This year the SilverFox booth at NAMM 08 was nothing short of busy. Everyone seemed eager to make their way over just to see what the buzz was all about. People from all walks of life: beginners, seasoned vets, vendors, and a host of SilverFox artists from their ever growing roster. With many great products to choose from, you could really visualize and feel the quality of craftsmanship that goes into making each drumstick. This work ethic combined with SilverFox’s exclusive technology, it’s easy to see why celebrities such as Chad Smith, Nate Townsley, Carmine Appice, and many more were curious to bear witness to this “ sleeping giant” of stick manufacturers. During my stay I was able to acquire of pair of the SilverFox Clawstix for a review as explained by Dave Share/ Inside Sales Rep.

NAMM 2008 - David Share of SilverFox

The Clawstix is a hybrid stick made up of 13 birch and 6 black Delrin polymer dowels .

The dowels are held by an “O” ring that can be adjusted for a variety of different effects. Towards the bottom gives you more soft or wet sound, versus a more focused attack when moved up the stick. This combination of wood and polymer seem to complement each other well. The birch dowels provide the warmth ,balance ,and feel of a traditional rod stick while the polymer dowels can enhance the brightness and articulation of any cymbal. Rod sticks and brushes have been around for quite some time now. But what do we really know about this mystery material referred to as Delrin? Where does it come from? What’s it all about ? And what makes it a favorite to replace the traditional nylon tip? Check out a few of these facts we were able to dig up about this scientific wonder.

Polyoxymethylene (POM), in the USA also commonly known under DuPont's brand name Delrin, is an engineering plastic, a polymer with the chemical formula -(-O-CH₂-)_n-. It is often marketed and used as a metal substitute. * Definition provided by Wikipedia

It was first synthesized by Dupont’s research chemists around 1952. The company filed for patent protection in “56” and by 1960 had built the first plant to produce it in Parkersburg, WV. Delrin is the material of choice for SilverFox due to its durability to withstand constant punishment. Although not indestructible, Delrin is much denser and stronger than Nylon and for the most part is completely weather-proof. This stuff can remain functional up to temperatures in excess of 90 deg. Celsius. That’s over 200 deg. Fahrenheit!! If you still don’t understand…that’s pretty hot. Here are some other cool facts about Delrin:

     - Exclusively used on SilverFox stick models

- Produces a brighter sound than nylon

- Weighs similar to nylon but stronger, waterproof, weatherproof

- Used in making Irish flutes, bag pipes, and accessories from guitar pics to body jewelry

- Used by Hot Wheels to make tires on their cars ( from “68-72” )

Personally, I’ll never go back to 100% wood rods. Eliminating the stiffness of all wood, and the whipping effect from all polymer dowels, the staggered rod combination provides the perfect balance of strength and flexibility needed for today’s dynamic musician. The Clawstix is a must have for myself when I play at church because it is necessary for low volume situations, but firm enough to transition for louder scenarios. This eliminates the constant switching between my sticks and brushes that I used to encounter quite frequently, allowing my focus to remain on the music. Due to the staggering process the Derlin rods tend to shift sometimes , grouping them in two’s . But this can be overcome quickly with a minor adjustment. Overall I would recommend this for every drummer, as we need at least one pair of these in the stick bag at all times. Be sure to follow up with us next week as we take a look at SilverFox’s 5A hickory drumstick, and the process by which they are made. Keep up the good work guys, you’ve got a customer for life!

Visit the SilverFox  website HERE and try a pair today!