Joe Calato and Drumsticks - A Legacy

A Pair of Maplewood 5B Sticks - made by Calato

I recently was gifted a pair of drum sticks. Though that may not seem like much to many, the sticks that I was gifted have quite the history. The sticks were originally used by a 13 year old school drum corp player in 1952, making these sticks 71 years old. If you look at the picture, they are in fantastic shape: in fact, one would be hard pressed to see any wear on them at all. They are 5B in weight and are stamped with "Maplewood by Calato".  Being made of maple, they are very light weight in comparison to the more standard oak or hickory sticks, something that anyone who picks them up will immediately notice. Though many modern drum corp players like the heavier drumsticks to build endurance, these feel large in the hand (being 5B) but allow for quick response. As an example, my Vic Firth 5A Extreme American Classic Hickory sticks weigh 50.5 grams each, while these Maplewood 5B's weigh 46.7 grams each.

If you do not know the history of Joe Calato, it is an important one for the drumming world. Joe is the founder of the Regal Tip drum stick company (Niagara Falls, New York) and was the first person to begin putting nylon tips on drumsticks, something that he started making and selling in 1958. In Matt Dean's book The Drum: A History, Matt comments that Joe observed "how drumsticks in good condition often suffered from damaged tips, rendering them useless", and so he "used a nylon tip, which offered much-improved strength and a brighter, more articulate sound" (2012).  Though these sticks do not have a plastic tip as they predate the production of that feature, they do have another feature that Joe Calato was known for, and that is pairing the sticks (for more info, see here: https://nfmusichof.org/joe-calato-2018/). 

In many ways, Joe contributed largely to the drumming community, and it fitting that he was inducted into the Niagara Falls Music Hall of Fame in 2018. Joe passed away in September 1 of this year (2023) at the age of 102.

I am so lucky and honoured to now house a piece of this history. Thanks, Doug and Jeanne, for the gift: the sticks will continue to be cherished!