Feature:
Again, all dowel style brushes run into the same problems - keeping the dowels tightly together and maintaining a consistent grip. Many different brands of dowel brushes have handles that start slipping off shortly after you begin to use them. The Pro-mark grips, however, last noticibly longer.

Quality:
The grips and dowel tape last a lot longer than other brands before slipping off. The dowels start to chip and snap quickly, but that's the nature of these sticks - you can't avoid it. As a general rule, you should expect that a pair of dowel brushes will have approximately 1/4 the life of a pair of drum sticks.

Value:
These things can run expensive.

Desirability:
These are for those situations where you have to play as quietly as possible. Not the sexiest situation to be in.

Sound:
Dowel style brush/sticks all have a similar sound, and these are no different. The concept is to simulate the sound of using a drum stick while drastically reducing the volume, and these accomplish that feat.

Ease of Use:
They're sticks. You hit stuff with them.

Overall:
I've owned many different brands of dowel brushes, and they are consistent in two things: they all sound similar, and they all fall apart very quickly. However, in my experience the pro-mark version stays in the best shape until it completely breaks down. Other brands I've owned I've had to push the rubber grips back into place after every song, which is very annoying. With these, you can expect that the grips and dowel tape will stay where they are, and you just have to worry about the dowel rods shattering - which they will inevitably do. If you've got a long running gig where you have to play quietly, get a couple pairs.

Feature:
the dowells work good - they just don't last very long

Value:
I think they're too expensive - but then I go through a lot of them

Sound:
They sound great - if muffled. Rimshots are good, stick work on rims is a bit too quiet. If you can't play with sticks (you're in a smaller venu - a church, or a small hall) these things are terrific!

Overall:
They do what they're designed to do - but they don't last very long, especially if you're hitting hard.