Hello again

I thought I’d write a bit about the differences between English Willow and Kashmir Willow!

In England the willow trees that are supplied by JS Wright / Anglian willow etc are specially grown for bats only and anything left is used as timber

While in Kashmir the willow trees are of multi purpose with clefts for bats as an option. Additionally English manufacturers grade the willow and then the cleft.

Below is a picture from JS Wrights Grading there clefts Worlds Largest English Cricket Bat Willow suppliers

There isn’t a huge grading system in Kashmir so a good bat cleft could end up in a fruit crate or a fruit crate grade willow end up in a bat. With English willow the raw material is very unlikely to end up as ply wood.

As you can see from the differences in planting.

Kashmir Willow Tree planting

UK Cricket Bat Willow planation
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Additionally due to the Kashmiri government blocking transportation of Kashmir willow, this happened a while ago, some manufactuers have either moved to that region or stock pile and get what they can.

Saying that you do see pic’s of huge piles of clefts everywhere really.

These stocks are fairly huge and left out there to face the elements and generally these clefts are not waxed ended and subsequently have higher mositure content and prone to cracking

Kashmir Cleft Stock Piles

Other interesting pictures relating to Kashmir and Cricket Bats

By the way EWNI - English Willow Nurtured in India is Kashmir Willow

Andy
Podshaver for San Andreas Fault Cricket Bats
Handmade Cricket Bats

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