What kind of life are you guys getting out of sticks?  My main stick is Vic 5B American Classic and I find the tips are chipping very rapidly.

When do you trash a set of sticks?  Do you dump it as soon as you get the first chip on the tip or do you let it hang around for a while?  

I find that I see an immediate impact on sound as soon as I get the smallest chip - especially on the cymbals but also on the snare.  Am I imagining this?

Thanks!

Yeah, I do keep my nylon tip sticks for a very long time.  I have some Trulines that have been around for ages.....shafts are rough but tips still good!

Ive actually started using the Bucket o sticks 5A's. I can buy 3x more sticks for the $ (I roll test and weigh every stick to find the best ones), So as soon as that stick looses that feel, I toss it.

I would say I get maybe a solid year or two out of my sticks before they start to "rot", so to speak.  I haven't broken a stick in ages.

I honestly don't know why I see so many people playing with Pro-Mark sticks.  They just never seemed of good quality to me.  Perhaps you can find a pair after 15 minutes of searching.  Maybe someone can enlighten me?

(IMHO)Regal Tips are both sensitive and durable, Vic Firth's are durable and sure while perhaps not as sensitive in a few cases, Vater is a good alternative to Vic Firth, and I generally shy away from Zildjian sticks.

I like to keep a good mix of both nylon and wood tips in my bag, as I can appreciate the qualities of each.  

My fav stick is the Vic Firth 7A (American Classic), and those last me a long time.  About 4 or 5 months I had my last pair.  I just play until they're badly beaten up, or in the case of my last pair, a split developed.  I generally don't break sticks though.

Jeff

A gardening tip on the cafe?

My wife is an avid gardener and discarded drumsticks make GREAT plant stakes!  My old sticks are responsible for helping many a plant through their "gangly" period.  

my sticks last forever on my e-drums

I use Vic Firth 5A wood tip and they last anywhere between 4 - 6 months. of course i'm a very easy player

i switch between the zildjian 5a and 5b. i get about two weeks out of a pair. i chew them up right in the middle. i live in the rim shot.

I've never had a problem with Pro-Mark since I began using them about 23 years ago.  I'm very happy using their oak sticks.  I have a pair left over from the mid '80s that I was using on my practice set at home recently.  They are so worn from hours of use that the shoulders look like tooth picks.   Anyway, the nylon tip from one of the sticks flew off as I was playing.  I was able to hammer it back on using the butt of the other stick and continue playing with no further problems.  I have a pair of their Rocker Knockers (1st generation, perhaps?) I bought some time around '81 that barely show any signs of wear.  They seem like great sticks to me.

Tom