# How long do your sticks last?



## ArmorOfGod (Jul 11, 2009)

How long on average does everyone arnis sticks last?  What brands last decent lengths of time?
I have some rattan sticks from KWON that I love, but I just noticed some splintering today.  I bought some other sticks from AWMA and they were dry rotted.  Out of 6 sticks, 5 of them were rotted and exploded on the first impact.

AoG


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## geezer (Jul 11, 2009)

ArmorOfGod said:


> How long on average does everyone arnis sticks last?   ...Out of 6 sticks, 5 of them were rotted and exploded on the first impact.  AoG



Ouch! And how much did you pay for them?

Anyway, I buy the 28 inch x 1 inch "rattan poles" with the skin on from Frank's Cane. I clean them up a bit and, if I feel like it, heat them over the stove and straighten them. The quality varies, but they are really cheap and if I tape them, they last a long time.

Back when I did Latosa Combat Escrima we used to hit stick-to stick about as hard as we possibly could and even with the tape, the sticks would give out after a while. Now I train Torres DTE system and we tend to hit to the hand instead of the stick. The sticks last a lot longer now. Ha!


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## yak sao (Jul 11, 2009)

If you still know anyone from the Latosa group, ask them if they still have those heavy sticks they used to sell at the LA HQ. They were rataan but they still had the outer layer of skin on them. I've had mine since 98 and they are still in great shape.......(although they get much less use than they used to since I'm no longer with EB)

BTW, how many times did you see Rene Latosa take someone's stick and procede to shred it to pieces by striking it with his stick in a matter of seconds?........he seemed to take a sadistic glee in that.  And the poor guy would look at his (formerly) new stick and have this sheepish grin on his face


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## arnisador (Jul 11, 2009)

I've had ones last many years, and others fray badly after several months...as I use them I'll usually get at least a year out of them, but YMMV.


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## Glycerine0160 (Jul 12, 2009)

Honestly, my sticks started splintering after like 7-8 months so I bought hockey tape and very meticulously wrapped both sticks. ( I accidentally came an hour early to class, so I had a lot of time to make sure it was real small and tight.) I'm positive they will last a life time after wrapping them.

Now, my hands are naturally sweaty, to the point i have to concentrate really hard on holding them when I start going for a while. So the tape actually helps me with this issue.

It may make the surface slightly sticky, but I wouldn't use the word sticky. Maybe griddy. 

Just my experience thus far.


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## Tensei85 (Jul 12, 2009)

I generally buy the larger size oak sticks, they are harder to handle but take the force fairly well.

In the past I bought rattan sticks, but always busted them in a few months.
The oak ones have lasted on average year 1/2 - 2 given 3-4 classes a week, with constant usage on the side.


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## geezer (Jul 13, 2009)

Tensei85 said:


> I generally buy the larger size oak sticks, they are harder to handle but take the force fairly well.
> 
> In the past I bought rattan sticks, but always busted them in a few months.
> The oak ones have lasted on average year 1/2 - 2 given 3-4 classes a week, with constant usage on the side.



Just a word of caution. I'd be careful about using hardwood in any training that involves _continuous, hard stick-to stick contact_. Under those conditions, eventually any stick will break. But unlike rattan which softens and frays first, hardwoods can shatter suddenly with nasty, sharp ends.


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## terryl965 (Jul 13, 2009)

Mine have laster on the average about 1 year some broke earlier and some lasted longer butit seems to me you have been hit kinda hard for sticks.


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## Sandpaperhead (Jul 15, 2009)

I do alot of tirework and we do powered-drills so mine usually last a couple months at most... I use heavy rattan sticks... I just put duct tape on them as soon as they start splintering...

I have a whole lot of broken sticks lying around cuz I have to change them all the time


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## Tensei85 (Jul 15, 2009)

geezer said:


> Just a word of caution. I'd be careful about using hardwood in any training that involves _continuous, hard stick-to stick contact_. Under those conditions, eventually any stick will break. But unlike rattan which softens and frays first, hardwoods can shatter suddenly with nasty, sharp ends.



Yea, definitely agreed. But the sticks are always rapped as to contain most of the splintering effect. But thanks for the advice.


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