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[Rik]

Could you explain the choice of name 'San Andreas Fault'?

Cheers!

[Buzz]

It is to do with Andy's Playing ability - apparently there is, occasionally, a small gap between his bat and pad, which the ball has been known to sneak through - which his dear team mates called the San Andreas Fault - after the west coast of America fault line... very charitable of them!

[ProWannabe88]

Buzz you never fail to Ammuse with your little anecdotes 

[SAF Bats]

So which one would you say is the best in terms of performance and life?

Just to make myself clear Asian bats pressing is not (in some cases) because of the bow? Why exactly does bow make the pressing worse?

Once again thanks!

It leaves soft spots if not correctly done ---- so for example some may have a soft toe [others on here can confirm or deny for real world examples]

[SAF Bats]

Could you explain the choice of name 'San Andreas Fault'?

Cheers!

Yep that is an easy one ---  My name is Andreas, my batting skills aren't great if you bowl wicket to wicket you'll find I can't pick up the ball and it will go straight through a fault in my batting *style*, therefore San Andreas Fault
 
Oh I see Buzz answered

[SAF Bats]

Guys keeping this open for one more day I reckon - techie questions welcome as well

Don't forget, please try and donate towards Movemeber

[Rik]

Wow! I never would've connected the dots on that one!

[ProWannabe88]

I've raised plenty of pennies through work and stuff but no one seemed to donate online when I asked them  how have you got on SAF? I put a pic of mine on the MOVEMBER thread in the pavilion

[SAF Bats]

whats your advice on how to pick out a good bat?

Sorry missed this one!!!!

If you're in a shop - Tom from Mongoose wrote a great piece on this

Go find the most expensive bat in the shop from a retailer you repsect, then walk around picking out bats in your price range and below - then compare them with a mallet / ball against your datum bat.

If buying from an online, chose a retailer/bat manufacturer that you trust, will provide you a g1 / g2 etc bat and not just grab you something for the hell of selling it

[Washington]

Hi Andy,

I assume when you first started off you worked from a part made cleft? At what stage did you go on to first handle them yourself then press them? Did you have the opportunity to press clefts at someone else's workshop or did you jump straight in the deep end?

Dan

[SAF Bats]

Hi Andy,

I assume when you first started off you worked from a part made cleft? At what stage did you go on to first handle them yourself then press them? Did you have the opportunity to press clefts at someone else's workshop or did you jump straight in the deep end?

Dan

Yes I did, I started buying from Bill and James at Fusion Cricket. James was always helpful on the phone with hints and tips for shaping.  Then clefts from Talisman

I rehandled a few old broken bats by hand and then after discussions with a joiner got a jig made up for a table saw.

Pressing is something you need to learn I've seen one for the best guys in the world pressing and had a chance to chat with him.  Chatting and doing is completely different though so it takes a bit of time, plus my press is a bit different so different prinicipals apply

[Washington]

Yeah I read somewhere that your press is different. It fascinates me the concept of pressing as it looks so simple but in reality I guess is a skill that takes a while to master I would imagine? I take it you had your press made by a local engineering firm?

[Perkins17]

What is your favourite tool for concaving ? and what part of bat making do find hardest ??

[SAF Bats]

Round bottom plane and sometimes a clifton convex spokeshave

[SAF Bats]

Yeah I read somewhere that your press is different. It fascinates me the concept of pressing as it looks so simple but in reality I guess is a skill that takes a while to master I would imagine? I take it you had your press made by a local engineering firm?

Yep it is different.  If you understand the willow and what it requires it isn't too bad but you can ruin some nice looking clefts on the press.  The press was made in a few places, the majority or the design work, analysis and [control systems] dynamics of the press was done with help from a few friends that still work in the Race car industry, the frame etc done locally