Toledo Sports Equipment's foray into the composite bat arena is the Katana Crimson, a high-performance bat designed to give the player the best of both aluminum and composite technologies.
The Katana starts with a one-piece Toledo 9-Step heat-treated aluminum shell that runs the length of the bat. The proprietary 9-Step process allows for uniform barrel thickness resulting in a more consistent sweet spot. That shell is then covered with a weapons-grade fiber mesh. Toledo adds an extra layer of "undisclosed" material between the two layers of the barrel - this step keeps the aluminum and fiber from sticking together and allows them to work independently, eliminating the need for break-in. Finally, an integrated polyurethane end cap and fused polymer knob are added to the ends. This combination works together to provide performance and durability: the inner shell allows for a longer bat life; the outer shell protects the inner shell and the aerospace fibers help increase the sweet spot by transferring the energy of the bat/ball impact across the entire composite grid; the polyurethane cap allows the bat to flex naturally, further extending the effective sweet spot.
It has a 13" barrel and comes with a synthetic "Anti-Sting" grip. The Katana Crimson is available in 34" and 26 oz., 27 oz., and 28 oz.
Nobody in our group had heard much of Toledo when we met to hit the Katana, so no one knew what to expect. What they didn't expect was a bat that was this responsive to everything they tried to do with it.
Hitters were able to pull the ball and hit wicked line drives into the corners, then drop their hands and push soft, sinking liners to the opposite field, and then step up and hit the ball out of the yard - on consecutive pitches. Usually a bat is good for one of these chores and then can be used somewhat effectively by a good hitter for the other two. Most hitter know this and often carry more than one bat, choosing one or another depending on what they want to do at the plate. The Katana feels like it was designed for all three jobs.
The home runs and hard line drives seem easy to explain: the Katana carries the maximum allowable end load. It is not severe - as little as _ of an ounce in the 26 - but it definitely makes a difference that is noticeable rather quickly. When you throw your hands, the bat gets through the hitting zone fast. Perhaps the end load seems so noticeable because most 100% composite bats are balanced so anything different is instantly recognizable.
The ability to slap the ball all over the field is not a typical trait for an end loaded bat. But Toledo says its long, 13-inch barrel, is designed to offer performance over the entire length of the barrel. Whether all 13-inches are live can be argued, but the fact that it is easy to find a live spot on the barrel cannot. It was hard to make bad contact. This was perhaps the most impressive aspect of the bat.
Rumors of the bat's durability have been heard around the park where we hit, but the bat that has been used for testing shows no signs of wear, outside of a single paint crack, after extensive sessions by B- and C-caliber tournament hitters.
Hitters included Rusty Newton, Jeff Eades, Anthony Seguina, Greg Rafail, Don Bakerink, Chris Anjal, Nathaniel Hines Jr., Jim Steadman, John Sandstrom, Kelly Applebach
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