cracked bat question

[kellsox]

I recently purchased a cracked game used bat. The bat is in one piece and the crack is on the handle. I intend on keeping this bat for a while and was wondering the best way to stableize the crack so it doesn't get worse. When holding the bat you can feel the weakness in the handle. I don't want to do an all out repair because I prefer to keep the bat as it was used. Attatched is a picture. The other side of the handle looks the same. I have enjoyed reading the forum for the last few months and have learned quite a bit. Any advice/input is appreciated.
Thanks,
Kelly

[icollectDCsports]

The type of crack you have pictured is one of the most common. It happens where the bat cracks upon contact with the ball, the bat remains in one piece, but a cracked portion overlaps the other cracked portion with fragments where the crack occured. Unless the bat is very unstable and really can't be handled much at all without risking the bat breaking into two pieces, I would not think any intermediate type of stabilization is necessary. If the bat can withstand normal handling, I'd leave it alone -- assuming as you say that you don't want to undergo any other type of repair. Of course, there are degrees of repair. On the one hand, you could repair it with the intention that it be as unnoticable as possible that the bat was ever cracked. That's a tall order and I'd leave it to those with experience to attempt. On the other hand, you could try to get the grain of the wood to go back into place without otherwise concealing the crack. Accomplishing this with this type of crack is tricky as you don't want to flex the bat so much in repairing it that you risk it coming apart. I've had some success using a dremel to remove some of the overlaping grain that was originally underneath the surface of the bat so that it no longer stands in the way of the surface grain returing to its original position. I can only hope that any of what I described is clear and/or helpful. Bottom line, in my opinion, is that it's better to do too little than too much with this type of thing.

[suave1477]

I would say it depends on what your planning to do with the bat, if you plan on showcasing it then put it in a case where it will be laying down on the stronger side so you dont cause anymore tension on the weaker side to cause it to eventually break. If you plan on just putting it away somewhere where your not going to be showing it and you want to keep it protected wrap some bandage tape around it the kind you use for Gauze over cuts bcuz it doesnt have any harmful chemicals in it and that after time it wont damage the wood and comes off easily.

[kellsox]

Thanks for your thoughts. I was leaning toward keeping it the is- I dont want to do anything that would lead to further cracking.