We believe Bamboo is the best, natural alternative to wood.

Bamboo is not a tree, but a grass. It is one of the fastest growing plants on Earth. It has been measured growing an average of 3 inches per day. Whereas a typical tree takes 30-50 years to grow to its full size, bamboo takes 3-6 months.

Bamboo also has a higher fiber rating than any hardwood, and its tensile strength is better than many steel alloys. Bamboo has a higher compressive strength than many forms of concrete and a higher strength-to-weight ratio than graphite. It can easily take the toughest pounding on a drum kit.

These organic attributes ensure that Boso bamboo drumsticks won't splinter and snap the way wood does. Instead, bamboo will wear over time (denting and fading), which you can feel in your hand. Now you'll know when to change your stick before risking your performance. Bamboo also provides a natural texture for an increased grip making a brand new pair of sticks feel like your favorite pair, while the sound of bamboo is unique; slightly darker than wood.

With Boso bamboo, we've discovered a natural flex for better shock absorption and a faster response coming off the drumhead, a lush tone on cymbals, and a better way to respect our environment.

No stranger to design innovation.

It's been used for centuries. However, in recent years the material has surfaced in consumer products with high standards for durability and strength.

The Roof R06 Bamboo is a motorcycle helmet made from bamboo slivers, that passes all the European E22/05 safety requirements for use on the road.

The new Bamboobike 2 (Bamboozler) was first introduced at the First European Handmade Bicycle Exhibition (EHBE 2009) in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany.

Mizuno's design team, armed with 30 years of expertise in the engineering of Bamboo bats, has created this unique design resulting in exceptional durability.

There's no shortage of bamboo, unlike wood.

Bamboo is plentiful and highly sustainable, which makes it a better choice for our environment. By contrast, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, between 2000 and 2010, some 13 million hectares of forests were converted annually to other uses, down from 16 million hectares per year during the 1990s, according to the assessment which surveyed 233 countries and areas. Though down slightly the rate remains alarming, says the agency. Despite the improvement, the area of primary forest – or forests undisturbed by human activity – continues to decrease.

There are many other Earth-friendly advantages to bamboo:

• Requires less energy to grow and maintain than most other trees and plants.

• Naturally anti-bacterial, which eliminates the need for pesticides and fertilizers.

• When harvesting bamboo the root systems remain intact helping to prevent erosion.

• Bamboo returns 30% more oxygen than trees; some hypothesize that if bamboo were planted on a mass basis it could completely reverse the effects of global warming in just 6 years.

We believe bamboo and other natural, sustainable resources are the smart, logical choice for our planet and your music because it works.

Loss of old growth forest in the United States; 1620, 1850, and 1920 maps: From William B. Greeley's, The Relation of Geography to Timber Supply, Economic Geography, 1925, vol. 1, p. 1-11. Source of "Today" map: compiled by George Draffan from roadless area map in The Big Outside: A Descriptive Inventory of the Big Wilderness Areas of the United States, by Dave Foreman and Howie Wolke (Harmony Books, 1992). These maps represent only virgin forest lost. Some regrowth has occurred but not to the age, size or extent of 1620 due to population increases and food cultivation