English Willow: From Sapling to Six
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At OX29 Bat Doctor, we pride ourselves on crafting the highest quality cricket bats from the finest English Willow, grown exclusively in the UK. While some brands turn to Serbian, Kashmir, Dutch, or even Australian willow, we remain loyal to true English Willow, the wood that has defined cricket for centuries.
Though the physical act of crafting a bat may take only a few hours, involving a blend of precision machinery and good old-fashioned elbow grease, the journey from sapling to shaped, sanded, polished, and stickered bat begins many years earlier.
Let’s explore the fascinating process from tree to test match.
1. Planting: The Foundation of Every Bat
It all begins with a sapling. A typical willow tree takes between 15 and 20 years to reach maturity, around 60 inches in diameter, or roughly the width of your arms if your fingertips were just touching around the trunk.
Although over 90 species of willow grow across the UK, the variety best suited for cricket bats is Salix Alba Caerulea. Once a young tree, or “sett,” is planted and given the right care and growing conditions, the longest and most patient part of the bat making process is complete.
2. Felling: From Tree to Timber
When the tree reaches maturity, it is carefully felled. The main trunk, the most valuable section of the tree, is cut into 29 inch lengths, known as rounds.
Each round is then split into triangular sections, with the point of each triangle marking the tree’s centre. These are then milled down into clefts, the basic building blocks of cricket bats.
Each cleft, if free from faults, will go on to make one bat, and an average tree can yield between 30 and 40 clefts.
3. Drying: Patience and Precision
Before a cleft can enter the bat making workshop, it must go through a careful drying process.
First, the ends are waxed to prevent splitting as the moisture leaves the wood. Then, the clefts are air dried naturally for around three months.
Once the moisture content has reduced, the clefts enter a kiln, where a controlled environment fine tunes the wood’s internal balance. The aim is to achieve a moisture content of 8 to 12 percent, the industry sweet spot for bat making in the UK.
4. Bat Making: Where the Magic Happens
This is where the fun begins, and where the OX29 bat making process truly starts.
We receive our willow orders in graded boxes, stacked on pallets, and the first step is to cut each cleft to an oversized width and length, before planing the face to reveal the grains. Using precision tools like the surface planer, rip saw, and spindle moulder, we prepare each cleft for grading.
Our Willow Grades
- Players’ Grade
- Grade 1
- Grade 2
- Grade 3
- Butterfly
This ensures every customer receives exactly what they are paying for according to our strict grading criteria.
During this stage, we also inspect each cleft for faults, cracks, or irregular moisture levels, ensuring no hidden surprises later in production. Quality control here is essential; it prevents wasted time, wasted materials, and ensures the final product meets our exacting standards.
5. Crafting by Hand: From Cleft to Cricket Bat
Without giving too many of our trade secrets away, once the cleft passes inspection, it is pressed for the first time, spliced with a handle, and cut to shape, shoulders, spine, and toe.
Then comes the most rewarding part: the hand shaping. Using a combination of drawknives, spokeshaves, planes, and rasps, we sculpt the bat into its final form before sanding, polishing, and binding it.
Each finished bat is then completed to the customer’s specifications, from stickers and grips to anti scuff sheets and knocking in. Bats destined for stock are finished with care, ready for future players to add their own personal touches.
Customisation: Make It Yours
We currently offer:
- 9 sticker options
- 4 anti scuff sheet options
- Dozens of grip styles
Every detail allows players to personalise their bat, both functionally and aesthetically.
At OX29 Bat Doctor, each bat is more than just a piece of equipment; it is a story that began decades ago in a quiet English field, and continues every time it meets the ball.
Shop our handmade English Willow bats or build your own custom bat today.