I've used these quite a lot and in my experience these last for a long time. They're a bit longer than a lot of other sticks and at the same time made out of oak which makes them very heavy. These sticks have a different feel to them than hickory sticks that are normal length. It takes a bit of time to get used to the feeling. They're also lacquered, so they feel more slippery than non-lacquered sticks. These sticks are not for everybody, but for those who likes the feeling of these sticks I think they're great.