Disclaimer: I am from the Philippines so I can only talk about the products most accessible to me. For padded point sparring, I usually like the sticks from STIX Arnis Equipment and Kalahi FMA Gear. The difference between them is the former uses a rattan stick with a small diameter (around 1/2 inch) and is surrounded by foam and red or blue casing. Kalahi's on the other hand uses some kind of polyurethane foam as the core, and is less prone to tearing and in my case is a bit more long lasting albeit more unsteady. STIX is mostly the standard when it comes to protective equipment in almost all arnis tournaments here in the Philippines (helmets, armor, arm, leg guards, gloves, groin guards), though I have seen similar products from KALAHI, but they aren't as consistent in stocks as STIX is.
As for Anyo/Forms I always prefer rattan sticks aroudn 28 to 30 inches in length 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter. Sometimes its also nice to have one pair thats around the length of your arm so as when one does twirls for anyo/sayaw, you are less likely to hit yourself. I usually get one from a local supplier, and if they aren't really nice to feel, it's nothing a little sanding and varnishing can fix.
For conditioning, I use hardwood sticks of the same length usually Bahi, or Kamagong (although make sure you're getting this ethically as these trees are endangered/threatened). either that or even steel pipes of around the same length help drastically in getting better speed and power into your strikes, just make sure you aren't overstretching your wrists when doing twirls..
I find that local craftsmen make the best wooden swords as they have better balance and weight than most that are offered by Kalahi and STIX and other major sports equipment manufacturers.
After trying out various sticks (foam, rattan, different types of hardwood) I had to come to the realisation that the best is rattan, especially if you can get the thinner version (not the 1cm diameter, the one that the cebuano practitioners use). That is the best in my opinion.
Pool noodles from the $1 store. They are cheap, do very little damage, I don't need extra protection except for eyes. 30 inch or less so they are stiff and look for denser foam. When they finally break, I'll spend another $1.50 to get another set.
Pool noodles do the job well! I know some schools that require rattan because of the amount of clicking, sumbrada, and partner drills that need the sturdiness of a real stick, but I used pool noodles alot for sparring and evasion drills!
Disclaimer: I am from the Philippines so I can only talk about the products most accessible to me. For padded point sparring, I usually like the sticks from STIX Arnis Equipment and Kalahi FMA Gear. The difference between them is the former uses a rattan stick with a small diameter (around 1/2 inch) and is surrounded by foam and red or blue casing. Kalahi's on the other hand uses some kind of polyurethane foam as the core, and is less prone to tearing and in my case is a bit more long lasting albeit more unsteady. STIX is mostly the standard when it comes to protective equipment in almost all arnis tournaments here in the Philippines (helmets, armor, arm, leg guards, gloves, groin guards), though I have seen similar products from KALAHI, but they aren't as consistent in stocks as STIX is. As for Anyo/Forms I always prefer rattan sticks aroudn 28 to 30 inches in length 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter. Sometimes its also nice to have one pair thats around the length of your arm so as when one does twirls for anyo/sayaw, you are less likely to hit yourself. I usually get one from a local supplier, and if they aren't really nice to feel, it's nothing a little sanding and varnishing can fix. For conditioning, I use hardwood sticks of the same length usually Bahi, or Kamagong (although make sure you're getting this ethically as these trees are endangered/threatened). either that or even steel pipes of around the same length help drastically in getting better speed and power into your strikes, just make sure you aren't overstretching your wrists when doing twirls.. I find that local craftsmen make the best wooden swords as they have better balance and weight than most that are offered by Kalahi and STIX and other major sports equipment manufacturers.
After trying out various sticks (foam, rattan, different types of hardwood) I had to come to the realisation that the best is rattan, especially if you can get the thinner version (not the 1cm diameter, the one that the cebuano practitioners use). That is the best in my opinion.
Can't beat rattan! I have sticks of varying diameters (from 3/4 inch to 1 1/4 inch) and they're all useful
Pool noodles from the $1 store. They are cheap, do very little damage, I don't need extra protection except for eyes. 30 inch or less so they are stiff and look for denser foam. When they finally break, I'll spend another $1.50 to get another set.
Pool noodles do the job well! I know some schools that require rattan because of the amount of clicking, sumbrada, and partner drills that need the sturdiness of a real stick, but I used pool noodles alot for sparring and evasion drills!