Fear the Reaper
Tom and Jeff Sheldon are looking to be known as batmakers first and foremost – not merely a cricket brand
Article by Rupert Watkins
The Baggy Greens may not yet be fearing the reaper – more the English bowling attack – but down near Reading, father time is stirring. Driven by the fact they could never quite find the ideal bat, Tom and Jeff Sheldon were inspired to found their own batmaking firm. Reaper Cricket is the result. In an age of mass produced bats, this literally cottage based company is turning out exceedingly high quality bats with an old fashioned attention to detail and ability to make to the player’s specification that is sadly missing from larger, more distant brands.
Set up in 2014, this year is Reaper’s first full season. From the start, Tom and Jeff were determined, “to be a batmaker, not a brand”. A carpenter by trade, Tom has been repairing and making bats for almost five years whilst Jeff as a brand consultant handles the marketing side of the business. They source their willow from independent producers and this year have planted their first 20 trees to ensure a future supply.
Reaper source and produce their bats in a range of willow clefts, ranging from grade three through to grade one. As Tom stresses though, “grading is not a precise science”. Many players judge the grade by the number of grains on the face of the bat, though this is not a fool proof selection method. A grade two cleft of willow can have a wide variety of grains – some pieces may have only six – other may have eleven. Cricketers tend to be visually led and gravitate towards densely grained bats but as Tom makes clear, the difference in quality between a good grade two and a marginal grade one piece of wood can frequently be minimal. Allied to this is the care with which the bat is pressed – and repressed as needed when being made – and the care lavished upon it by its owner.
Tom hand presses his bats, looking at each individual cleft. Indeed, Reaper’s bat press was their largest outlay as it had to be made in and shipped from Pakistan. He reckons that fewer than 20 batmakers now own their own presses in this country. The community of genuine bat manufacturers and craftsmen is small and both Jeff and Tom remark on the help and consideration shown to them by this close-knit fraternity – pointing to firms such as Millichamp & Hall, Warsop & Stebbing and Newbery.
Reaper’s bats are beautifully balanced with an excellent pick up. There is a variety of weights for each range and both Jeff and Tom would prefer customers visit to try a sample before making a purchase, as Jeff puts it, “bring a pair a batting gloves and pick up 10 to 12 bats”. Their Arc and Velocity bats have thick edges and are slightly bowed. The type of handle can be made to suit – thickness, shape and so on – and can be spliced according to the player’s taste though all are triple sprung. The spine is high to maximise the meat behind the sweet spot without compromising the pickup. However, beyond their ready-made ranges, Tom will make a fully bespoke bat where the customer can select the cleft of willow and all areas of the bat from grip to exact weight. Given Reaper offers this service for under £300, this is incredibly good value.
When looking for a brand name that would resonate in cricketing circles, Tom and Jeff found inspiration in the Father Time weathervane at Lords. Allied to stark, gaunt and minimal stickers they have found the brand name and very cool tag line “Fear the Reaper” has gathered a strong youth following. They are actively pursuing this market as they know that it offers a huge area for long term loyalty and a returning market. They have sold to a number of bats to serious county age group players and hope these batsmen take Reaper bats into the county academy system and possible professional careers in the game. The fact that Reaper will hand make a bespoke bat for these young players thus helping their game develop is key, though as Tom wryly comments, it’s often the fathers who get more excited by the process of making the bat than the sons who just want the hard core stickers.
Allied to their excellent bats, Tom and Jeff offer a range of batting pads and gloves. Experimenting with a range of Indian manufacturers to find ones that will work to the standards they insist upon, they now use the same supplier as New Balance and Puma.
Given the packed cricket gear arena, Tom and Jeff have laid out a five year business plan that will see Reaper Cricket establish itself alongside the very best batmakers in the game. As Tom commented, owning their own cricketing brand is a dream for many cricketers – the ability to completely immerse themselves in the game. Above all they have had fun – dealing with follow enthusiasts, even the process of customers choosing their bats becomes a chance to chew the cricketing fat over a tea or beer. This writer – a passionate cricket follower if career number 11 – can vouch for that. If this season has seen the death of a current beloved bat, seek out the reaper over the off season. 
Enquiries: http://www.reapercricket.co.uk/