Traditional handcrafted Bats

My bat says ‘Handmade’…

Many brands that claim to be ‘handmade’ actually start their ‘hand-making’ practise after the CNC process, therefore making them mass produced and not individually unique, or in fact fully handmade.

What is CNC?

CNC stands for ‘Computer Numerical Control’; it is the automated control of machine tools by means of a computer.  This means CNC machines can conduct multiple processes at once, treating all clefts in one generic manner shaping the wood to get a rough shape or even taking this shaping step further.  Let’s be clear here – we are not saying there’s anything wrong with CNC shaped bats we just choose to only sell bats that are fully handmade from start to finish.  We like the traditional approach our bat-makers take.

Why is this an issue?

Well, it’s not if that’s want!  However, every stage of the bats development of handcrafted bats we sell are conducted by the bat maker themselves thus relying on their own specialist knowledge and craftsmanship which has been honed over years.  There is something special in knowing that your bat is unique to you, and that it has been traditionally handmade to perform from design through to finish. 

Soft Pressing (not pressed properly)

Often when bats are mass produced, they miss out on being pressed properly for the required amount of time.  A lot of the Indian manufacturers for example may not give the right amount of attention to do this properly.  This pressing process is hugely important in strengthening the wood fibres within the bat to create a hard-hitting face with punchy rebound.  Salix Alba wood is a soft wood and without proper pressing you are never going to get a long-lasting bat that performs to the best of its abilities.  When a bat is handmade the pressing process can be tailored to the individual cleft; some may require a longer pressing time than others.

When buying from CC201 you will get full peace of mind and confidence when parting with your hard-earned cash that you are buying a handmade bat that is traceable from start to finish.  On the market today are the so called ‘sticker merchants’ that are not accustomed to the processes of bat making but simply put their fancy logo stickers on to mass produced bats.

Another common tactic used by the larger manufacturers is to simply write a Pro’s name on the toe of a bat and claim it is what they are using it when in fact they are not. Many pros use bats made by master bat makers (including some of those we stock) and simply put their sponsors stickers on them which can be misleading.