Technical Questions

What is Durattan™ and what is made out of?

Durattan™ is made of a state of the art polymer that contains the finest plastic to create the most rattan-like characteristics such as feel and weight.  The goal is to have a stick that is hard like natural rattan but able to withstand more abuse.

Are Durattan™ sticks padded?

No, Padded sticks give users the ability to spar without the chance of injury.  Durattan™ is not meant for sparring but rather stick on stick training such as in Siniwali patterns as we see in the Filipino Martial Arts.    Durattan™ sticks and padded sticks are meant for two separate parts of your training regiment.  For padded sticks we highly recommend "SMAK-STIKS"

Is Durattan ™ indestructible like other companies advertise their stick as?

Nothing is indestructible and everything has a breaking point.  What Durattan™ does offer is a stick that will hold up much better than rattan.  A stand-in if you will.

Does Durattan™ crack, chip, splinter, shatter?

Durattan™ is a plastic composite so it stretches.  Yet its tensile strength is 3,700psi, so it is rather hard to stretch.  When impacted with something such as a sledge hammer the material will dent rather than crack, splinter, or shatter.  If used as a rattan stand-in and not abused, rattan will give long before Durattan™ will.  In some cases when Durattan™ does come in contact with something sharp or more dense than itself it can get "nicked."  If this does happen it can be easily fixed by sanding it down with medium grit sand paper.

Does Durattan™bend?

YES.  To create a stick that has strength, resistance to abrasion, and resistance against cracking or splintering, it has to have some give.  Durattan™can be bent but does not break the way a rattan stick would break when bent.  When Durattan™ is forced to bend it will comply with force up to a certain point.  A point which far exceeds any bending that a rattan stick will take.  Durattan's ability to bend prolongs its life where a rattan stick would have broken or a wooden stick would have cracked or splintered.

Does Durattan™ absorb impact well?

Yes, but because Durattan™ is stronger than rattan and other materials, it does have a noticeable amount of vibration which can be felt in the longer items.  It is however, still extremely similar to rattan.  To give you an example, it produces half as much vibration as a steel pipe and a little bit more than its rattan cousin.  This is however greatly improved by wearing some form of gloves, wrapping your sticks with your favorite stick wrap, or by holding the stick with a stronger grip.

How does natural rattan hold up to impact against Durattan™?

From our experience Durattan™ has actually proven to help prolong the life of the rattan sticks they are used against. Since they are perfectly round and made out of polymer, natural rattan seems to skip off slightly. Similar to how a boxers punch would slide off against a greased face. This however, is not noticeable to either the rattan or Durattan™ yielding person.

What size is best for me?

The size you buy depends on your personal preference.  Pick up your favorite stick and measure it from tip to tip along with the diameter.  From the measurements you have taken choose your Durattan™ sticks accordingly.  Please remember that Durattan™ is slightly heavier than an average rattan stick.  Yet, it is not as heavy as hard wood.  If you don't know what size to buy choose our most popular size ~  1"X28" stick pair!

How can I maximize the life of my Durattan™ training sticks?

One of the best qualities of Durattan ™ is that the weight is distributed equally throughout the entire stick.  This gives you the ability to practice with both ends equally and in essences double the life.

How do I care for Durattan™?

It is recommended that you use Durattan™ when it is at an average room temperature.  While it's working temperature range is from -58 to 176 degrees Fahrenheit, plastic polymers get softer as they get hotter.  For example, if you happen to leave your sticks on the dashboard of your car, allow them to cool down before using them.

As mentioned, Durattan™ can bend.  Because of this it is may need to be straightened by hand periodically. After shipping you may have to straighten your sticks.

When storing Durattan™ try to keep it at room temperature in a dry place.  While Durattan™ only absorbs .01% moisture it is still good practice to keep them dry.  It is also good practice to keep from storing them with metals and other materials which are harder than plastic such as concrete, steel, etc.  Durattan™ like other plastic polymers can be susceptible to abrasions from harder materials.

My stick came in contact with something which nicked it.  How do I fix this?

It is possible to nick or scrape Durattan™ sticks to the point where there might be some slightly rough spots or places that the polymer has been damaged.  Just as with its rattan cousin, Durattan™ reacts well to the application of heat.  Simply run a lighter, or in larger cases a torch, across the damaged part until it is smooth.  This usually does not take much, so a little heat at a time is best.  Since Durattan™ is made of a plastic composite it will "melt" and conform to its surroundings.  This is a process that we recommend but please use your own discretion and perform it at your own risk.  This process will in some cases void the guarantee if the stick is melted beyond its normal shape.

Why are Durattan™ Staffs only available at 1 1/8-1/4" diameter?

To assure rattan-like properties, we only offer our staffs in 1 1/4" diameter.  As with rattan, the larger diameter also brings more rigidity along with weight.  Congruently, the smaller the diameter, the less ridged.  We have found that a diameter under 1" does not offer rattan-like properties in a length such as our staffs (four to six feet long).

Can I fight Real Contact Stickfighting events with these sticks?

Because of its strength, Durattan™ most likely will not be approved for fighting events.  While bone breakage is possible with rattan training sticks, bone is more dense than rattan.  This yields a low percentage of breakage.  Durattan™ however is more dense and has a greater possibility of breaking bone.  We ask that everyone uses Durattan for what it is intended; stick on stick training.

Is Durattan™ exactly like rattan?

No.  There will never be anything that can exactly replicate rattan.  What Durattan™ is, is a polymer stick that offers martial artists a durable alternative to rattan.

Is Durattan™ shaped like rattan, does it have nodes?

Durattan™ is cylindrical in shape and does not have nodes.  This gives the user the option of using both ends of the stick since there is no "preference" to what way the nodes are facing.

How can I improve the grip of my Durattan ™?

G.R.I.P. (not currently available)

The Grasp Retaining Innovation Process is our way of adding a GRIP to Durattan™ sticks. The process gives the sticks a texture that promotes better GRIP. Why do we offer this instead of just adding it to our sticks? We have found that grip is a personal preference; some people prefer them, some don't. This is one of the reasons you don't find rattan suppliers selling rattan with in-store grips. If you choose to put on your own custom grip such as hockey grip tape we recommend using Durattan™ sticks without G.R.I.P. This will leave the stick with a smooth finish which accepts tapes and other such materials.

For Durattan™ without G.R.I.P we recommend using ski/snowboard wax anywhere your hands will be in contact with the stick.  We also recommend checking out grip tapes and golf club grips if any additional grip is needed. 

Why are your prices so much lower than other indestructible sticks?

With our most popular item, the 1"X28" stick being priced at $25.00 , a pair it is considerably lower than other companies.  Less than half the price to be exact!  Our price is comparable to the average quality pair of rattan sticks.  This is because we are a no frills company that doesn't focus on making the stick look pretty.  We want to make sure that you are 100% satisfied with our products, starting with the price.  We don't spend time on expensive graphics, grips, designs, packaging, etc. that do not ultimately improve the life of the product. 

Purchasing, Shipping & Returns

How long will it take for an item to come in which is on backorder?

It can take as long as eight weeks for material to come in which is on back order.  We ask that if you are ordering an item which is on backorder that you be patient for material to arrive and your product to be manufactured. 

Can I buy Durattan ™ in bulk?  Is it possible to get any discounts for my school, organization, seminar?

Yes!  We offer discounts on all bulk orders.  In addition, discounts are available to L.E.Os (Law Enforcement Officers) and other related organizations.  Please email info@durattan.com for more information.

How long does it take for a backordered item to be back in stock?

In some cases one or more of the items you purchased may be backordered.  We make sure to get your order out as soon as we have all the requested items in stock.  If we do not have one or more of your items in stock you will receive an email informing you of which items we are waiting on.  If you wish, we can ship out the items we do have in stock for an extra shipping charge.

Do you ship outside of the US?

If you are interested in purchasing Durattan™ products and you live outside of the US there will be an additional $20.00 shipping charge.  In some cases, larger orders will call for higher shipping prices.  Please place your orders and we will be contact with you if shipping is more than the anticipated amount.  Please understand it may take up to twelve weeks for your shipment to arrive.

I don't have a Paypal account.  Can I still order from this site?

We accept Master Card, Visa, American Express (AmEx), Discover, eCheck and PayPal payments.  You do not need a Paypal account to order from this web site.  To pay with a credit card simply follow these steps:

1.  After you have added the items you wish to purchase to your shopping cart click on "Proceed to Checkout" button. 

2.  You will then be lead to the Checkout screen.  About halfway down the screen it reads, "Use your credit card or bank account"  Click on the link.

3.  You will then be lead to a screen where you can fill in your credit card and shipping information. 

When will my order ship and what carrier do you use?

Each Durattan™ stick is custom made.  Because of this it may take up to one business week for your sticks to be manufactured before they are shipped.  Please understand this and plan accordingly if you are interested in receiving your sticks by a certain date. 

All domestic orders are shipped using UPS.  All international orders are shipped using USPS.  We recognize the same holidays as UPS & USPS shipping.  Domestic orders will get a tracking confirmation by email to track your order.  International orders will get a order number but will be unable to track the package.  Shipping time will differ by the location of the shipments final destination.  Domestic shipments can be tracked using your tracking number sent with the orders shipping confirmation.

The tracking number will be in the following form: 1Z XXX XXX XX XXXX XXX X

Click Here to track your package.

What is my "Tracking Number?" - International

If your package has been shipped internationally it will most likely be shipped via USPS.  In this case the USPS does not offer "tracking."  While they call the shipping number a "tracking number" it actually only shows when the shipment was paid for and when it has been delivered.  The message you will receive is the following when you attempt to track your package:

"Status: Electronic Shipping Info Received The U.S. Postal Service was electronically notified by the shipper on Month XX, 20XX to expect your package for mailing. This does not indicate receipt by the USPS or the actual mailing date. Delivery status information will be provided if / when available. Information, if available, is updated every evening. Please check again later."

While they claim to update information, we have yet to see any of our packages progress actually be "updated".