When were nylon tips invented?

Guz2

Senior Member
About when did companies start making nylon-tipped sticks? Also, who was the first company to make them? Cheers :)
 
Calato was the first with the Regal Tip stick, and I remember them in the mid-'60s (retail was $1.95/pr, which seemed expensive then!)

Bermuda
 
Joe Calato first started marketing them in 1956

From Calato:
REGAL TIP HISTORY​
Necessity is the mother of invention. No one knows this better than Joe Calato, who revolutionized the drumstick industry in 1958. Prior to that time only wood tip sticks were available. Although the sound was great, many drummers were frustrated when their wood tips wore out too quickly. That's when professional drummer and woodworker, Joe Calato, stepped in. He decided to try to make a stick that would last longer and would offer a new, cutting edge sound.

After much experimenting, Joe perfected the idea. A drumstick with a nylon tip that stayed on, didn't shatter and produced a sound pleasing to the ear. In fact, the sound was so pleasing it helped define the musical styles of the day with its signature clarity on the drumheads and ride cymbals. His contribution to the percussion industry was recognized by the Percussive Arts Society when the organization inducted Joe into the Hall of Fame in 2001.


Joe Calato's invention signaled a revolution in percussion manufacturing and design that continues today. Joe took it as his mission to upgrade the lowly drumstick, beginning with the quality of the wood; the drying of the wood; the famous Regal Tip finish; inspection for straightness of grain; weight, knots, warp; and finally the matching and pairing of sticks. To this day the drum world credits Joe Calato with establishing modern standards in drumstick design and crafting.


The creativeness and innovation of Regal Tip continues today. At the PAS convention in 2003, Regal Tip introduced Joe's revolutionary new nylon tip drumstick, the "E-Series". For years Joe had been determined to invent a nylon tip stick which would offer a darker, warmer sound on a cymbal, a wood tip sound. Just as the original nylon tip drumstick was the significant drumstick development in the 20th century, our new "E-Series" just may prove the same for the 21st century.


Regal was the first of today's major drumstick companies to have always manufactured its own products. All manufacturing takes place on our premises in Niagara Falls. This allows us to control quality, innovate new products in our state-of-the-art machine shop, and design and build machinery to ensure consistency.


This is but the beginning of a long history of innovation. The company has secured numerous patents and, as we speak, there are patents pending and numerous new ideas on the drafting table. The Regal Tip line has grown over the last 50 years to include the world's most popular line of drum brushes, timpani mallets, practice pads and the most impressive line of specialty sticks on the market today.


Most recently Regal Tip was honored with m.i.p.a.'s "Best Drumsticks" award for its X-Series sticks. This international recognition was the decision of 55 magazines from 40 countries around the world.
 
I remember the Regal Tip sticks well. The nylon tips used to fly off all over the place.

When ever I got a new batch of sticks we'd pull the nylon tip off and epoxy them back on. Then we'd sand the grip of the stick with coarse sand paper to give it a better grip.

The sticks of today are so much batter than what we had back then.
 
The tips did used to come off a lot in the 70's. Regal Tip, Pro Mark, all of them. The manufacturing techniques seem to have improved tremendously. Industry-wide, as well. The tips seems to be more than just glued on, they're pressed on tight, maybe even the wood is tapered wider towards the end. But they don't come off like they used to, however they achieve it.
 
The tips did used to come off a lot in the 70's. Regal Tip, Pro Mark, all of them. The manufacturing techniques seem to have improved tremendously. Industry-wide, as well. The tips seems to be more than just glued on, they're pressed on tight, maybe even the wood is tapered wider towards the end. But they don't come off like they used to, however they achieve it.
When I was a kid, I broke off the wood surrounding the tip long before I had to worry about a tip coming off :D but that was the last time I used Regals, save for a pair of 7a's a buddy of mine has on his house rehearsal kit. I'm using Firth nylons and they seem pretty good to me.
 
In the 70's I used Regals until I discovered Pro-Marks. I like the wood in Pro-Marks better, it's got a bit more 'give' and the sticks are pitched lower. Easier on the wrists, better action.
 
From Calato:

REGAL TIP HISTORY
Necessity is the mother of invention. No one knows this better than Joe Calato, who revolutionized the drumstick industry in 1958. Prior to that time only wood tip sticks were available. Although the sound was great, many drummers were frustrated when their wood tips wore out too quickly. That's when professional drummer and woodworker, Joe Calato, stepped in. He decided to try to make a stick that would last longer and would offer a new, cutting edge sound.

After much experimenting, Joe perfected the idea. A drumstick with a nylon tip that stayed on, didn't shatter and produced a sound pleasing to the ear. In fact, the sound was so pleasing it helped define the musical styles of the day with its signature clarity on the drumheads and ride cymbals. His contribution to the percussion industry was recognized by the Percussive Arts Society when the organization inducted Joe into the Hall of Fame in 2001.


Joe Calato's invention signaled a revolution in percussion manufacturing and design that continues today. Joe took it as his mission to upgrade the lowly drumstick, beginning with the quality of the wood; the drying of the wood; the famous Regal Tip finish; inspection for straightness of grain; weight, knots, warp; and finally the matching and pairing of sticks. To this day the drum world credits Joe Calato with establishing modern standards in drumstick design and crafting.


The creativeness and innovation of Regal Tip continues today. At the PAS convention in 2003, Regal Tip introduced Joe's revolutionary new nylon tip drumstick, the "E-Series". For years Joe had been determined to invent a nylon tip stick which would offer a darker, warmer sound on a cymbal, a wood tip sound. Just as the original nylon tip drumstick was the significant drumstick development in the 20th century, our new "E-Series" just may prove the same for the 21st century.


Regal was the first of today's major drumstick companies to have always manufactured its own products. All manufacturing takes place on our premises in Niagara Falls. This allows us to control quality, innovate new products in our state-of-the-art machine shop, and design and build machinery to ensure consistency.


This is but the beginning of a long history of innovation. The company has secured numerous patents and, as we speak, there are patents pending and numerous new ideas on the drafting table. The Regal Tip line has grown over the last 50 years to include the world's most popular line of drum brushes, timpani mallets, practice pads and the most impressive line of specialty sticks on the market today.


Most recently Regal Tip was honored with m.i.p.a.'s "Best Drumsticks" award for its X-Series sticks. This international recognition was the decision of 55 magazines from 40 countries around the world.
Didn't they disappear from the internet recently?
 
What do you like about them? (Never tried anything else )
Cymbal response.
At the moment, I play blues & jazz and the nylon gives me what I want to hear from the rids & hats. Very bright.

Durability:
With wood, once you split a chunk off the tip (which for me happened more often than I thought it should've), the whole stick is useless.
I don't have the capital to be buying bricks of brand name wood tips just to be tossing one stick after another because a chunk is gone.

Nylons don't do that (unless they shatter, which is rare for me), and the whole stick lasts a lot longer.
 
Cymbal response.
At the moment, I play blues & jazz and the nylon gives me what I want to hear from the rids & hats. Very bright.

Durability:
With wood, once you split a chunk off the tip (which for me happened more often than I thought it should've), the whole stick is useless.
I don't have the capital to be buying bricks of brand name wood tips just to be tossing one stick after another because a chunk is gone.

Nylons don't do that (unless they shatter, which is rare for me), and the whole stick lasts a lot longer.
Plus if a nylon tip flies off you still have that little chodey nub thing underneath that could potentially allow you to still finish the song then grab a new stick.
 
In the 70's I used Regals until I discovered Pro-Marks. I like the wood in Pro-Marks better, it's got a bit more 'give' and the sticks are pitched lower. Easier on the wrists, better action.
A buddy of mine just gave me a couple pairs of promark 5a's and I agree. I was using firth's but I think I'm going to switch.
 
Plus if a nylon tip flies off you still have that little chodey nub thing underneath that could potentially allow you to still finish the song then grab a new stick.
In my (even) poorer days, I kept the sticks that had lost their tips and would play them (held backwards) in my left hand, for the snare.
 
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