INK DOT FAQ

OLD HICKORY BAT COMPANY

WHAT IS THE INK DOT TEST?

FAQ? Why is there  diamond shaped chip on the handle of my bat? What is the black scuff mark on the handle of my bat? Is there supposed to be paint missing on the handle of my bat?

These are just a few of the several questions that we receive about what is known as the ink dot. The ink dot is commonly mistaken to be a paint blemish or a scuff mark on the handle of the bat that should not be there. In actuality, this ink dot is required to be there. Major League Baseball requires that all game used bats have an ink dot. The ink dot allows us to clearly examine the slope or straightness of the grain. The MLB requires that all game used bats have between a 0-3 degree slope of grain. This ensures that the quality of the wood is top notch and will be less susceptible to breakage with the proper usage.

Each one of our Old Hickory game usable bats that leave our factory will have an ink dot. The ink dot is placed 12 inches up from the knob on the face grain of the wood. Our production staff diligently puts an ink dot on each individual bat and grades the wood to ensure its quality.  We produce quality hand crafted bats that are used by more than 200 professional players in leagues across the world. We make sure that each one of bats that leaves our factory is equipped and ready to be used at the highest level in the game.