Abstract: A sports bat article, and a method of forming the sport bat, is disclosed. The method may include shaping an elongate wood piece to have a barrel portion and a handle portion suitable to be used as a sport bat, with the wood piece having a shaped surface. The method may also include applying a substance to the shaped surface of the wood piece in which the substance may be effective to harden a surface of the wood piece. Applying the substance to the shaped surface of the wood piece may include immersing a portion of the wood piece into a pool of the substance.