What to do with old drum sticks?

If made of Hickory.....into the BBQ with you.

If made of Maple......into the fireplace with you.

Smoke 'em if you got 'em!
 
I've never done it but I always wanted to pretty up some snapped ones (soften the broken edges) and turn them into cabinet handles, or box handles for gear. I'm not sure if the sticks could support a screw through them, but it would add some great style to a drawer or box or cabinet or something in your practice space.
 
That also goes for gear that is still in good condition that you want to sell but will fetch only modest $$. A great way to support music in the schools.
 
My question is: do drum sticks dry out with age,and if so, does that render them useless?

Drum sticks are dried before they are made and the moisture content is lowered as much as possible. It is doubtful that their moisture content changes much over time. But they won't dry out and become useless.
 
Wood is biodegradable. You can grind it down to sawdust, mix and use it as a good plant fertilizer (manure).
 
For the most part, I put all my functional old sticks in a drawer. Then, as they pile up, I try to make decent pairs for gigs.

I like having nice sticks for practice, since I think its important when practicing fine stick control and what not.
But, I can use beat up, mismatched pairs for rock gigs since the beats aren't really that hard. I've never been to a show where I criticized the drummer for imprecise, unbalanced rolls... Plus, its expected that you'll break sticks when you're playing rock, so it adds to the effect.

I am a firm believe that if you practice enough your body will adjust to mismatched sticks enough to play easier styles well. So waste not, want not.

Also, I let my students play with my unbroken but old sticks sometimes. It lets them experience different sticks without having to explain to their parents why they need to go buy new sticks when they still have perfectly good ones. This is especially true with specialty sticks.

And yes, when I play more complicated music or even more difficult styles of rock I do use nicer sticks.
 
I use Regal tip jazz nylon. Think of a 7A, but longer.

They don't wear out - they break.

Trashola.

I don't roll sticks or match sticks. My bag is full of 20 pairs of these things (and brushes, mallets, 5A's, 5Bs, assorted Hot Rods, etc.)

When I set up to play I'll just grab 5 or 6 out of the bag, I sit on one, put one in each hand (the heavier one in my left) and toss the rest into the Danmar stick holder in my HH.

When I break one I usually toss it at the BP or singer, grab the one I'm sitting on and keep playing.

:-D

-Ken
 
Are they unusable? If so, just put them away in a box. I never throw drum sticks away, because every so often, I'll get them back out to see if my feel toward them has changed. You may end up liking a stick you didn't previously favor, who knows? Keep them around, though.
 
Make a snare drum out of them!


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Make a snare drum out of them!


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LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is creative!

My problem is, I don't break sticks... My last one, I broke because I got angry about something and tried to beat my drums up with a pair, and the best I could do was crack one. I think it took someone else to break it while tooling around on my drums one day. That was about 7 years ago...
 
My son plays the drums ... he has lots of old and broken drumsticks. I made a small table with some of them. I stacked the sticks "log cabin style" to make the 4 sides. I used a piece of wood for the top. I use it as an small end table in our music room. I have also made a few picture frames out of some of them.
 
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