is more vertical along the blade rather than outwards towards the edges. If anything this bat doesn't carry much dead weight where I don't need it and hence picks really light.
The Distinction comes knocked in but I feel that this one still needs a bit of throw-downs and netting to hit peak.
To wrap up this post, a final word on the finish and the service. It is definitely a couple of notches down on the Screaming Cat and the Laver. I am not a stickler for bone finish, buffing etc but I do think a bat that costs this much should have better finish. I can’t comment on the service level of M&H but will say that it was great dealing with Yash. He is very diligent and responsive to customer requests. What had started as a discussion about a custom SS turned into this bat !
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Topic: A Head-to-Head Review (Read 18321 times)