Just did a little comparison test to see how my new favourite sticks (Tama Oak Japanese Fire 7A) are holding up against my old favourite (VicFirth American Hickory 7A).

I played the same 12 songs with each pair, and there is a clear winner (IMO), the VicFirth stick looks frayed and the tip is damaged, while the Tama stick looks fine:

(Above image is of the two right hand sticks)

I just hope they doesn't destroy my cymbals :-)

I always thought Hickory was supposed to be the best type of wood for this, but clearly the Japanese Oak is superior in this case.

Surprised me too :-)

The most important question is can you tell a difference in sound?

I did notice a small difference in sound when playing on the ride, sounded a tiny bit clearer, but nothing noticeable on the recordings we made.

They feel similar? I’m an orchestral percussionist and have never found any non-traditional stick brands that I like. Vic and IP are the cheapest brands I can find that have decent balance stick to stick and consistent feel pair to pair.

I have only tried two pairs (started using them about two weeks ago), but those I have tried have been nicely paired.
It's not a 100% match, the Tama sticks are a little bit heavier (3.5g) even thou they are 4mm shorter, but it's close enough for me :-)