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[SAF Bats]

how would you describe the shape of this handle, must have been a work of art after 1.5 hours

Thin oval bottom hand, slightly tapered to round for the top hand.  He'd never used binding so I explained the gains from a good handle, with good binding and therefore the 1.5hr was a change from the norm.

Andy that is all well and good and  thankyou for being the only batmaker to respond, but it doesn't answer my original question, rather the question the thread was hijacked with.

What was it!  Might be one I wasnt going to answer ;-)

[procricket]

sorry Jon i think i may have hijacked it sorry treeman

[jonpinson]

Thin oval bottom had slightly tapered to round for the top hand.  He'd never used binding so I explained the gains from a good handle, with good binding and therefore the 1.5 was a change from the norm.

What was it!  Might be one I wasnt going to answer ;-)

Copied from P1:

Not wanting to derail, thought I'd start my own.

A comment made in his thread got me wondering about pros having bats made at a particular place. Let us imagine a scenario.

Pro player X is sponsored by Kookaburra/GN/GM (you get the point) but actually pays to have his bats made by Salix/H4L/SAF (you get the point). The bats are of course labelled up as the sponsor's product.

The small batmaker who is paid by the pro selects his best willow to go into the pro's bats. As desribed, low density, high performance, short life.

Pro gets some top bats and is happy.

Now, here's the thing. Assuming that the real identity of the batmaker is kept secret as part of the contract, so the batmaker cannot profit from using the name of the pro is his marketing, what does the batmaker get from the deal? How does it differ any more from you or I ordering a bat from him? Why is the batmaker so determined to keep his best wood for the pro when he benefits no more from it than a normal sale?

I must say it grinds with me a bit when I hear a batmaker saying he holds back his best for the pros. Is their money better than ours? Why should we not be given the option of the best materials?

Before someone points it out, I realise the situation is very different is the small batmaker does indeed sponsor the player. It makes more sense in that circumstance.

 

[jonpinson]

sorry Jon i think i may have hijacked it sorry treeman

Its ok as I said at the time, just looking for an answer to the question originally posed.

[SAF Bats]

Firstly forget about this misconception of a short life. It may happen yes and it happens in "normal" willow but that is generally down to the processing, what is being sold and by whom.
 

Now, here's the thing. Assuming that the real identity of the batmaker is kept secret as part of the contract, so the batmaker cannot profit from using the name of the pro is his marketing, what does the batmaker get from the deal?

We get the pleasure of seeing something we've hand crafted on TV or in a 1st class game!
 

How does it differ any more from you or I ordering a bat from him? Why is the batmaker so determined to keep his best wood for the pro when he benefits no more from it than a normal sale?

I don't see my last reply, if it is available it is available to all people. Also please note they choose from a selection as well

I must say it grinds with me a bit when I hear a batmaker saying he holds back his best for the pros. Is their money better than ours? Why should we not be given the option of the best materials?

You do with me, it is about the availability of the product. When you asked me, I think it was you as well, I gave you an honest answer I don't have any decent looking lightweight clefts
 
 
Does that answer the question?
 
 

[jonpinson]

Yes mate I realise you do it differently from others, which I think is the way to do it to be honest. I have been told by other makers (not necessarily on the forum) that they reserve their best for high profile players. It was more of a generalised statement and you were the only one to answer despite seeing quite a few reading the thread.

This thread wasn't a result of our previous conversation, I appreciate your honesty and not trying to fob me of with something that you could have stood to make alot of money from. I'm happy to wait as I've said to both you and Pete.

My question was an innocent one, honestly trying to figure out a situation that didn't make sense to me. Thanks alot for bothering to answer. Again what I'm about to say doesn't apply to you because you don't differentiate from one buyer to the next, but I would still like one of those makers who do hold back their best stuff in the situation I originally described to give me a clue.

In the end you can do what you want and you're not answerable to anyone, I was just interested, thats all. If people choose not to answer, fine. I just can't see what the potentially big secret it.

[SkipperJ]

... I have been told by other makers (not necessarily on the forum) that they reserve their best for high profile players...

Perhaps the best bats deserve to be used by the best players?

You OTOH ... 

[SAF Bats]

Andy

I have limited experiance with pro players picking there bats but the ones i have seen you hit the nail on the head they ask for handle shape and position and the only other thing they asked was for pick up....

My point on all this was the fact PRO Willow in my eye does not exist at all and it another way of people making money

One there was the heartwood fancy were former grade 3 wood was sought after and the prices were bump up accordingly

I think the same has happend here with so many claiming pro this pro that

All i am interested to be honest in a bat is weather it can hit me a ball for 4 or not so to speak and i can play every shot in the book with a bat..

I see bat Number 1 to 6 available - I assume you asked the bat maker about this question and you are going to post a reply on this thread?

[procricket]

nope Andy iam not that close mate and he was is too busy to talk in depth with me....

What he did say was there is such a thing as pro willow in terms of performance but it is much sought after..

He said it more in the skill of a batmaker than the type of wood