[BigJJ]

Wow. I have handled a number of 19th century bats. but none remotely that long. looks like an 1870-1890 to me, rural construction. but those are usually 38 inches, 40 inches at most, thats very large and heavy, and everyone was much smaller then, leaning toward the later date, when everyone was getting big from diversified diet. But could have been an earlier bat advertisement of sorts at a rural carpenter's shop.
The knob seems a forerunner to the Ball Balanced Louisville Slugger 1900-1905 and mushrooms 1900-1910. I havent seen round knobs pre 1890. so I would lean more toward the later date. might be from western (mid-western) front then, that would also qualify as rural. where did the bat emerge from?