Anyone know if PBL plans to get these back in stock, or if there are any alternatives available?

As for a long-term review: I've been using the aluminum bats on my STTNG for several years now, and I really like them. The added weight doesn't seem to slow the ball down any -- I have no trouble making any of the shots on the game. It whips around the beta quadrant ramp just fine. Every advanced maneuver seems pretty much just as doable as on a plastic bat, but I'm no expert in that department (although i was a top-4 seed in the B-division finals at Pinburgh last year, so i don't totally suck).

I'd like to add aluminum bats to a Demo Man I just picked up, but I can't find them anywhere.

oh on a semi-related note: before i switched to aluminum, i went through about 3 or 4 sets of translucent flipper bats in a year. Every single one cracked badly after a few months of home use. They look cool, but they just don't hold up (at least not to the STTNG coils).

dang! that's terrible news! maybe someone else could pick up the torch? there's definitely a market, although I couldn't say how large.