Meet a Maker: Edition 13

Meet Matt Cooksey

1. What is your craft and how did you get into it?

My name is Matt Cooksey and I’m a pod shaver. I hand craft cricket bats from pod to finished product. The part of the bat that is not the handle is known as the pod. I use a traditional set of tools including drawknives, spokeshaves and block planes that I adapt to suit me.

In 1993 I completed two weeks’ work experience and the following year, having just turned 16, I joined the company where I still work today. I’m the only bat maker still at the company since 2017 when my colleague retired.

2. What is one interesting fact about you?

I was once recognised as the youngest accredited pod shaver in the UK at 28, with 12 years experience.

3. How long have you been making?

I’ve been ‘making’ for as long as I can remember. My dad was a qualified plumber but was equally comfortable with electrical, general building and carpentry projects, and I remember tinkering about in his shed making whatever I could out of scrap bits of timber. I joined the company where I still currently work in 1994, initially working on sanding and finishing until I had the opportunity to get my own set of tools and move onto making the bats a couple of years later.

4. Who are your favourite makers in your craft?

As far as fellow bat makers (pod shavers) go, Tony Cook has to earn a lot of admiration. Mainly because I’m following a very similar path. He joined the company I work for when he was 15 years old and retired back in 2017 aged 72. I also really like the work that Gary Sandford is churning out at WG Willow – another traditional bat maker and someone who can perform every part of the process from pod to finished product.

5. What is the most challenging skill/technique you learned in your craft?

The thing about making cricket bats is that every bat throws up different challenges. I can be making a bespoke bat to a customer’s specific requirements or making ‘stock’ bats for either our showroom or to go out to retail shops the world over. Getting the finished weight, balance and the bat pick up correct is a skill that only comes with experience. Not every bat suits every player. One of the most enjoyable aspects of bat making is the process of ‘pressing’ the blade. It’s a totally unique procedure to each individual pod. Getting it right can produce a bat that will perform fantastically; get it wrong and the pod is only good for fire wood. Luckily, again with experience, firewood is in short supply.

6. What is your favourite part of your craft?

Probably the favourite part of my job is seeing the finished project. Pre-COVID we used to offer a service where the customer could come into the workshop and a couple of hours later they would leave with a custom-made bat. They would witness the entire process. The great thing about it was when juniors used to have the experience; they got to see exactly what goes into making cricket bats and I’m sure they took great care to look after their own custom made bat. The feedback I get from customers is also greatly satisfying.

7. What project are you most proud of and why?

My proudest project is a great question I’ve had many proud moments through my time making cricket bats, but I think overall making bats for an England captain for some 15 years through most of her playing career and seeing the amount of runs she scored made me a very proud bat maker.

8. If someone who knows nothing about your craft could know one thing, what would it be?

One thing people find very interesting about my method of bat making is that even with all the advances in technology available today the way I make bats hasn’t changed in over 100 years. Most of my tools are way older than me and still have plenty of life in them. A quick note on the tools I use, and something I believe is extremely important for any craftsperson, is to look after your tools. Keep them sharp; it makes life a great deal easier!