1) the dead weight of the bat is 2lb8oz (2.5lb) with 1 grip. It picks up about an ounce lighter due to having a high spine position and duckbill toe
2) it is 100% original. I authenticated it from Ca website using the barcode.
3) as i mentioned it is 50-50 color tone. Me being a left hander unfortunately the heartwood is on my inside edge but i can live with that. Keep in mind the dragon 50mm will never be the best looking bats. These bats are selected purely on size.
4) they have most pakistani branded bats and some plain bats with foreign stickers. I checked out alot of them. They had some really good HS bats and they were the only shop among atleast 2 dozen shops that i visited in lahore who had the latest 2018 Ca bats in their store (Ca have overhauled their stickers for 2018 and have also released camouflage versions of plus 10000, 12000 and 15000. They had all of them)
5) the bat that i got turned out to be an absolute cannon. Really really good and quite soft. And opened up after just 2 nets (i oiled it and hand knocked it myself at home for a week before using it in nets and played very defensively in the first nets).
6) yes got a free Ca dragon 50mm cover with it and an extra bubble wrap.
7) warranty unfortunately from Ca itself is dodgy. Basically what that means is check the bat thoroughly before buying. Once purchased you're on ur own. Ca are notorious for their poor customer service but that is universal not limited to any retailer. Actually i picked up a different dragon bat the first time and when i got home and took off the plastic lamination from the bat, i noticed a small horizontal crack on the outside edge which wasnt visible with the plastic on. I immediately called them up and explained the situation and they told me to bring it back to the shop for inspection. After looking at it they agreed that this crack is dangerous and shouldnt be there on a brand new bat. And they were nice enough to take it back with no questions asked. They then asked me if i wanted another dragon 50mm as replacement. I told them i didnt like any other dragon they had cause the others were all 2lb15oz+ but i want a dragon that has a dead weight of under 1200g. They immediately sent their person to Ca factory in sialkot who returned after 3 days with 3 Dragon 50mm bats all under 2lb10oz. I picked up all 3 of them, bounced the ball on them and selected the one that pinged the best and picked up the lightest.
Word of advice. Dont believe the weight written on the bats. It is always wrong. Take a scale with u if ur picky about dead weight like me. (Its a confidence thing).
The bat cost me Rs. 30,000 after negotiation. He started from 35.
My honest opinion? 30,000 well spent.
Good luck
