Our Services

Rebalancing

Laver & Wood also specialise in re-balancing your bat if it is feeling a bit heavy or not as well balanced as you would like. We can generally take out up to 4 ozs of weight by removing the labels and completely re-working the bat. By sanding and polishing the bat to finish we ensure that our exceedingly high standards are kept. We would also include a rebind of the handle. Please be aware that labels are discarded due to damage upon removal.

Estimated cost of this service is NZD $120 + shipping.  Total cost will calculated before work starts.

Rehandling

Our high quality handles are produced using Manau cane harvested from the jungles of Sumatra along with Malaysian Sarawak cane. The 3 metre canes are initially boiled in oil and dried in the sun for several weeks before being graded according to size. They are then cut to the right length and split. Then the faces are planed to ensure a good gluing surface. The planed pieces of cane are then glued together with three cork / rubber laminations to assist with shock absorption.

Estimated cost of this service is NZD $120 + shipping.  Total cost will calculated before work starts.

At Laver & Wood we usually make our bats with an oval shape at the base of the handle. We use this shape as it provides more strength to the handle and helps to diffuse the shock waves created from the ball meeting the blade.

The oval shape in the lower handle also gives the bat a better directional feel. It is difficult to grip the bat too hard with the bottom hand. One only needs to hold the handle with one’s thumb and forefinger and this encourages the top hand to control the shot.

The oval shape improves the pickup due to having a larger mass nearer to your body. Most batsmen that use our oval handle will never revert back to a round one. The round handle is best suited to those who like to use their bottom hand to hit the ball hard and lift it.

The size of a batsman’s hands can alter the specification of the handle. This is changed by either applying extra rubber grips or, where a thinner handle is required, specifying that you have small hands when you place your order.

We can provide a standard round handle on request, but recommend the oval handle for anyone who wants to bat technically correctly.

This can be done if you send your bat back to us. Shipping is extra and can be quoted on request.

Repairs

Laver & Wood can repair your badly damaged bat and return it to a playing state. Examples of repairs are damaged handle replacement, edge damage repair, shoulder repair, delamination repair and toe repair. Repairs can also take the form of refurbishment, this service gives your bat a good tidy up before, after or during the season.  Repair work is attended to and the whole bat can be done or just the playing surface to preserve the labels. A whole bat refurbish comes back clean with no labels unless it is a L&W bat.

The photos above show some of our repairs completed lately. We are happy to quote the cost of this work if you can send us a photo of the damage. While the bat is in the workshop it maybe a good time to refurbish tired hand grips or damaged labels. We happy to work with all brands of bats.

Refurbish Small – NZ$80
​Refurbish Full – NZ$120
Repair – NZ$40 – NZ$120 – We will Quote

Send your request through the Order this service link below.

Knocking In

Knocking in provides a hard protective surface to the blade and edges of the bat, and all bats need to be knocked in before use. Laver & Wood offer a knocking in service for our own bats and other brands bats.

Estimated cost of this service is NZD $80 + shipping.  Total cost will calculated before work starts.

 

There are different ways of preparing your bat for the knocking in process, but we recommend the following process as repeated trials in bat factories have shown us that this works far better than all other methods.

Raw linseed oil should be used to moisten the surface of the bat and enable the fibres to become supple. This helps them knit together, thus forming an elastic surface. This is more likely to stretch on impact, rather than crack. Raw linseed is used, as it stays moist for longer than boiled linseed. About a teaspoonful should be applied to the surface of the bat.

We recommend that oil should be applied once (3 times if not one of our bats) before the process of compressing the face begins. Each coat of oil should be about one teaspoon full. Spread the oil over the face of the bat using your fingers. Spread the leftover linseed oil over the edges and toe of the bat. Let each coat of oil soak in overnight and repeat the process before starting the knocking in with the mallet.

At L&W, we strongly recommend having your bat knocked in professionally when you purchase it. This helps get a better performance and also helps extend the life of the bat. It also relieves you and your family members of a time consuming, noisy and monotonous process.

Please Note: Damage can never be totally eliminated due to the hard nature of the ball and the speed of contact with the bat. A good bat correctly knocked in ideally would last about 1000 runs including net use.

Lamitoe

We, at Laver & Wood, have pioneered the LAMITOE. This is inserted into the toe of the bat and helps prevents toe damage by strengthening the vulnerable toe area of your bat.

The Lamitoe addition technically turns the bat into a Grade B bat. This means that it would not be allowed to be used in First Class cricket.

Estimated cost of this service is NZD $40 + shipping.  Total cost will calculated before work starts.

 

Give your old favourites a new lease on life. Re-handle them using the CARBOCANE and LAMITOE technology. You will be pleasantly surprised with the results.

The round handle is best suited to those who like to use their bottom hand to hit the ball hard and lift it.

The size of a batsman’s hands can alter the specification of the handle. This is changed by either applying extra rubber grips or, where a thinner handle is required, specifying that you have small hands when you place your order.

We can provide a standard round handle on request, but recommend the oval handle for anyone who wants to bat technically correctly.

This can be done if you send your bat back to us. Shipping is extra and can be quoted on request.

Replication

If you have an old favourite that is past its prime, send it to us or the photos and specs and we can make a perfect replica.

Replication is Laver & Wood taking your favourite bat and copying its shape and design to create a new version. Modifications can be included in the process to make your profile fit changes in your game or physique. Before this process can be started we need to discuss your requirements careful.

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Check Out Our Customer Reviews on Google!

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Ben profile picture
Ben
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Highly recommend L&W - outstanding service, incredible care and attention to detail, and superb quality willow. I can’t thank James and the team enough for the time, effort, and expertise they put into the experience.
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Mark Tuchin profile picture
Mark Tuchin
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Have been purchasing bats from laver and wood for about 7 years, And have have always received great willow, and always making custom bats Perfectly, highly recommend They have to have the best grading in the special reserve range all the to the signature grading. The communication had been great and times have been frustrating but you do feel They tried to make every customer happy With going above and beyond Expectations and Intricate Request. Overall 10/10 .
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Carter Kerr profile picture
Carter Kerr
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Ordered a private bin bat from overseas in a light weight configuration and it is the best looking and feeling bat I have ever felt especially around that price. I would highly recommend these bats to anyone as they can be highly customised and arrived nicely packed with a bat cover very quickly. Much under the original estimate from dhl on their website. Not unnoticed in the James attention to detail is the way he cares how each bat rolls out of his work shop, all stickers and protective sheet are perfectly placed, grip is taped up nicely and what I noticed most was the toe guard rises slightly from the bottom so you can slide your bat in the crease without damage. If wondering about knocking in I would also recommend as the protective sheet and extratec edge is applied even if ordered without knocking in and if you knock it in after edge tape it will peel up from the wood. Overall I am extremely happy with the bat itself and the customer service is 2nd to none.
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Guy Gibson profile picture
Guy Gibson
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James is so discerning and has such an eye for detail. No bat leaves the workshop that he is not completely happy with; dare I say, more care and attention goes in to the finishing details of his bats than the entire manufacture of some mass-produced brands. Highly recommend Laver and Wood!
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Daryl Nielsen profile picture
Daryl Nielsen
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My oldest lad got a custom indoor bat a couple of years ago and has loved using it. My youngest decided he wanted exactly same spec a few weeks ago so sent through original specs they gave him and asked if they could replicate it. Arrived today and it's a work of art also. A very happy young man. Thanks team.
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Ram Yadlapalli profile picture
Ram Yadlapalli
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Best grade willows, Best place for Custom bat making, and great customer support.
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Bhavesh Shura profile picture
Bhavesh Shura
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One of the best cricket bat makers in the world. Ordered many bats so far, and never had problem with ordering or the quality of cricket bats Response: Always prompt response Service: Open to fulfill all your needs for cricket bats Craftmanship: Kudos Best profile created for me by James are Customized Mega, ST3, B52 Bomber with little bit of modern touch, Screaming Cat Professional, and more to come as I explore more classic bat profile.
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M G profile picture
M G
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Excellent customer service from James. He is knowledgeable and happy to share his experiences and insights with his customers. Thank you, James for your help.
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Manish Singh profile picture
Manish Singh
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As a working professional, I didn't know much about bat knocking, oiling, and similar details. I tried several top and well-known brands, but none matched the quality of Laver & Wood. I just wanted to express my gratitude to James and the team for crafting such an amazing custom bat. I've truly enjoyed using it over the past year, and both I and my opponents have been impressed with the shots I've played with it. The bat is still in excellent condition, and I’m excited to order another one soon.
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Ben Ireland profile picture
Ben Ireland
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Wish i'd heard of them earlier. Didn't get a Laver until late in my cricket career - easily the best bat i ever had. Beats the mass-produced bats by so far it isn't funny. Great value for money. Have recommended to everyone i know.