White Wax Wood Octagon Corded Nunchaku

I had two pairs of white wax woods for maybe ~7 years, and they were the most solid training chucks ever. They had the weight and solidity of wood, but were barely lighter, and were a great introduction to woods for any enthusiast. I loved them to death. But after their untimely deaths, I ordered some more, and now they feel plastic in comparison. They're definitely lighter no doubt. They feel like plastic. I don't know what was done, but the construction is way cheaper. They were the greatest training pair and now I'll have to search elsewhere.