Why I Don’t Press Other Bat Brands

Every so often I’m asked if I’ll re-press a bat from another brand. It’s a fair question, and one that seems to come up more and more lately. The short answer is no - I won’t press another brand’s bat. But I will happily put it through the knocking-in machine.

Pressing is one of the most important stages in bat making. It’s the point where a maker defines how their bat will perform - the balance between feel, rebound and durability. Every brand presses their clefts differently, with varying face cambers, spines, moisture levels, and at different physical stages along the batmaking process when pressing actually takes place. Once that’s done, it’s locked in.

If a bat comes to me and feels under-pressed, that’s unfortunate, but it’s not my place to “correct” it. The moment I put that bat through my press, I’m changing someone else’s work - and possibly their entire design. From there, things can get messy. The face might flatten, the bow might kick out, or the performance might alter completely. That’s not a road I’m prepared to go down or make permanent changes to a bat someone has bought from somewhere else.

Knocking-in is not pressing. It’s about preparing the surface of a finished bat for the impacts of real cricket. The fibres have already been pressed at manufacture - knocking simply works the outer layers so they can flex and compress safely.

Our machine delivers over 13,000 controlled strikes to the face of the bat. Each strike is consistent, thorough, and perfectly safe when the bat is positioned correctly in the bed. This process strengthens the surface without changing the shape, camber, or overall press of the bat. It’s as close as you’ll get to a full manual knocking-in session, but with greater accuracy and repeatability.

I’ve said before that I don’t believe in shortcuts, but I do believe in reliable methods. Machine knocking is just that - reliable. It takes human inconsistency out of the equation while still respecting the bat’s original press.

Every OX29 bat can receive this service from the machine, but I’d like to state on record that bats made and pressed by me - which is every OX29 that leaves the workshop - are ready to play in with older balls straight away in the nets.

Before any bat - ours or another brand’s - leaves the workshop, the toe and edges are hand-boned with a horse’s shin bone soaked in raw linseed oil. This traditional step compresses those high-impact, naturally softer areas and lays down a first layer of protection. The bat is then ready to be used with older balls, opening up naturally as it’s played in.

Pressing another brand’s bat crosses into altering someone else’s craftsmanship - and that’s not something I’m willing to do. Machine knocking, on the other hand, is a safe, proven way to prepare a bat for action.

So no, I won’t re-press another maker’s work. But I will knock it in properly, by machine and by hand, giving it the best possible start without changing its DNA.

If you’d like your own bat properly machine knocked without affecting its original press, you can book the service here:
https://ox29batdoctor.co.uk/products/cricket-bat-knocking-in-service