Woodstock cricket bats are hand crafted from soft english willow and although the face is pressed to a pressure of 2000 

pounds per square inch the face and edges need more work prior to using it in nets or match play. Failure to knock 
your bat in correctly will reduce the lifespan and in some cases cause the bat to dent and crack prematurely. Our bats 
will come either with a face sheet or natural. If the bat has the pro edge face sheet fitted it has already had the edges 
knocked in, however will still need the face knocking in. Please follow the instructions below: 

Do not oil a bat with the face sheet fitted. After 6 months or at the end of the season remove the face sheet from side to 
side and clean off any residue with a knife before fine sanding and using one coat of oil with a lint free cloth, then leave 
it for a few weeks before applying another face sheet. If however you have purchased a bat with the natural finish it is 
recommended that one coat of raw linseed oil or bat oil is applied with either finger or soft lint free cloth to the face, edges 
and back using it sparingly making sure no oil gets near the splice or handle. The oil helps with the pliability of the willow 
when knocking in. Let this dry for a few days before using a wooden bat mallet to start rounding the leading edges (front 
edges) and start to compact the edge into the face making sure you do not hit the upper part of the edge nearest the 
back of the blade. You can then progress to the face and make sure you use the mallet square on to the face starting 
gently and increasing the force for several hours. Your bat will now be ready to use for gentle throw downs with an old ball 
making sure that any seam marks are only gently marking the face. If the marks are deep you need to spend more time 
knocking in with the mallet. Preparing your new bat is vital.