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Growing Willow
The Cricket Bat Factory use only the best English willow for the production of their cricket bats. Salix Caerulea or Alba Var varieties are grown and harvested by our Willow Manufacture. |
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Splitting Rounds
Once the willow has been harvested and brought back to the factory at Robertsbridge in East Sussex it is cut into roundels and then separated into splits (each of which will form a single cricket bat). The bark is then removed. |
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Cutting Clefts
The wood is then machined into a cleft (as illustrated). At this stage the operator decides which area of the cleft will become the face of the bat. It is obviously vital that the face should be free from blemishes and knots as these may impair performance. |
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Seasoning
Willow is a soft fibrous reed which in its natural state is very moist. In order to produce a bat of good performance and weight it is necessary to dry the clefts. To do this they are placed in a custom built kiln in which the temperature is monitored and maintained at approximately room temperature. The willow remains within the kiln for approximately six weeks.
Once the cleft has been dried, it is pressed, as illustrated, at approximately 2000lbs per square inch. This produces the drive and durability that is essential for good performance. |
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Fitting Handle
The handle, a laminated construction of cane and rubber strips (treble sprung), is fitted through the precise splicing of the handle into the blade. Dustin will set the handle slightly forward of the blade ensuring a perfect pick up once the bat is made. This enhances performance and accentuates the bow in the bat. The handle is secured using a water resistant wood glue and left overnight to dry. |
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Bat Making
At this stage the bat now comes under the expert eye of master bat maker Dustin Gaskell, Dustin first came to work for Gabba Sporting Products at the age of 17 and has developed over the years into an expert in the fields of cricket bat manufacture, working with some of the worlds best cricketers. He uses traditional tools such as the draw-knife to balance and shape the bats to perfection.
As with all the other stages of production, the hand shaping is absolutely unique to each bat. During the shaping, the bat will be removed from the vice and tested for balance and form by the bat maker, using his knowledge of the game as a point of reference for balance and pick-up. Once shaped, the bat will be both course and fine sanded. Like the shaping, the sanding is dependant upon the eye and skill of our Batmaker. The characteristic finish of a Glide bat can be attributed to very fastidious sanding, which has always been a point of pride.
The handle is bound using the finest quality twine. The bat is mounted in a lathe which is controlled using a foot treadle; the handle is brushed with glue and whipped with the twine which provides strength at the top of the splice and throughout the length of the handle.
The blade is then finely burnished using a compound wax which polishes and flattens the wood leaving a satin finish.
Note: traditionally bats were 'boned' instead of polished - the use of a bone or piece of cane to compress the fibres giving both the final finish and a final pressing. With The Glide and any good bat production, if the pressing and sanding are correct, then the finish is obtained though burnishing, so 'boning' is never necessary. The key to our finish is not a bone or a clever polish, but the quality of the sanding.
Once bound, Chevron grips are fitted to the handle and labels are applied to the face, back and sides of the bat. All our bats then undergo a final quality inspection, before being packaged and distributed to shops. With each bat is carried the hope that the time and effort we expend will be rewarded by the owner's care and attention, and great success at the wicket. Please contact us for more information on out personally hand crafted cricket bats. |
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