The 12 Bats of Christmas - Hell4Leather Warbird

We spoke about Hell 4 Leather in our last feature and no bat list would be complete without a creation from Kent’s master bat maker Matt Barton. Whilst in conversation with one bat maker he said that he rates Matt as possibly the finest bat maker in the country and this definitely shows in his attention to detail. Not only will he  personally select his own willow, but he will fell his own trees and H4L have even started replanting their own willow trees at their workshop.

New for 2016 is the H4L Warbird, a stunning bat that has a few tricks up its sleeve to ensure you get the maximum reward for your efforts in the middle. The blade has been reduced in length by 12mm to pack more wood into the middle giving you a spine height of over 60mm and edges of over 36mm. The face of the bat is flat pressed and is slightly bowed whilst the middle remains fairly central and the back has minimal concaving to its profile.

With more weight into the shortened blade some the Warbird counters this by using two tricks. Firstly the toe has been shaped into a duckbill to help take the weight out of the bottom of the blade and secondly the extra long handle features a counter balance at the top to give it a pick up which feels at least 2 ounces lighter than its dead weight.

The stunning graphics with an electric blue feature colour over the black embossed H4L label add to the drama and the new multi colour, multi textured grip helps keep the power in your hands. To finish off a H4L devil is branded onto the edge along with an edge sticker boasting #h4lruns. You’ll be needing that hashtag after each match.