Zildjian 5AN Black Hickory -Nylon-

I actually don't use this pair myself, I play a different Zildjian model, but I bought those for a girl I was teaching drums as a progress award. She was a bit Metallica-obsessed, so they had to be black :) Well, I gave them a try and was pleasantly surprised by how agile they feel despite the rather large size - my own sticks are the Trilok Gurtu model, quite a bit smaller. The tip also sounds nice on cymbals, although I generally prefer wood.

PROS: Zildjian consistency and reliability, good balance and feel, the finish feels nice and not slippery, and, of course, they are BLACK :)

CONS: none other than my usual pet peeve with ALL manufacturers' sticks: lack of weight consistency between different pairs, one pair can be 40% heavier than the other.