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Laver & Wood – Our Willow Grading Explained

Here at Laver & Wood we only make our bats out of the very finest English willow sourced from the world’s top willow merchants, J.S. Wright & Sons.

We only use the best grades we can source. This policy protects Laver & Wood customers and ensures the highest quality finish and performance when choosing Laver & Wood cricket bats.

Below we explain the differences in willow grades. Please note, Signature Grade is limited and therefore subject to availability.

Standard Grades

Reserve

Our Reserve bats are made from the finest Grade 1 English willow available and come from the top 10% of genuine English willow.

A Reserve blade will have 6 or more principally straight grains and have minimum blemishes. It may also contain colour (heartwood) on one side.

Each Reserve is tested for performance by our expert bat makers. We have a unique pressing system that is more traditional and tends to give the bat a longer than average life whilst still holding a good performance.

Private Bin / Butterfly Gold

Our Private Bin bats are made from high quality Grade 1 English willow, which comes from the top 10% to 20% of genuine English willow.

A Private Bin blade will have 6 or more grains, but these may not be perfectly straight. The blade may also contain some blemishes, but these won’t affect the performance of the bat.

Our Private Bin bats are all tested for performance by our expert bat makers. We have a unique pressing system that is more traditional and tends to give the bat a longer than average life whilst still holding a good performance. The Private Bin bat is great value for money when getting into the higher grades.

Special Reserve / Butterfly

Our Special Reserve grade blades are graded and tested in our workshop by the L&W expert bat makers based upon performance. As such our Special Reserve bats may have some imperfections aesthetically and tend to perform above expectations. Sometimes this can take time and often the Special Reserve Grade is bought as a net bat for a Reserve or Signature grade bat to help give the match bat a longer life.

Legend

Our entry level Legend bats are made from Grade 3 English willow. Each bat will contain at least 5 grains but may not be straight in every case and will usually contain more cosmetic blemishes than the higher grades. However, these are all completely natural and only affect the bats appearance and not performance. The Legend is a good work horse bat and can still perform well to give good value for money.

Exclusive Signature Grade

The Signature Grade is limited and only made personally by Master Bat Maker James Laver. Each bat carries a serial number and details are logged. If you are looking for something a little different and want to put your stamp on the bat with very specific grain requirements, talk to us, as even though it may take time James will make every effort to help.

Signature

Signature represents some of the rarest and finest (top 1%) of the Grade 1 English willow available.

A Signature blade will have 7 or more good, straight, and even grains with very minor blemishes in the playing area and sometimes contain colour (heartwood) on one side. These bats simply look beautiful and in the 22 years since 1999, when L&W was established in New Zealand, James has only made 380 of these blades. Each Signature is made and tested personally by James. We have a unique pressing system that is more traditional and tends to give the bat a longer than average life whilst still holding a good performance.

See the Laver & Wood Difference

Check Out Our Customer Reviews on Google!

    
 
 
         
   Ben 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 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.
  
 
        
   Mark Tuchin 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 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 .
  
 
        
   Carter Kerr 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 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.
  
 
        
   Guy Gibson 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 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!
  
 
        
   Daryl Nielsen 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 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.
  
 
        
   Ram Yadlapalli 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Best grade willows, Best place for Custom bat making, and great customer support.
  
 
        
   Bhavesh Shura 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 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.
  
 
        
   M G 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 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.
  
 
        
   Manish Singh 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 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.
  
 
        
   Ben Ireland 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 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.