When you play them really hard they shred and fly all over the place looking very cool.
I like that image of stuff flying all over the place.

But don't poke an eye out! Wonder if you could make a stick with a hollow part with small holes, fill it with flour so it would puff 'smoke'. You'd be smok'in when you played that solo.
I once used a pair of small fire place brooms on a stone floor to accompany an accoustic guitar. They made nice sweeping sounds when played like brushes. I remembered that moment when I first saw these new broom sticks.