Frequently asked questions

Willow grown in the Kashmir Valley, and the timber most cricket outside the professional game is played with. It is denser and harder than English willow, which makes it durable and forgiving — it takes knocks well and needs less babying. English willow is softer and gives more rebound, which is why it dominates at the top level and costs considerably more.

For club, school, league and casual cricket, Kashmir Willow is the sensible choice: it lasts, it performs, and it does not cost a season's subscription. Choose English Willow if you play at a level where the last few percent of rebound decides matches, and you are prepared to knock it in properly and maintain it.

Grading describes the cosmetic appearance of the face — how straight and even the grains are, and how little the blemishes and marks. It is a guide to looks more than to performance: a lower-graded cleft with a couple of marks can play beautifully. Ask us what a specific bat feels like rather than buying the grade.

Size follows height, not age. Our size guide has the full chart. If a player is between two sizes, take the smaller one — a bat that is too long is harder to control than one slightly short.

The weight you can still swing properly at the end of a long innings, not the heaviest you can lift in a shop. Most adult players are well served between roughly 2lb 8oz and 2lb 11oz. Tell us your height, your strength and where you score most of your runs, and we will point you at a range.

How light a bat feels in your hands, which is about where the weight sits rather than what the scales say. Two bats of identical weight can feel completely different depending on the balance. It is the single thing most worth getting right, and the hardest to judge from a photograph — which is why we will talk it through with you.

Yes. Knocking in compresses the fibres on the face and edges so they can take the impact of a hard ball. Skipping it is the most common way a good bat is ruined in its first month, and the resulting damage is not a manufacturing fault. Ask us what a particular bat needs before you use it.

Bats are checked and prepared before they are packed, and every order includes toe protection and a cover. Tell us how you intend to use the bat and we will tell you what preparation it still needs at your end.

Usually not. Willow is a natural material and a used bat is expected to mark, seam and compress. Surface cracking, edge marks and grain lifting are normal, and many are repairable — see the Bat Doctor. Send us photographs if you are unsure.

Add what you want to the cart, go to checkout and give us your delivery details. That creates a real order with a reference beginning KWB-, and then you confirm it with us on WhatsApp. The order exists on our side from the moment it is created, whether or not you send the message immediately.

No. There is no online payment on this site. We agree the final total, including delivery and any engraving, in the WhatsApp conversation, and payment is arranged from there.

Yes — place the order and email us the reference instead. The order is the same; only the conversation moves.

Yes: batting gloves, batting pads and cricket kit bags. Every model listed is one we actually stock, with its own photograph and price — we would rather show you a short catalogue that is real than a long one we cannot ship.

Yes — laser engraving, up to 15 characters, chosen on the product page when you add a bat to the cart. It is done in-house before dispatch, and it is free above the order value shown at checkout.

Both depend on where the order is going and what is in it, and we confirm them with you before dispatch rather than publishing a figure we cannot keep for every address. See shipping.

We share the courier and tracking number once an order ships. You can also use online tracking with your order reference, or message us with it and we will look it up.

Tell us before you use it. An unused bat in its original condition is a very different conversation from one that has been knocked in and played with. See returns.

A lifetime handle break warranty and a stroke warranty, both assessed on the bat itself — authenticity, evidence, inspection and normal use. It is not an automatic replacement for any broken bat, and the warranty page sets out exactly what is and is not covered.

Our repair service — toe damage, edge cracks, handle work, re-gripping and general restoration. Send photographs through the Bat Doctor form and we will tell you whether a bat is worth repairing before you send it anywhere.

We are based in the Valley and buy directly from the manufacturers whose names we list. Every brand on this site is a real Kashmir maker with its own page here — we do not relabel bats or invent brands.