I'm quite surprised. First off, great video. Love the way you let the main guy lead and didn't interrupt with pointless questions. The most amazing part tho is the production quality - outstanding. Secondly....7.45k subscribers? Really? I thought I was watching a huge media company's TV infomercial. Outstanding. Thanks so much for the video.
There’s something about a quality cricket bat! Generations of tradition, craft, runs, skill, art, innovation to produce a beautiful object. Thanks for sharing, I think my dream job would be working for a cricket bat maker!
Willow. It is the wood of work. From Cricket Bats to handles for Shovels, Spades, Adz, Picks, Rakes, Brooms and Dowels - Willow is prime. It is a strong, straight grained wood. All the Brittish Commonwealth countries grow these trees, and it is one of the most exploited "foreign imports" around the world. Bee's wax, Cow Gum, Linseed Oil, Linen Thread and Shellac are the traditional finishes.
Great mix of old craft skill and modern machinery. The only thing I did not see was any gauge to ensure that the bat complied with the width regulation, though I am sure all their bats are correct and comply with the laws of cricket.
The main shaping is now done via the CNC machine so all bats have a predetermined size which conforms to the laws of cricket. GM also has strict quality controls in place which means all bats are checked before final finishing touches are made.
The time and care it takes to make a single bat, let alone hundreds, is truly fascinating to watch. And that's why Gunn & Moore are one of the leading brands in the industry.
Essentially all of it! But really depends on the quality and age of the tree as well as how well its been looked after. Might be worth getting an expert in to have a look.
Amazing that in this modern age good quality bats still have a lot of manual shaving and shaping done by human hand. You would think machines would have taken over every aspect.
So… whats the difference between the various models (named ranges) of these bats? Nowhere in the process did I see the worker check what model he’s making. Am I making a GM Striker or a GM Maestro or whatever.
The models are shaped via the CNC machine based on the requirements for that particular model. Grading is done by hand prior to the bats going through the CNC machine. We did not have enough time to squeeze this part into the video unfortunately.
I'm not a cricket person, but am a woodworker and love the process and craftmanship, albeit repetitive, but still a craft and I dare say, no two bats are the same, despite the attention to detail. I'm guessing batsmen spend hours selecting a bat for weight, style, feel, etc.
I always had a couple questions. Why don’t they make the bat in one piece. Thats possible as well. And even the grip part has like 3 pieces. Why not just one piece for that?
Its to offer flexibility against the impact of a hard cricket ball. If the full bat is just one piece, this would not be possible. Same concept with the handle - there are rubber inserts which offer the flex when striking a cricket ball.
@ Thank you so much for responding. Is this like scientifically proven or something. I still don’t get it. U don’t feel a thing when u hit the ball with a bat. I’m dumb so nvm 🙏🏻
@@mazfarnadeem1846 Yes it is scientifically proven. A single piece will not have enough movement within it on impact as separate pieces of wood will. The actual playing area should only be one piece as per the regulations but the handle can have any number of pieces to offer flexibility. This video should explain it further - ua-cam.com/video/C8mjjmZ2LvM/v-deo.html
I think gm bats are one of the best pinging bats out there in the game but the only problem I have with them is that the toe of the bat is way too small and is prone to Yorker damage. as of recent though, they have improved
They have certainly improved over the last couple of years. We get very few GM bats back with toe damage but it can happen as it is a natural product being used against a hard cricket ball.
Good video, but where is the pressing part? This is the most important part of bat making and it's completely left out! Love to see what press they have and the technique they use....water, no water etc? Is there a separate video for this?
We sold 40 odd willow trees to Wrights (who are I think in the video)😊 who cut them down for cricket bats. They planted replacement saplings for all of them.
Hi there, the trees are primarily grown in the South East of England due to the climate and soil conditions which are ideal for cricket bat making. The wood is called Salix Alba Caerulea. These trees normally take 12-15 years to mature but some can take longer.
what is even more remarkable is that almost 90% of all top grade English willow used by pro cricketers comes from one and only one farm: J S Wright and sons.
The CNC machine definitely takes a lot of work away from the shaping of the bat but the final touches and finishing still has to be done by hand. SG and SS are the biggest bat makers in the world so all of their bats are mass produced as well.
@@davidcannon7679Hi, yep been a Hatter for 53 years! Seen many a low with the odd welcome high sprinkled in amongst it all. I think we are going through an unwelcome low at the moment tho. The team of the 80’s was the best !
@LTFC1964 Snap 1972 v Hull at home first game, aged 5, I'm now 57, agree it's hard going at the moment, possibly to much expectation after last season, but it's my team and will be till my dying day. Agree on the 80's , the Pleaty glory days, John Moore, Ricky Hill, and David Preece. Thanks for the words on GM
@@davidcannon7679no worries mate. I was there on the infamous (the song) Boxing Day game against Chelsea 1979. Big Mick Saxby denied a perfectly good goal. Also at the Millwall FA cup home game that is still talked about to this day. Stood in the Oak Road, scary stuff. Sorry, but I have missed your connection to GM…my apologies mate. COYH
Nearly all of the unused wood and bark is recycled to be used for other domestic and commercial use such as pellets to provide heating and the saw dust is collected and used in local farms for things such as horse bedding.
Who is this quest. Does he know anything about cricket bats. Not asking any doubts about the weight of the bats , famous batters who prefer what, there is so much to ask. But, he is keeping mum.
Okay, so this is creepy. After watching Midsomer Murders and listening to The Rest is History podcast I wondered the other day how they're made and BOOM!! This here video shows up on my feed. WHAT?!!
Great to see quality cricket bats still being made by hand. Well done G&M.
It blows my mind how much of this process is hands-on. It’s practically an artisan product.
There are some serious craftsmen at work in this industry!
I'm quite surprised. First off, great video. Love the way you let the main guy lead and didn't interrupt with pointless questions. The most amazing part tho is the production quality - outstanding. Secondly....7.45k subscribers? Really? I thought I was watching a huge media company's TV infomercial. Outstanding. Thanks so much for the video.
Thank you for your kind words! Lots of hard work goes into these and your comment has made our day! :)
I love the way th push stick he uses on the table saw (3:52) is actually a cut down cricket bat!
Yep, pretty satisfying!
There’s something about a quality cricket bat! Generations of tradition, craft, runs, skill, art, innovation to produce a beautiful object. Thanks for sharing, I think my dream job would be working for a cricket bat maker!
This is a fantastic cricket bat thank you very much GM
Wow a lot of quality work going into a quality product, brilliant
I really enjoyed this video, much love from South Africa.
Thank you, love your passion towards bringing this to us.
Willow. It is the wood of work. From Cricket Bats to handles for Shovels, Spades, Adz, Picks, Rakes, Brooms and Dowels - Willow is prime. It is a strong, straight grained wood. All the Brittish Commonwealth countries grow these trees, and it is one of the most exploited "foreign imports" around the world. Bee's wax, Cow Gum, Linseed Oil, Linen Thread and Shellac are the traditional finishes.
Best comment, unfortunately will go over most peoples heads...
Amazing presentation, could mistake it for a Sky Sports production
Thank you! A lot of hard work goes into these so really appreciate your comment! :)
Fantastic video guys
Thank you and glad you enjoyed it :)
Watching the V cut was the most exciting part!
Very satisfying indeed!
Amazing vid loved it.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Would love to see a bit on how they grade them next time!
Absolutely! Great idea
awesome video, need more of this please!!
Great mix of old craft skill and modern machinery. The only thing I did not see was any gauge to ensure that the bat complied with the width regulation, though I am sure all their bats are correct and comply with the laws of cricket.
The main shaping is now done via the CNC machine so all bats have a predetermined size which conforms to the laws of cricket. GM also has strict quality controls in place which means all bats are checked before final finishing touches are made.
Kev! You bloody legend 50years bat making what an effort!!!
Absolute legend! And still going strong,
Hope he’s teaching someone to carry on the legacy.
best bats in the world, i've been using Gunn&Moore bats for 18 years and never looked to buy anything else, would love to go to the factory myself.
The time and care it takes to make a single bat, let alone hundreds, is truly fascinating to watch. And that's why Gunn & Moore are one of the leading brands in the industry.
@@AJSportsUK. Get in touch with the firm. Many firms have conducted tours.
Why not contact the firm ? Many undertake conducted tours, usually for groups, for a small charge although some tours are free.
This is definitely something we are looking into
The joy of watching or playing Cricket..starts here!
Just as fun watching cricket bats made as it is playing with one!
Great video, would've been nice to see the pressing and where they pre-knock their bats in.
Unfortunately time constraints meant we could not squeeze everything in but next time!
Very nice
Had a Maestro back in the day! Beautiful bat at 2Ib 6!
Wonderful process to watch, thankyou.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I would like to see the handles made with the rubber inserts.
All handles do contain rubber inserts to give them the flexibility and durability over a bat's life span
I too would have liked to see the handles made. The rubber layers were, I understand, to absorb the shock of a 90mph ball hitting the bat.
Beautiful bat, almost as good as a Kookaburra.
Kevin and the CNC are the ones doing the maximum work in this factory.
Excellent cinematography 👏👏 One query though. It is said that some bats have 5 grain some 6 grain and so on. What's that?
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!
For the grains question, this is answered in our video here - ua-cam.com/video/X6gvrjBP4j0/v-deo.html
i love all forms of cricket, but test cricket is my favourite by far
that is a thing of beauty.
cricket is myfavourite sport
I have a 1998 GM Purist as used by Steve Waugh at the time, although definitely a cheaper model. Good Lord it's a good Cricket Bat.
Now, saim Ayub main ambassador of gun & more bat 17:09
Zimb ayub🤡💩
Saim ayub uses GM bat now. Hopefully I'll get one also
I am having a straight willow removed in late January. What part should I save so I can have some bats made for my grandchildren?
Essentially all of it! But really depends on the quality and age of the tree as well as how well its been looked after. Might be worth getting an expert in to have a look.
Amazing that in this modern age good quality bats still have a lot of manual shaving and shaping done by human hand. You would think machines would have taken over every aspect.
Absolutely. The level of precision and care it takes to craft every single bat is really something to behold.
Sir Lankan world cup winning team member Asanka Gurusinghe used GM Bat
Nice video
I'm very surprised at how dull the draw knife was. Apart from that this is a good video. Well, apart from the draw knife and the music.
Thank you for the feedback and glad you liked the video! Not sure about the draw knife... seemed pretty sharp close up!😅
@@AJSportsUK do u plant your own trees?
Can you make a Cricket 🏏 bat out of Hockey 🏒 sticks?
awesome
Made a cricket bat back in the 1970's from a solid piece of wood , first hit of the Ball the handle snapped off lol .
Oh no! You should have carried on and we might be talking about a master bat maker now!
do you make satners Bat
So… whats the difference between the various models (named ranges) of these bats? Nowhere in the process did I see the worker check what model he’s making. Am I making a GM Striker or a GM Maestro or whatever.
The models are shaped via the CNC machine based on the requirements for that particular model. Grading is done by hand prior to the bats going through the CNC machine. We did not have enough time to squeeze this part into the video unfortunately.
But how do you make the handle?
I'm not a cricket person, but am a woodworker and love the process and craftmanship, albeit repetitive, but still a craft and I dare say, no two bats are the same, despite the attention to detail. I'm guessing batsmen spend hours selecting a bat for weight, style, feel, etc.
Hours can be an understatement sometimes! Home, car and a cricket bat are the three most important decisions a cricketer makes in their life! :)
Thanks, I read a very good novel, “Willowman” get yourselves a copy, if you liked this video then you will love the book 😊
Downloaded on Audible! 😊
How long are the basic pieces dried for?
On average, you would leave a cleft to dry for between 3-6 months in a controlled environment before shaping into a cricket bat.
@@AJSportsUK thank you
that log splitter cuts through a log like a knife through butter.
You didn’t mention how they are graded? What makes a top end bat compared to a low end bat?
Time constraints got in the way! We will be doing more content around these bits in the coming videos
Beautiful … I love GM bats. I have a couple, 😊 _\•||_ 🏏
Awesome way to wood to BAT 🏏❤❤
CRICKET 🏏👌👌👌
Where is the hammering process so that the stroke of the bat increases ?
I always had a couple questions. Why don’t they make the bat in one piece. Thats possible as well. And even the grip part has like 3 pieces. Why not just one piece for that?
Its to offer flexibility against the impact of a hard cricket ball. If the full bat is just one piece, this would not be possible. Same concept with the handle - there are rubber inserts which offer the flex when striking a cricket ball.
@ Thank you so much for responding. Is this like scientifically proven or something. I still don’t get it. U don’t feel a thing when u hit the ball with a bat. I’m dumb so nvm 🙏🏻
@@mazfarnadeem1846 Yes it is scientifically proven. A single piece will not have enough movement within it on impact as separate pieces of wood will. The actual playing area should only be one piece as per the regulations but the handle can have any number of pieces to offer flexibility.
This video should explain it further - ua-cam.com/video/C8mjjmZ2LvM/v-deo.html
@ Thanks again. You’re a legend
I think gm bats are one of the best pinging bats out there in the game but the only problem I have with them is that the toe of the bat is way too small and is prone to Yorker damage. as of recent though, they have improved
They have certainly improved over the last couple of years. We get very few GM bats back with toe damage but it can happen as it is a natural product being used against a hard cricket ball.
I can now see why GM is superior over some other brands. The process isn’t rushed and you have great quality control checks
They certainly make some great bats! Helps when you have decades of experience in the same building making bats day in day out.
Does the face get pressurised?
Good video, but where is the pressing part? This is the most important part of bat making and it's completely left out! Love to see what press they have and the technique they use....water, no water etc? Is there a separate video for this?
Time constraints meant we could not squeeze this in! But there are future videos in the pipeline on bat pressing and the grading of cricket bats
We sold 40 odd willow trees to Wrights (who are I think in the video)😊 who cut them down for cricket bats. They planted replacement saplings for all of them.
That is a lot of trees! Now the wait for the 40 saplings to turn into more cricket bats one day!
What wood ?
It looks the handle is laminated . Lkght and dark wood. I wonder what wood and how are they made.
Hi there, the bat handles are made from cane
Siam Ayub used GM bat🔥🔥🔥
please bring back the green and blue livery.. perhaps in a different pattern..
Brands are always coming up with old and new designs so you never know! The green and blue did look nice!
@@AJSportsUK yeah. That green and blue livery of GM resonated more symbolically and represented the brand for a significant period !
2 Questions 1)The trees in what aira do they grow? 2) How old are the trees when they are ready to be harvested? Thanks that was interesting.
Hi there, the trees are primarily grown in the South East of England due to the climate and soil conditions which are ideal for cricket bat making. The wood is called Salix Alba Caerulea. These trees normally take 12-15 years to mature but some can take longer.
They make cracking bats. Oops ! Shouldn’t have said that. The only other bat maker I can recall was Duncan Fearnley, but that was decades ago.
what is even more remarkable is that almost 90% of all top grade English willow used by pro cricketers comes from one and only one farm: J S Wright and sons.
Saim Ayoub use GM bats
Wood name
Handle made from ash?
Hi there, cricket bat handles are made from cane
Turned quite a few GMs into guitars. Nice bats
One question, why are some clefts stacked on edge and some stacked flat?
Purely for stacking reasons. Just easier to keep them stable for long periods in the varied falt/edge position.
At this point Kev should just open the batting for England
I'm a cricket player will you please help me to use your quality gears😢
Don't you have to press the face of the clefts first?
They do press the clefts once they are cut but time constraints meant we could not squeeze that in
Looks like kev doesn’t enjoy his work 😂
Amazing how it all comes together, can you ask Kevin to not shape an edge on the bat, it would save a lot of hassles.
It's Dave Cannon not 'Cnnon' - he deserves this typo to be corrected
Woops! You are right!
Looks machine made and mass produced. Lacks the character of a hand made personalised bat. Hard to compete with Indian brands like SG and SS.
The CNC machine definitely takes a lot of work away from the shaping of the bat but the final touches and finishing still has to be done by hand. SG and SS are the biggest bat makers in the world so all of their bats are mass produced as well.
not even into cricket but makes me want to buy a bat from g&m
Sir give your company job & visa
how to order
The Verva 404 series is the cheapest of the bats provided.
The 404 grade is the lowest grade available in all of the models. The Radon model is a standalone model and is also the lowest grade on offer by GM.
So if the moisture is between 10 and 12 percent, That would be 11%.
GM bats have always been the most beautiful looking and just ooze quality….
They certainly put in a lot of time and effort into every bat they make. Very impressive operation to get you the best possible bats.
Thank you from one Hatter to another (I'm guessing)
@@davidcannon7679Hi, yep been a Hatter for 53 years! Seen many a low with the odd welcome high sprinkled in amongst it all. I think we are going through an unwelcome low at the moment tho. The team of the 80’s was the best !
@LTFC1964 Snap 1972 v Hull at home first game, aged 5, I'm now 57, agree it's hard going at the moment, possibly to much expectation after last season, but it's my team and will be till my dying day. Agree on the 80's , the Pleaty glory days, John Moore, Ricky Hill, and David Preece. Thanks for the words on GM
@@davidcannon7679no worries mate. I was there on the infamous (the song) Boxing Day game against Chelsea 1979. Big Mick Saxby denied a perfectly good goal. Also at the Millwall FA cup home game that is still talked about to this day. Stood in the Oak Road, scary stuff. Sorry, but I have missed your connection to GM…my apologies mate. COYH
They didn’t hard pressed the bat 💔
I'm sure I used to go past the yard on my way over trent bridge years ago ?
A massive amount of waste? What happens to it all?
Nearly all of the unused wood and bark is recycled to be used for other domestic and commercial use such as pellets to provide heating and the saw dust is collected and used in local farms for things such as horse bedding.
@AJSportsUK thanks for the info
💞💞❤️❤️🎉🎉👍
👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Hi
Who is this quest. Does he know anything about cricket bats. Not asking any doubts about the weight of the bats , famous batters who prefer what, there is so much to ask. But, he is keeping mum.
of course theres one "expert" commenting
All that effort for around 80 quid
Okay, so this is creepy. After watching Midsomer Murders and listening to The Rest is History podcast I wondered the other day how they're made and BOOM!! This here video shows up on my feed. WHAT?!!
This is some mighty fine craftsmanship.
Did not see the process of making the handle.
That's a business secret I presume
Handles are made by outsourced specialist companies. Bat manufacturers get these imported in normally.
YOU DIDNOT SHOW HOW THE HANDLES ARE MADE
Gm. Bat. Akak. Keeada
sata pata
Save trees. Bats can be made from a different material now.
No safety gloves 😅
Don't they press the bats
They do press the clefts once they are cut but time constraints meant we could no squeeze that in