Thanks for the link Joe. Are the quality of the sticks decent or is it mostly just for the look?
No idea, sorry. The proprietor seems to have some interesting ideas as to the manufacture of drumsticks, with regard to quality control, the nature of hickory in general, etc., which sadly are no longer posted.
They included his experiences bending hickory sticks out of straightness—and then back again (in front of the clerk in shops), the general cheapness of such a commodity as hickory, and so forth. I also am not sure if he still does rare woods—for a while he was advertising a slew of them, including hornbeam.
Of course, Vater would be able to do this (consider the drumsticks done by they which are branded with music store's names), but I'm thinking a minimum run is required. It wouldn't hurt to ask.
