close relationship between retailers and ourselves”, says Kember. “We can tailor our bat specifi cations to individual retailers
We place a tremendous emphasis on a
aren’t cheap, we are amongst the most labour intensive.” Although the sports trade has undoubtedly had a tough few years, Salix’s business model has seen the business grow by 20% in 2009 and 2010. This continued success is remarkable considering Salix employ no sales agents and still rely on that old adage, word of mouth. For retailers wanting to stock their products, direct contact is the only option. Retailers are however the main
focus with over 90% of their production for the English sports retail trade. With a speciality in bespoke cricket bat production, this service also extends to the retail trade. “We place a tremendous emphasis on a close relationship between retailers and ourselves”, says Kember. “We can tailor our
bat specifi cations to individual retailers. For instance Romida usually request bats with a lighter pick up so around the 2.8lb weight mark whereas some other retailers request a heavier bat range towards the 3lb mark.” Although work and family commitments ensure Andrew’s cricketing days are over, his passion for the game remains fi rmly intact. With two new workshops, large investment in machinery and plans to employ another budding new apprentice, Salix are determined to continue to provide an unrivalled service and ensure their bats provide that ‘ex salice Praestantia’ that has become their trademark. This little national treasure
certainly is ‘Made in England’ and for that, we should be truly thankful.
How do Salix make their bats? ◆ All their timber is sourced from mature trees of between 15-30 years of age and then cut into rounds and dried to reduce moisture.
◆ The timber is graded according to the concentration of sapwood. Sapwood is sought aſt er as it retains the tree moisture and adds to longevity.
◆ The cleſt undergoes a series of machining processes to resize and use the best part of the timber.
◆ Each blade is pressed individually to strengthen the timber.
◆ The handle is fi tted through splicing the handle to the blade and then glued together.
◆ The blade is shaped with a draw knife and maximum wood is leſt in driving area.
◆ Once shaped, the bat is coarse and fi ne sanded.
◆ The handle and blade are rasped together to blend both parts together.
◆ The handle is bound with Irish linen. ◆ Bat is then polished to leave a satin fi nish ◆ Salix’s labelling applied to each bat.
◆ A latex grip is applied to the handle and the fi nal quality inspection is undertaken.
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