Part Made Cricket bat Grading Criteria

Our part made cricket bats are graded solely on the visual characteristics of the English willow, including grain structure, colour, staining and natural markings.

It’s important to remember that grading is largely cosmetic. A higher grade does not automatically mean better performance. Natural characteristics such as redwood, pin knots, butterfly staining and other markings can affect the appearance of the willow without necessarily affecting its suitability for making a quality cricket bat.

Grade 1 Plus

Our highest visual grade of English willow. Grade 1 Plus part mades will typically feature 8 or more clean, straight grains, with a particularly clean face and minimal visible blemishes or markings.

These are selected for their exceptional appearance and are ideal for customers looking for the cleanest, most aesthetically impressive willow available.

Grade 1

High quality English willow with an excellent overall appearance. Typically featuring at least 6 straight grains, Grade 1 part mades will generally have a clean face.

A small amount of redwood or the occasional minor natural blemish may be present, usually away from the main central area of the blade. These characteristics are primarily cosmetic and are part of the natural variation found in English willow.

Grade 2

An excellent balance between appearance and value. Grade 2 part mades will typically have a minimum of 6 grains, but with more visible natural characteristics than our Grade 1 options.

This may include redwood, pin knots, minor blemishes or variations in grain appearance. These markings give each piece of willow its own character and allow us to offer quality English willow at a more accessible price point.

Grade 3

Grade 3 part mades typically feature between 3 and 6 visible grains and will show more natural markings and variation than the higher grades.

You may see redwood, knots, blemishes, staining or less uniform grain structure. While these pieces may not have the pristine appearance of the higher grades, they offer an affordable way to work with genuine English willow where cosmetic appearance is less important.

Butterfly Grade

Butterfly Grade English willow has a distinctive appearance caused by natural staining within the cleft, usually resulting from stresses experienced by the tree during growth.

This creates the darker patches, streaks or markings across the willow that give the grade its ‘butterfly’ name.

Butterfly willow is often overlooked because it does not fit the conventional cosmetic grading used for clean-looking bats. However, the staining is a natural characteristic of the willow rather than simply an indication of inferior material.

For bat makers and customers who appreciate the individuality of natural willow, Butterfly Grade offers a distinctive and characterful alternative to traditional cosmetic grades.

Further notes:

English willow is a natural material, so no two part mades will ever look exactly the same. Grain count, grain width, redwood, staining and natural markings will vary from piece to piece, even within the same grade.

Our grading system should therefore be used as a guide to the cosmetic appearance of the willow, rather than as a guarantee of how an individual bat will ultimately perform once it has been finished.

Part mades are not graded or sold by weight. As English willow is a natural material, the weight of each part made will vary depending on the individual cleft and its natural density. Certain grades, particularly Butterfly Grade, can naturally be heavier due to the characteristics and density of the willow. For this reason, we cannot guarantee or offer specific weights within any grade.