Vic Firth VFX5BN Extreme

I've been using 5B sticks for nearly my entire two decades of playing the drums. I've tried a bunch of different brands, but Vic Firth's sticks have always stood out as the ones that suit me best. At some point I switched to nylon tip sticks, because the tips would usually break first and propose a risk for the drum heads. For the music that I play, a brighter ride sound is also preferrable, which is what the nylon gives. With the normal 5B's I used to grip the sticks way too far back towards the butt end of the stick. The 5B Extremes have a bit of extra reach, which allows me to maintain the grip at the optimal position. The sticks are doing their job right when you don't have to think about them while playing and they are an extension of your arms and hands. For me, this model is that extension. My only gripe is the inconsistency in quality, as different pairs are from different trees, two pairs may have quite a difference in density and weight. However, Vic Firth does an excellent job at pairing each pair, so both sticks in a pair always feel identical.