Butterfly Stain - More Than Just a Mark

Every so often an article or social media post pops up about the so-called imperfections in willow, and one that's been doing the rounds lately is a piece from J.S. Wright & Sons on the 'butterfly stain' - the darker, wing-shaped mark you'll sometimes see running through the face of a cleft. They make a few points that are worth discussing, so here's my take on it.

The article explains that a butterfly stain forms when the tree has been through some kind of stress - maybe pruning, frost damage or scarring - and it leaves a darkened mark that looks like the shape of a butterfly. They go on to say this feature can actually add strength to the finished bat, making it less likely to break. In short, they're saying it's not a flaw, but a sign of resilience - a cosmetic quirk that's actually a positive.

I do agree that butterfly-stained willow isn't something to be dismissed. However, in the workshop you quickly learn that these clefts are generally denser, and that extra density often means more strength and durability. The stain does usually appear in wood that's been under stress, and that can make for a tougher section of timber.

I also agree that too many people judge a bat by how 'clean' the face looks. Some of the best-performing bats I've ever made had marks, grains, stains, and other so-called imperfections that most buyers would walk straight past. The industry has created a bit of an obsession with appearance (probably back when the idea that more grains means better performance was pushed to sell more expensive clefts) when performance and longevity are what really matter. This idea is now the narrative, to ensure that there is also demand across lower, less desired grades of clefts.

Where I'd push back is on the idea that butterfly stain is purely a cosmetic thing that happens to add strength. In reality, all bat makers know that butterfly clefts are denser and heavier than your average clean, numbered-grade cleft. That density isn't random - it's linked to the stain itself. You can feel it when you plane it, you can see it when you press it, and you can hear it when you test it.

We also know that this isn't always a free advantage. That extra density means more mass, which can affect pickup and balance. It's why we make fewer 'Players Grade' bats (the ones with the biggest volume of wood) from butterfly clefts - because you're already working with a heavier piece of timber to begin with.

Another thing that batmakers will recognise - and this is something the article didn't touch on - is that some butterfly stains are so dense that you can actually see and feel a ridge running through the face. This happens when the stained section hasn't pressed uniformly with the rest of the fibres, leaving a small area that feels slightly raised and doesn't quite 'ping' when struck. It's fine if that's out towards the edge or away from the main strike zone, but if it runs through the middle it can leave a dead spot that no amount of knocking-in will fix. That's the sort of detail you only learn after years of working with these clefts.

For me, butterfly-stained willow isn't just a visual feature or a marketing talking-point - it's a physical indicator of denser, heavier wood. That means more strength and durability, yes, but it also affects how the bat feels and performs. It's not purely cosmetic, as the article suggests, and it shouldn't be treated as such.

When we're making bats at OX29, we look at the butterfly stain as a choice - if someone wants a powerful, high-volume bat and doesn't mind a bit of extra weight, we'll happily use a butterfly cleft. If they want a light pickup and a light scale weight, we might avoid it. It's all about what the player wants from their bat.

That said, if you ever come across a butterfly cleft that's on the lighter side - a low-density butterfly - then you've struck gold. If you can make a Players Grade bat from one of those, it's fair to assume it will be more durable than a Players Grade made from a numbered-grade cleft with a generous number of grains. You're getting the best of both worlds - the structure and resilience of a butterfly, without the usual weight penalty. Those are rare, but when you find one, you know you've got something special.

So while I agree with Wrights that butterfly stain can add strength, I'd say it's not as simple as that. It's a sign of tougher wood, yes, but it comes with its own characteristics and challenges.

Choosing the splice end when it comes to butterfly clefts is arguably more important than with other clefts. Although some claim you can get an extra kick from a butterfly stain that presses perfectly, and that may be true, I'd rather not discover one that doesn't. I prefer to put my faith in a pressing technique that gives a consistent, mellow, soft ping across the grades I work with - and that means selecting the right end of the cleft before I even touch the press.

These clefts are also far more widely available to smaller manufacturers, mainly because most of the big brands don't offer a range that uses butterfly willow. You'd have to assume that's because of the production risks that come with it - the potential inconsistencies, the pressing challenges, and the difficulty of managing volume and weight on a large scale. For smaller makers like us though, that's where the opportunity lies. We can select, test, and work each cleft individually, making the most of what butterfly willow has to offer without needing to fit it into a mass-production mould.

That's the real story behind butterfly willow - a feature with both promise and pitfalls, understood best by those who spend their days shaping, pressing, and listening to how the wood responds.