BAT MAKING PROCESS
Chase Cricket bats have an English willow blade and a cane handle. The blade is made from English willow known as salix alba cærulea. Only English willow has the exact properties required for a professional bat, being lightweight but fibrous.
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SOURCED FROM SPECIALISTS
Chase Cricket English willow clefts comes from willow specialists JS Wrights. Each cleft arrives externally graded however as part of the manufacturing process, each cleft is checked and graded by the Master bat maker. The clefts are split from the round using a wooden wedge, rough sawn and the ends waxed to stop splitting. The process of drying takes place to reduce moisture content before the wood is selected, palleted and shipped to Chase Cricket for making bats.
STEP 1 - SHAPE THE CLEFT
When ready to be turned into bats the ends are cut and they pass through a shaping machine to give the cleft a initial rough shape.
STEP 2 - PRESS THE CLEFT
The clefts are pressed using pressing machine. The cleft is passed underneath the roller of the cricket bat press which compresses the fibers of the face and edges. This provides a hardened surface capable of withstanding the impact of a cricket ball, aids performance and increases the life of the cricket bat.
STEP 3 - SPLICE THE CLEFT
Each cricket bat cleft is spliced. This is a V shape cut that is made in the top of the cleft for the handle to be slotted into.
STEP 4 - HANDLE THE BAT
Each cricket bat handle is fitted using a malleable wood glue. The bat makers ensure the handle is set slightly forward, so it is in perfect line of the bow. The bat makers gently taps the handle into place and it is left to dry – this must be in an upright position in order for the handle to set.
STEP 5 - SHAPE THE BET
BLADE
Chase cricket bats are shaped by hand using a traditional draw knife. Drawknives are used because the bat maker can remove a large amount of wood from the blade and start to form a rough shape. A wide, flat drawknife is used to carve the back and toe of the blade whilst a thin blade blends the shoulders into the handle of the bat. The bat makers also use block planes and spoke shaves until they deem the bat to achieve a more refined shape, with perfect balance and pick up.
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SHOULDERS
The shoulders are shaped with the skillful use of a draw knife.
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HANDLE
The handle is then shaped with a rasp to ensure it will be a great fit for any cricket player. This also ensures we can shape the handle to a player’s specification.
STEP 6 - SAND THE BAT
Once the bat has been fully shaped the sanding process begins. The bat makers require several grades of sandpaper, starting off with the rougher paper and ending with the finer for the best finish. This process is mainly carried out by hand.
STEP 7 - BIND THE HANDLE
The bat is placed onto the lathe and glue is spread on the handle prior to the binding to ensure that the string will stay in place. The bat maker holds the string, as the bat turns, the string is gradually guided into place and seamlessly wraps around the handle. The handle is left until the glue is fully dry.
STEP 8 - POLISH THE BAT
Each bat is meticulously polished to provide a rich satin finish. This gives the bat its lovely sheen and makes it extremely smooth to touch.
STEP 9 - STICKER & GRIP THE BAT
Chase Cricket bats are now ready to be stickered with our graphics, gripped and weighed. A weight and size sticker are applied to the shoulders and the grip is secured in place with specialist grip tape.
STEP 10 - HANDCRAFTED TO PERFECTION
Every finished bat is meticulously checked by the master bat maker to ensure that it has been finished to our exceptionally high standards. Each bat is individually checked for the performance by hand using a bat mallet and regraded as necessary.