PREPARATION, CARE & MAINTENANCE FOR YOUR IXU BAT
All of our IXU bats are handcrafted and the best pieces of English willow are selected for each bat. If you treat your bat like any other valuable possession it will give you hours of joy.
01
OILING
Before use, apply a light coat of raw linseed oil (bat oil) to the face and back of the bat with a soft cloth. Avoid oiling the splice area. Three or four further light coats should be applied at weekly intervals. Repeat occasionally if the bat is very dry. Clean the bat using fine sand paper before each application.
After oiling the bat, lay it flat for a few hours. Leaving the bat standing up could cause the oil to run into toe of the bat especially if the bat has a toe guard. Be careful not to over-oil the bat.
A good indication is to see if any oil is running down face of the bat. If this is the case wipe the excess oil with a soft cloth.
02
KNOCKING IN
All IXU bat faces have been expertly pressed to provide an optimum resilient playing surface and do not need further pressing. However, the face, especially the front edges, will be further improved and its useful life prolonged by careful ‘knocking-in’ with an old leather cricket ball, or a specially designed bat mallet.
Take great care when knocking in the edges and toe as hitting too hard may crack the willow. Take your time and be patient!
The blade should be knocked in on the face of the bat, including the edge of the face but not on the sides of the blade, the toe or back of the blade.
03
PLAYING IN
After knocking-in, the bat should be used to hit short catches and/or “throw-downs” with an old, good quality cricket ball.
It is advisable to initially avoid use against a new ball in either nets or a match.
04
MAINTENANCE
Treat your equipment like you would treat your mobile phone! Don’t leave it lying around in the sun, out in the garden or the boot of your car.
Don’t continue using it if it is damaged in any way. Contact us to see how we can assist you in fixing the problem.
Your bat has been crafted with care. Don’t abuse it by hitting cheap balls, wickets or the bench in the change room!
Inspect the bat regularly for damage in play and repair promptly.
05
REPAIRS AND SERVICE
Due to the nature of the product no manufacturers give an unconditional warranty of sports equipment.
As such any repairs or replacement will be at the discretion of IXU.
In our assessment of the damage we will investigate the nature and cause of the damage, and work out a quotation for the repair.
We are committed to dealing with any problems in a fair manner and to get you playing with your bat as soon as possible.
We recommend that you send us a photo of any damage to your equipment so that we can help you in assessing the best way forward.
We have a fully equipped refurbishment center and you are welcome to send in your bat for a service.
