Element B:

Identification and Analysis of Prior

Solutions
Introduction:

When looking for solutions to our identified problem, drummers breaking sticks, obviously we
took to the internet to find some existing patents and products. Finding the commercial
products was quite simple, discovering what durable drumsticks exist on the market today and
why they are better than standard sticks and/or their competitors. In that case, we made sure to
focus on the materials and procedures used by the manufacturers and the effects, good and
bad, that they had on the stick. Finding existing patents to aid us in our analysis was not so
simple. From our research, most of which consisted of combing Google Patents and the
USPTO, we did manage to discover a few interesting inventions that, while dubious, certainly
will help us in conceiving a new solution.

Patent Research

The patents for drumsticks are few and far between, especially when searching for a focus in
durability. However there are some obscure ideas we discovered that may support the
development of a new solution.

Shatter-Resistant Drumsticks From Sustainable Materials

Source: David Wayne Reid, David Richard Violi. (2012). Shatter-Resistant Drumsticks From
Sustainable Materials(US20140216232A1). USPTO.
https://patents.google.com/patent/US20140216232A1/en?q=Drumsticks&oq=Drumsticks

Patent Number: US20140216232A1

Patent Summary:
The idea behind this solution was to create drumsticks from agricultural fibers, making the
sticks both sustainable and more durable than traditional wooden sticks. The sticks would be
comprised of monocots, specifically grasses, and have excellent playability, improved grip, be
less susceptible to chipping, splintering, and shattering, and be harder, lighter and more
durable. This patent has been abandoned.
Patent Critique:
The process of combining grass and flower-like plant fibers into creating an effective drumstick
seems difficult and time and resource consuming, if possible at all. This does however, show
that there are other, even sustainable materials, that can be used to create a durable drumstick
other than woods and synthetics like Carbon Fiber. Materials that may not have initially been
considered.

Images:

Polymeric drumsticks

Source: Joel David Citron,Michael Robert Samuels. (2003). Polymetric

drumsticks(US6960712B2). USPTO.
https://patents.google.com/patent/US6960712B2/en?q=Drumsticks&oq=Drumsticks

Patent Number: US6960712B2

Patent Summary:
The idea behind this solution was to create drumsticks from thermoplastic or thermoset resin
compositions containing a reinforcing agent, having good playing characteristics and are
durable. This patent has expired.

Patent Critique:
The concept of using a synthetic material with a reinforcing agent is fascinating for a
drumstick, however resin is typically quite brittle and likely wouldn’t survive as a stick for an
extended period. However this depends on how strong the reinforcing agent is. Another
interesting concept that this brings into question is being able to 3D-Print effective drumsticks
and thus mass produce them.

Images:

Drumstick and synthetic tip therefor

Source: Joseph D. Calato. (2003). Drumstick and synthetic tip therefor(CA2528296C).

USPTO.
https://patents.google.com/patent/CA2528296C/en?q=Drumsticks+durability&oq=Drumst
icks+durability&page=4

Patent Number: CA2528296C

Patent Summary:
The idea behind this solution was to create a drumstick with a tip of synthetic material that
would have a similar sound to a typical wooden tip. The material for the tip being either
graphite, ceramic, plastic, or preferably nylon.

Patent Critique:
The concept behind this solution, to use as synthetic material for the tip of a drumstick, has
become widely used today to create different sounds from drums and cymbals and to improve
durability. Broken tips are a very common cause for replacing wooden drumsticks. Nylon tips,
which are nearly unbreakable, remove this problem entirely. This is certainly something we
should consider when creating our own solution.

Images:

Commercial Products

The following products represent drumsticks that are or have been on the market which
attempt to tackle the challenge of increasing durability. The first of these products is an
example of an industry standard to provide a constant for the rest of the solutions. The
descriptions of each product detail the material and construction of the stick and how this
influences elements such as durability, feel, tone, etc. Through these details the pros and cons
of each solution shall become apparent.
Vic Firth American Classic

The Vic Firth American Classic drumsticks are the definition of standard drumsticks, the 5A
model being the most popular in the world. The
American Classic line uses select hickory, a dense
wood that can sustain a sufficient amount of trauma.
This wood also carries a little flex for a strong, distinct
sound. This style of sticks have a good size and weight
that makes them applicable to any style of music. This
also means that these sticks do not excel at particularly
any genre. Their thin and lightweight construction
means these sticks may quickly be compromised
under excessive shock, heavier-hitters veering away and opting for stronger models. Their price
point is relatively average at $11 per pair. These sticks are the industry standard
Product Sold Here: https://vicfirth.zildjian.com/american-classic-5a.html

Vic Firth Titan 5B

The Vic Firth Titan 5B drumsticks were created for maximum durability without sacrificing
feel. These sticks are made from an advanced
aerospace-grade carbon fiber composite material,
establishing formidable longevity. They have
practical weight and good balance, mimicking the
feel of wooden drumsticks but the material is much
denser than wood, leading to greater fatigue for the
user. The sound tones vary greatly from wooden
sticks, which have darker, more narrow tones. The
Titans have a brighter and broader sound, which
many drummers may not be used to and further
may not like. The sticks also were known to leave
black marks on the users’ gear, a large downside.
The price point of these sticks was extremely high at around $50 dollars per pair, 5 times the
price of an average pair. This model of drumsticks has been discontinued by the manufacturer,
likely meaning the product was not successful enough to continue production. Despite this,
the Vic Firth Titans were known to last at least five times longer than a traditional pair, if not
longer.
Product No Longer on the Market

Promark FireGrain

The Promark FireGrain series of sticks were made specifically for the goal of gaining durability
without cost to feel. FireGrain is a heat-tempering process where the sticks are heated to 4000
degrees, an operation used in construction meant to bind the fibers in a piece of wood tightly
together. This procedure uses ordinary
hickory drumsticks and makes the
wood stronger and less likely to break
while retaining the same weight and
balance as normal sticks, in theory. As a
consequence of the tempering process,
the sticks feel a little more stiff in the
hands and may turn out to be a bit
front heavy. The tone of the sticks does remain close to that of hickory sticks, only being
slightly altered by the heat treatment. The price point of Promark’s FireGrain sticks is above
average, at $17 per pair. The increase in durability isn’t extreme, but it is noticeable, FireGrain
sticks lasting considerably longer than their non-tempered counterparts.
Product Sold Here: https://www.daddario.com/firegrain/

Vater Hickory Drumsticks

Vater is well known for making durable drumsticks at a lower price, specifically in their
Hickory sticks. Vater utilizes Shellbark and Shagbark Hickory, the strongest of the hickory
plants. Their sticks also have a focus on
moisture content(10-12%) to provide
higher durability and feel. These sticks
have the same consistent tone that
comes with other hickory sticks that
many drummers appreciate. These sticks do tend to be a bit more narrow than competitors,
leading to more stick failures. They have a lower than average price at around only $8 per pair.
Vater drumsticks have reasonable durability, especially for their price, but certainly don’t exceed
the standard, some users saying the Vic Firth Classic 5A models last longer.
Product Sold Here:
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/VHP5BW--vater-american-hickory-drumsticks-pow
er-5b-wood-tip

Ahead Classic 5B Rock

Ahead has a very unique process, using an aluminum stick with a polyurethane casting for the
majority of their drumsticks. The 5B model specifically is made to last with front-weighted
power, creating more volume with less force.
These sticks take 50% less shock than wooden
sticks and last significantly longer, marketed as
6-10 times as long as classic hickory. The alloy core
used ensures consistent weight and balance and
each stick has built in vibration control,
improving the feel for the drummer. However this
material also ensures that the stick itself is
significantly heavier than wooden alternatives on
the market, thereby reducing the ideal feel for
many users along with greater fatigue. A massive
disadvantage of the Ahead sticks is that their
material, weight, and higher power bring about
much more damage to drum heads and cymbals. While the sticks may last longer, the rest of
the users’ gear may see a decrease in lifespan, negating the positive effects brought by the sticks.
The Ahead Classic 5B Rock sticks are on the higher end of the price bar, marked at around
$33. However this higher price point appears quite reasonable when considering the durability
of the sticks, which are significantly higher than competitors.
Product Sold Here:
https://www.aheaddrumsticks.com/drumsticks-5br.html#.Y2B0PnbMK3A
Promark Shira Kashi Oak Attack 5B

Promark makes use of Shira Kashi Oak, a wood that is more dense than the types of hickory
used for other wooden drumsticks. This higher density leads to more power and durability, but
also leads to more weight. Higher weight can sometimes be a detriment to the feel of a stick for
many drummers and can lead to greater fatigue
with use. On the other hand, the choice of wood
improves the lifespan of the stick dramatically and
maintains the tone that comes from wooden sticks
that many drummers love over everything else.
The price point of these sticks is higher than
average at $19 per pair. Another benefit of these
sticks is that, while they will eventually break,
there will be no splintering. A major drawback of
hickory sticks is that they crack and splinter, spewing bits of wood everywhere as they get used
more frequently. Shira Kashi Oak sticks do not have this problem, leaving no mess behind once
the sticks do eventually need to be replaced.
Product Sold Here:
https://www.daddario.com/products/percussion/promark/promark-drum-set/promark-classic
/classic-attack-5b-shira-kashi-oak-drumstick-oval-wood-tip/

The information presented in each of the products detailed above was found on the
manufacturer’s websites, retailer’s websites, professional online reviews, and customer reviews
on various retail websites.

Conclusion:

Similar Solution Matrix

Note: Category 3 has extra weight in the chart as it is the main focus of our problem

The similar solution matrix we have created clearly shows which products we have researched
that best solve our problem by meeting the requirements detailed by us and the consumers.
This will help us to determine what to focus on when designing our product. For example, one
of the intriguing elements of the two highest ranking solutions is the concept of a casing. The
Ahead Rock sticks use a polyurethane casing to improve feel, durability, and better protect the
cymbals and drums when playing. The Promark Firegrain sticks use an outer case of heat
temperament to fortify the stick while maintaining tone and feel. Another important lesson is
that durability on its own isn’t everything. The Vic Firth Titan sticks are among the most
durable of the entire list, but are ranked low. This is because while it excels in durability, the
sticks lack in many other aspects like tone, price, and damage to gear. This shows us that we
can’t disregard the other important factors of making a good drumstick, or else our product
will fail.