Here at B3 Cricket 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 take their top 3 grades and do not use inferior grades. This policy protects B3 customers and ensures the highest quality finish and performance when choosing B3 cricket bats.
Below we explain the differences in willow grades. Please note, Standard Grades are always available but Exclusive Grades are limited and therefore subject to availability.
STANDARD GRADES
3 Stripe
Our 3 Stripe bats are made from the finest Grade 1 English willow available and come from the top 10% of genuine English willow.
A 3 Stripe blade will have 6 or more predominantly straight grains and have minimum blemishes. It may also contain up to 1.75 inches of colour on one edge.
Each 3 Stripe is “Ping Tested” by our expert bat makers, for optimum performance.
2 Stripe
Our 2 Stripe bats are made from the highest quality Grade 2 English willow, which comes from the top 10% to 20% of genuine English willow.
A 2 Stripe 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 2 Stripe bats are all “Ping Tested” for optimum performance, perform superbly and represent fantastic value for money for the discerning cricketer!
1 Stripe
Our entry level 1 Stripe 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.
EXCLUSIVE GRADES
The following grades are limited. If you are looking for something outside of our Standard Grades of willow, please talk to us and we will always try and accommodate.
3 Stripe LE*
LE stands for Limited Edition and represents some of the rarest and finest (top 1%) of the Grade 1 English willow available.
An LE blade will have 6 or more good, straight, and even grains with zero or very minor blemishes in the playing area and no more than 1 inch of colour on one edge.
3 Stripe Pro
Our 3 Stripe Pro grade blades are graded and tested in house by our expert bat makers based upon performance. As such our Pro Grade bats may have some imperfections aesthetically but will perform equal to a 3 Stripe bat.