Kuppmen 5A Carbon Fiber Sticks

I really wanted to love these sticks. On first impression they felt great in my hands - in terms of size and weight very very close to hickory Vic Firth 5As (the American Classics). Great rim click sound and a lovely non-slip feel in the hands. But the claimed longevity does not stack up. I haven't broken a stick in 3 or 4 years (they wear out rather than break) but these broke after only a few hours use. Certainly nowhere near the claimed 10 times longer than the equivalent wood sticks. My experience is in fact the opposite. The carbon fibre material is very brittle and the stick snapped about 1 cm below the tip at the taper. Also the surface seems quite soft and so prone to damage if you tend to strike the edge of your cymbals. Shame that I can't include photos in this review.