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Wood Bats
Comparison SLAM Baseball sells primarily maple bats, however we
also offer ash bats, and a few composites. Although ash bats are still
widely used in major league baseball, minor league baseball and
independent baseball, maple bats are quickly becoming the more
popular choice. Typically white ash bats are less
expensive than maple, however in most cases maple bats will give you better pop
and last longer. The comparison charts below and
manufacturers profiles will help you
select the bat that's right for you. If you have any questions, don't hesitate
to drop us an e-mail at
cs@slambats.com. Wood Bat Brand
Comparison
 Amish
build Akadema’s Wood Bats in the Pennsylvania Dutch Tradition.
The Amish have been considered the best wood craftsmen since
their emigration to America in 1737. Their legendary expertise
in fine wood products and craftsmanship continues in Akadema’s
Amish Wood Bats.
The Akadema Wood Bat starts its journey in the heart of the
Catskill Forest where the hardest, healthiness, straightest
Northern Ash and Rock Maple is found. Lumberjacks from the
region select each split of ash and maple. The wood is then sent
to a mill where it is inspected, turned into billet and dried to
specifications. The billet is then hand selected by Akadema’s VP
of Wood Production and sent to our Amish wood shop. Without any
electrical power the bats are turned similar to the process used
two centuries ago in a turn of the century barn.
 "My
brothers (Bobby, John, Ken) and I entered the bat business with
the goal of ensuring that coaches at all levels of baseball have
access to superior quality composite wood bats that are cost
effective." The Brett Brothers have been involved in baseball
their entire lives. We are four brothers and all of us played
professional ball at one time. Bobby and John played in the
Minor Leagues, and Ken and George together put in 31 years in
the Major Leagues.
Not only did we play baseball because we were good, we truly
loved the game. Even today we closely follow the sport. George
still works for the Kansas City Royals. Ken has been a
broadcaster for 11 years with Fox. Bobby runs our professional
franchises here in Spokane, the baseball Indians and the hockey
Chiefs. The oldest brother John is a frequent visitor here to
see his brothers and watch our teams play.
Like most baseball families, it all started in a small Southern
California town call El Segundo. The boys are all about two
years apart, and we had some kind of sporting event about every
night. I remember most of our family meals were hot dogs, and
everything was on the fly. Our parents were always there to
cheer for us, and our lives were generally very happy.
Ken was the first to sign a pro contract at age 17. He was the
fourth player taken in the annual draft by the Boston Red Sox.
When their scout Joe Stephenson came to sign him, our dad said,
"the one you really want is the skinny, barefooted one, George."
George in 1966 was all of 12 years old.
If you move up the clock to 1971, George was a senior, and Joe
Stephenson desperately wanted him to be Boston's #1 pick. The
Red Sox said no, and the Kansas City Royals took George in round
#2. The rest is history. Ken played 11 years for numerous teams.
George turned out to be exactly the player our late father
envisioned. He was a 3-time winner of the Batting Title in three
different decades. He was very consistent, and always played the
game very hard. He was the greatest Royal, and still makes his
home in Kansas City. In the summer of 1999, he was awarded
Baseball's highest award, election to the Hall Of Fame in
Cooperstown, New York.
In the spring of 1998, the Tridiamond Bat Company needed a place
to "try out" their new baseball bats. Because the Bretts owned
the only local professional team, an association was formed.
When Tridiamond got both NCAA and Major League approval to sell
bats, they needed some baseball help. At this time we bought
into the company and changed the name to Brett Bats.
 BWP
BATS - OUR COMPANY
BWP Bats is a truly unique wooden bat manufacturer. Our
location, state of the art manufacturing processes, and strict
attention to detail enables us to provide the highest quality of
bats available to the marketplace.
Quality
BWP Bats is located in the heartland of Pennsylvania, which is
known as the hardwood capital of the world. Only the finest
hardwood trees are processed into bats.
Billets that do not meet this criteria are manufactured into
other commercial products, such as furniture, flooring and other
interior products. As you can see, only the highest quality wood
ends up in your customers, hands at the plate. No third grade
wood is sold to our customers.
Control
BWP Bats operates in correlation with two sawmills, several dry
kilns, and complete finishing lines. Our products' start as logs
and finish up as bats. We have control throughout the entire
process, which is truly unique to the marketplace.
Consistency
Drying is a crucial ingredient in the bat making process. Our
one of a kind radio frequency and vacuum process allows the wood
to be consistently dried. This process also relieves the
residual stress from the wood, which yields extra pop in the
bat.
Capacity
Our capacities speak for themselves, up to 3000 bats per week
can be processed at our facilities. This allows us to offer
quick lead times and is followed with dependable delivery.
Competitive Pricing
Our pricing is indicative of our competitive strength in the
market place. We offer our bats competitively due to the
efficiencies we have and our ability to market the unacceptable
units. This provides you with a great value, a high quality
product at a reasonable price.
Customer Service
Customer service is very important to us. Our full time
representatives' work hard to handle your accounts with the
professional assistance you deserve. Whether it be placing your
orders, checking on billing status, or following up on a
question, you can count on receiving the personal attention you
need.
 CTG
Wood Products went from 15 professional players in 2004 to over
80 in 2005. The secret to CTG's success is the attention to
detail in the billet selection process. CTG utilizes the lastest
kiln drying technology for its incoming raw stock. Billets are
hand selected on the basis of straightness of grain, color
content and weight. Only then is it ready to be turned into a
pro bat.
 About
D-Bat Wood Bats
"TO THE PLAYERS"
Playoff Game...Score Tied...Bottom of
Nine...Man on Third...Two Out...You're Up...
Diggin' into the box... Sun over left center
field alley, hits you in the face...pants dirty...shirt turned
to mud...helmet loose, gotta weigh 20 pounds (must have picked
up the wrong one)...eye black running down the right side of
your face...batting gloves sweaty, really had to rub mota to get
locked to the bat. Catcher busy behind the dish, moving and
slapping his mitt low and away...big ugly guy on the hump, needs
a shave, throws BBs...ready to ring you up. Ball must have
shrunk, looks like an aspirin...Third baseman hugging the
Line...Shortstop shading to second...man, that's a big gap
between them...Third base coach barking at you, both dugouts
yelling at you…fans screaming at you…can't hear a word. Big guy
starts his motion...here comes the heat...ball explodes from his
hand...gonna be on the inside half of the plate...you're sitting
on it.
Right now, in your mind, only four things
exist: Big Guy. His Ball. You. Your bat. You've got that taste
in your mouth - the one you get just before you tattoo
leather...just right! It's the same taste we get every day at
D-BAT as we build bats. We get only one chance to do it just
right. D-BAT grew out of the desire to restore Integrity to the
game. The game of baseball was designed around wood, not
aluminum or fiberglass. Quality and service are a bat builder's
two most important products. It's not good enough to build a
premium product if the player has to
 wait
6-8 weeks to get it. We understand that when you order bats, you
need them now. We understand that every time a player goes to
the plate, it's the most important at bat of his life, whether
it's Little League or Game 7 of the World Series. We, at D-BAT,
go to the plate with you every time you get in the box. When you
succeed, we take pride in that success. We understand that bats
are like shoes and girlfriends, one size or shape doesn't work
for every player...
D-BAT uses only the best northern white ash
or hard rock maple (sugar maple) to produce our bats. We take
great care in the selection, storage, and drying of our wood
before it goes to the lathe. The machinery we use is the most
modern equipment available, allowing us to produce a consistent
product. Our bat finish is the most durable In the industry
because we use a proprietary sealer and top coat.
Most importantly, we understand that when you
go to the plate with one of our bats, you are placing your trust
in D-BAT. We take that very seriously. We understand how
important that moment and that feeling is to
"THE PLAYERS".
The bottom line... "We just
plain love the game".
 MaxBat is dedicated to the
great game of baseball and the millions who play it. Our vision
is to produce professional grade bats from a superior maple
selection that has remarkable strength, and durability. The
meticulous craftsmanship and engineering produces a bat with
great balance, tremendous power, and outstanding feel.
Raise your game with MaxBat.
 THE
WOOD
Maple is rapidly becoming the wood of choice in the Majors
because of its strength and durability. Not all maple is the
same however. We choose to use only the hardest of the
hardwoods, grown in regions of the globe that produce the
absolute best maple available. Only the straightest grained
maple with virtually zero defects in the stock can be used in
MaxBat production.
We guarantee you that the maple MaxBats that you order are made
from the same professional stock that we use for our Major
League clients.
Maple MaxBats are stronger, will last longer, and perform better
than any other bat in the game of baseball.
 THE
PROCESS
The process of making a MaxBat starts by closely monitoring our
hand selected maple bat blanks in today’s technologically
advanced wood drying equipment. A unique procedure ensures that
the wood will be more stable and consistent than wood that is
kiln dried. Each blank is then individually tested for moisture
content, weighed, and sorted using mathematical formulas that
predetermine which bat blank is best suited for each particular
MaxBat model. This extra attention to detail helps ensure that
the MaxBat you order is the correct weight and balance point you
desire even prior to turning.
After the perfect blank is selected for your bat, it is then
turned by one of our high performance precision lathes to the
appropriate bat shape and size according to your order
specifications.
It is then weighed again and inspected for any visible flaws.
 Now
that it has passed its second inspection, your MaxBat is then
carefully sanded twice for a smooth as silk surface. All dust is
then thoroughly removed before entering our climate controlled
and air-filtered staining room. Prior to any stain application,
your bat is once again inspected and weighed.
In our staining room, experienced personnel carefully hand apply
the custom colors to ensure proper color penetration and
evenness to bring out the beauty of the wood and bring the bat
to life.
After allowing the stain to properly dry overnight, each bat
passes through another thorough inspection prior to receiving
its first finish coat of the painstaking process. After it
passes, it is then that each bat starts to receive the MaxBat
trademark finish that requires multiple coats of a
technologically advanced catalyzed formula. Between each coat,
the bat is hand sanded to provide the finest finish on the
market today. Our specially formulated catalyzed finish has been
chosen because of its durability, flexibility, water resistance,
and overall superior look and performance that today’s players
are looking for in their equipment.
 After
the finish has had the appropriate time to cure and properly
harden, your MaxBat is once again weighed and inspected before
being wrapped and shipped.
As you can see, there are many steps to create a custom MaxBat
for each of our clients. Because of our attention to detail and
our commitment to the customer, between 15-20% of our bats don’t
pass inspection.
Once you receive your bat in the mail and open the package, you
will immediately realize how much work, effort, and time we put
into making a custom maple MaxBat just for you.
DIFFERENCES
While most bat manufacturers offer a limited number of models
and colors, we offer a wide variety of both. If we don't have
the exact model you are looking for, just ask and we will make a
new model to your specifications with a 6 bat minimum order.
 During
the early days of our company, we surveyed countless baseball
players and asked them what brands and models they liked, what
they liked about them, what they disliked about them, and what
they would change if they could. We took that information and
developed our own unique models based on what we heard from
players, and the results of our own testing.
Because we have gone the extra mile to take something there and
improve on it, we know that we have developed a superior line of
professional maple baseball bats. We can with complete
confidence say that MaxBats are in a league of their own.
Reaction to our bats has been incredible. Players of all ages
and levels are continually amazed at the balance, look, and feel
of the various models that we have created.
 POLICIES
Due to the custom nature of our bats, and the fact that you are
ordering a bat made completely to your exact specifications,
orders cannot be cancelled for any reason. Each of our bats is
made to the customer's choice of model, length, weight, color
combinations and name personalization. Therefore, once our lathe
knives touch the bat blank that is destined to become your bat,
your order cannot be altered, changed, or cancelled.
THE PEOPLE
MaxBats would not be where we are today without the hard work,
dedication, ingenuity, and vision of our experienced staff. With
many years of woodturning and baseball experience, we have
improved every aspect of the bat making process to produce the
finest bat in the game of baseball.
We're proud to be a division of Glacial Wood Products, Inc., an
industry leader in custom woodturning. This shows in the quality
and craftsmanship of our bats.
 CUSTOMIZATION
The proof is in the pudding, so they say, and the Old Hickory
Bat Company lives by that cliche! We want to make you happy! We
can do this by producing our maple bats exactly the way you like
them. Whether you want a really balanced bat, or a super thin
handle, we will do everything in our power to duplicate your
specifications. Every player is different, so why mass produce
bats of one size? Old Hickory will go one on one with you to
determine what will best fit your needs.
The bats themselves start from 4 - 7 lbs. maple logs called
billets. Each billet is placed on a lathe which turns the billet
and shaves it to a player's specifications. We then use an
extensive sanding process that makes the bat silky smooth to the
touch. At this point, the finish is put on and the logo is
applied. The bats are then hung like laundry to dry.
Old Hickory is one of several companies that produces maple wood
bats; but we are confident that our's are the best because of
our superior customizations! We do not cut corners primarily on
the wood working operation. We overkill in our sanding and also
in our finish. You can count on getting exactly what you need
every single time!
WOOD TYPE
Maple has the baseball world talking! After extensive testing
and player feedback, it has been determined that maple is
definitely the way to go!
It is a white, highly figured wood making it extremely hard. It
comes out of the Appalachian region, and it's notably used in
the furniture industry. Due to its incredible hardness, the ball
will jump off a maple bat much faster than it would coming off
one made of ash! You'll also notice the ball will not leave as
many impressions in the wood at the barrel area. Rumor has it
that a certain New York first baseman hit over 600 balls in BP
without making a dent! Before that, he had been an ash kind of
guy!
As with all wood bats, the logo still needs to be used for
setting up. It should be facing up or down at address. This will
ensure that you get the most efficient power from the bat and
will help avoid breakage!
 Superior
Bat Company is committed to making high-quality, completely
customized baseball and softball bats uniquely designed for each
individual player. What makes the A Bat so exceptional is the
personal attention given to each and every bat. From the vast
array of options available to the design and manufacturing
process of each A Bat, Superior Bat Company has created a
product keeping the player as our number one priority. The
Superior Bats professional-quality A Bat is completely
customized and designed for the player, by the player. From
model, length and weight to color and laser engraving. We
believe your bat should not only perform well, but also hold up
to the punishment of repeated use. To achieve our goals,
Superior Bats has perfected a specialized manufacturing process
integrating state-of-the-art equipment with skilled woodworking
professionals. We also offer guarantees virtually unheard of by
other bat manufacturers. We want you to use and brag about your
A Bat for a very long time.
Making a professional-quality A Bat
Wood selection
Superior Bats is located in the heart of the best hard wood in
the country. Most professional-quality bats are made from logs
cut in New York and Pennsylvania because the quality of the wood
is superior in this region. Superior Bats does one better. Using
only the best sugar maple, all of the logs for the A Bat are cut
locally, many from our own forest, and processed in our own saw
mill. Complete control over the wood supply ensures the high
quality of the wood used in every bat.
Drying process
The state-of-the-art equipment Superior Bats uses to dry the
hard maple has been perfected to tackle two of the most
difficult problems bat makers experience while trying to produce
a professional-quality maple bat - consistency and weight. Our
drying process has been so refined, the difficulty of
consistently drying the maple properly has been virtually
eliminated. The technology also allows us to guarantee the
weight of the bat within half an ounce, a guarantee most other
manufacturers can’t and won’t offer.
Turning and Sanding
Our woodworking professionals have spent years perfecting their
craft. With the addition of new, custom-designed advanced
technology and multiple sanding processes, our craftsmen create
baseball and softball bats with the same dedication to
excellence and beauty as making fine furniture.
Cupping
Superior Bat Company has refined the cupping process to
guarantee weight within half an ounce on all finished bats, a
guarantee not offered by other bat makers. Many manufacturers
have discontinued this process because of the added time
involved, producing instead bats of various weights. In fact,
most bat manufacturers only offer the choice of cupping, not
cupping or, in some cases, half cupping, with no guarantee on
the weight. Because the density of maple varies from piece to
piece, offering a specific cupping size does not solve the
weight issue. Superior Bats cups to weight to ensure the
customer receives exactly what was ordered.
Finishing
Every A Bat is sprayed, not dipped, with several coats of finish
by our skilled professionals, ensuring your bat will look and
feel better, longer. Because our bats are so resilient, there is
no need to tape the barrel during practice.
Labeling and Laser Engraving
Before the final clear finish coat is sprayed, the logo and
laser engraving are placed on the top grain of the bat. Laser
engraving on the end of the bat includes the model number,
length of the bat and customer personalization. The player can
choose to have no personalization, their name on the bat, or
their name and team name for no additional charge. In fact, your
customized A Bat can have whatever text you want engraved on
either of the two lines available for engraving.
Price
Because Superior Bats has total control of the entire bat making
process, from wood selection to shipping the finished product,
we can offer professional quality bats without the professional
price. Superior Bats are manufactured and sold with the players
in mind. Our professional grade A Bat is made to fit into the
average player’s or team’s budget without sacrificing quality or
workmanship.
The A Bat Guarantee
We guarantee the weight of the finished bat within half an ounce
for the adult and softball bats. The weight is around –5 for the
youth bat, and between –7 to –10 for the fungo bat. Finished
Bats made with incorrect specifications will be replaced at no
charge. Finished Bats that break due to a manufacturing flaw
will be replaced at our discretion free of charge if returned to
us. Broken bats are examined by manufacturing professionals to
determine cause. The purchase price is non-refundable. There is
absolutely no guarantee on weight for unfinished bats, or
partially unfinished bats.
 With
scores of bat makers new and old in the market, why would you
choose an X BAT? We have asked this of many of the 220+ Major
League players who choose to earn their livelihood with our X
BATS. We have many more choices of models, beautiful
craftsmanship, more color choices, a furniture like finish and
we custom make and engrave our customers X BATS just like the
pros. More importantly, It comes down to the wood. Players who
make their living at this game have found our wood superior to
that of every other maple bat company out there. Further, we are
the only wood bat company that makes one grade of bat with only
the top quality wood that meets the high standards of
professional players and we will make this for ALL of our
customers. What makes us stand out? Why is our maple harder,
stronger and longer lasting than other bats on the market?
The reason players worldwide have switched in overwhelming
numbers to maple for their wood bats is the hardness, density
and strength that maple has over other woods. There are a few
woods that are harder but they are too heavy and dense to use
for baseball bats for today’s game. As pitching speeds have
increased and the number of late breaking pitches are being
thrown more, players need bats they can swing fast. The longer a
hitter waits to identify a pitch, the better chance he has of
hitting his pitch and not get fooled by the pitchers’ pitch.
Major League hitters will tell you that pitching is all
deception and hitting is all adjustment. A hitter needs to use a
bat he can wait until the last fraction of a second to swing
giving himself the best possible result. Because maple is a
strong dense wood, it compresses the ball more and the result is
15-20% more pop, carry, exit speed and distance. The tradeoff
for implementing this material to make baseball bats is weight.
At least 50% of the maple bat billets we produce are too heavy
to use for bats. Other companies find a way to use this wood so
they can stay in business. The result is a compromise to the
player who uses these bats.
Maple bat billets are produced in 3 x 3 x 37.5 square billets.
Almost every bat company who makes maple bats buys these billets
from mills that produce these billets for the furniture
industry. The furniture industry shares similar specifications
for these billets. They must be all sap, all select, all clear
and all straight grained. This alone eliminates 90% of maple
billets. The biggest difference is that we care about weight and
strength and the furniture industry only cares about how the
wood looks. It doesn’t have to perform for them. If 4 table legs
weigh different amounts, it takes nothing away from the piece of
furniture, it’s value or it’s desirability in the market. But
the weight and strength are is the most important things to the
baseball bat application.
How do we insure that we are getting maple suitable for baseball
bats and not furniture? We start with the trees and the logs.
There are five grades of maple logs differing in desirability
and price to the market competing for them. The finest cabinet
and furniture makers use the top grade logs which happen to cost
more than 4 times what the next grade costs. Billet makers can
not buy these “veneer” or top grade logs and still remain
profitable. They buy grades 2 and 3 and make billets to sell to
the furniture industry and almost every maple bat manufacturer.
In order to get the quality found in every X BAT, we select the
top grade logs for their looks and their strength. To produce
billets takes a lumber mill and specialized kilns to prepare the
maple billets. Again, we have every step in the production
process in house and it shows in our quality. Other bat makers
are trying to adapt wood produced for the furniture application
to the bat application with hit or miss success.
We understand the passion which players who embrace the game of
baseball have. We have the same love for the game and will not
compromise our quality or the wood we make each and every X BATS
with. This quality does not come inexpensively which is why X
BATS cost more than other bats. Since the baseball bat is the
single piece of equipment on all of sports that has the greatest
impact on a player’s performance, why go to the plate with
anything but the best. X BATS are the best and will be the best
bats in baseball as long as we have continue to have the support
of our loyal following of players from youth baseball through
high school and college baseball to the professional level and
beyond to men who play the game into their twilight years for
the love of the game.
X BATS understands the passion and we keep the passion alive in
every product we produce for you.
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