Cons: 1, made in China, have to wait to see if any durability or function issues arise. 2, very slippery grip, needs a rubber or foam grip.
Pros: 1, it's 3 feet long which gives an imposing visual for the opponent to reconsider. The added length also gives it considerably more power. 2, the release button works great! 3, even though it has a very slippery grip, it also has flat spots on both sides that help the grip and make a great place to allow the thumb to aid in a proper grip. 4, it can be extended in two ways. The traditional swing out method, must use a stronger than normal swing due to the added length and you can manually pull it out to extend. Both methods can be a useful visual image in an attempt to give the opponent a moment of pause to reconsider. 5, the sight of this baton is often enough deterrent.
Take everything into consideration and even with the two cons, this is the best baton I have ever used!