Objectnummer
60/208/1
Vervaardiger
Beschrijving
This is the third in a set of samples showing the making of a cricket bat which were loaned to the Museum by The County Sports Works in Saint Neots, Cambridgeshire. This sample shows a pressed and shaped blade before the V-shaped splice to take the handle has been removed. After seasoning, the block of wood is partly shaped with a drawknife, subjected to pressure to harden it, and then the handle splice is removed.
Fysieke kenmerken
cricket bat sample: wood (willow)
Archiefgeschiedenis
MERL 'Catalogue index' card 60/561 – ‘The bat is made from English grown willow (Salix alba): willows grown elsewhere are prone to be too brittle and heavy. When the trunks reach a circumference of about 50”, they are felled in winter and are sawn into lengths of 2’4”. These are cleft into ten or twelve segments which are sawn into blade shapes and are then left to season for six months in the open and six months indoors. The blade is partly shaped with a draw knife and is then subjected to a pressure of 2 tons/sq. in. to harden it. The sides are also pressed and the V-shaped splice to take the handle is removed. // The handle is made from Sarawak cane which is cut into the correct lengths and planed square. Twelve or sixteen pieces of cane are glued into units of four called ‘slips’ for each handle. In order to absorb the shock, three strips of rubber are glued between the slips. // The handle is then turned by lathe to round it, and the end is sawn off to fit the blade exactly. A perfect fit is essential, for the two parts are held together by glue alone. The finishing is continued with the plane and draw knife and at this stage, the final weight and balance are adjusted. The bat is again pressed and rubbed with sandpaper. Binding is then put on the handle, and the maker’s name and grading are applied. A final burnish with a bone makes the bat ready for sale. // See: The Countryman, 49(2), Summer 1954, pp.363–65. The craft of the Cricket Back, by Helen Johnson.’
Vervaardiging plaats
Saint Neots
Objectnaam
Materiaal