"UPDATE:
After using a Bones softball bat relatively few times (less than 50 at-bats), my team found that the bat offered no pop at all and was discarded from our equipment bag. Because of its unusual slim taper from knob to end, we will only use it as a fungo bat.

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Bones Bats is a small company that manufactures and sells "professional" hardwood bats for baseball and softball. The company is owned and operated by former major leaguer Javy Lopez. I ordered a custom-designed softball bat and here are my observations.

1. Their website is clear and easy to navigate. Their product lines are well-delineated. Some of the site's information is just fluff (like the blog). There is a very nice feature to customize the bat you're ordering.

2. Prices are competitive, especially considering the they will make a bat to order for you.

3. Shipping was slightly high but within reason. The bat was well packaged, and most importantly, Bones Bat stuck to their promise of getting a custom-made bat manufactured and sent to me within 15 days. I received mine in exactly 15 days.

4. The quality of the bat looks and feels very good, and my specs were met exactly as I requested. I've yet to actually use the bat, so I'll update this review once it gets field-tested.

5. I received an email order confirmation immediately after ordering. The only problem I encountered with Bones Bat was related to subsequent communication. I was not able to check on the status of my order online, and when I emailed them, there was no response at all. Soon after I had placed my order, I did receive a personal email from Javy Lopez informing me that production might be delayed due to weather-related problems at their manufacturing site. This was nice of him, but his email included all his customers' email addresses in plain view, earning an "E" from any scorekeeper.

In summary, I as pleased with Bones Bat, but I'd like to see their after-the-sale communications improved. If the bat lives up to its touted quality, I'll be back for more."