When Should You Re-Handle Your Cricket Bat and Why the Way It’s Done Matter
Share
A broken handle doesn’t mean your bat is finished, and in most cases it’s a straightforward job to bring it back properly if the blade is still in good condition.
What matters more than anything is how the re-handle is actually carried out, because that’s what determines whether the bat feels right again or not.
When Does a Bat Need Re-Handling?
Most bats will give you some signs before the handle fully goes, although it’s not always obvious straight away. You might notice small cracks starting to appear around the handle or shoulders, or the bat might begin to feel slightly loose in your hands. Quite often there’s more vibration through the handle, or a bit of sting when striking the ball, and sometimes a creaking sound starts to develop on impact.
The handle is taking all of the shock every time the ball is hit, so over time it naturally starts to break down. Sometimes this happens gradually over a period of use, and other times it can go quite suddenly, but once it starts to fail the bat will never feel quite right until it’s sorted properly.
Why Re-Handling Is Usually the Better Option
If the blade is still performing well, re-handling is nearly always the better option than replacing the bat. You keep the bat you’re used to, there’s no need to go through the process of knocking in a new one, and the overall feel and pickup stay familiar.
It also avoids replacing a bat that may still have a lot of life left in it, which is often the case with higher quality blades. As long as the repair is done properly, there’s no reason the bat won’t continue to perform as it should.
What a Proper Re-Handle Involves
Re-handling is often misunderstood, as it’s not just a case of removing the old handle and putting a new one in. The splice has to be prepared correctly, the new handle needs to be fitted accurately, and everything has to be aligned properly so that the bat performs the way it should.
When it’s done correctly, it restores the strength of the joint, improves how the bat transfers energy into the ball, and reduces unwanted vibration through the handle. In a lot of cases the bat will actually feel better than it did before the handle failed, particularly if the old handle had softened over time.
The Method Makes a Difference
One of the things that isn’t always obvious is how much the accuracy of the work affects the end result. The splice, which is the V-shaped joint where the handle fits into the blade, needs to be cut and prepared properly for the handle to sit correctly.
If that isn’t right, even by a small amount, it can affect the alignment of the handle and change the way the bat feels in the hands. It can also have an impact on how long the repair lasts.
A lot of repairs you see online are done using fairly basic setups and a bandsaw, which can be enough to get a handle back into a bat, but it doesn’t allow for the level of precision needed to get a consistently accurate fit.
How We Carry Out Re-Handles at OX29
All of our re-handles are carried out using machinery that has been built specifically for cricket bat repair work, which allows us to achieve a much more accurate and consistent result.
The splice is prepared properly so that the new handle fits exactly as it should, and everything is aligned before the bat is bonded and secured. From there, the handle is shaped and finished by hand to make sure it feels right and suits the bat.
Taking the time to do it this way means the repair is not only stronger, but also feels correct when the bat is used, which is ultimately what matters.
How a New Handle Will Feel
A new handle will usually feel slightly firmer to begin with, which is normal. Older handles tend to soften over time before they fail, so when a new one is fitted there is often a noticeable difference at first.
After a short period of use it settles in, and what you are left with is a bat that feels more stable, with better control and a more consistent response through the shot.
Conclusion
If the blade is still in good condition, re-handling is a reliable way of keeping a bat in use rather than replacing it. The key is making sure the work is carried out accurately so that the handle fits and performs as it should.
When everything is done properly, the bat comes back feeling balanced, solid and ready to use again, without losing the characteristics that made it worth keeping in the first place.