You have the name correct. They were NOT laminated. Dura sticks were wood (hickory I believe) they compressed the blanks and they were treated some sort of resin. You are absolutely correct they were heavy as heck. I still have a set or 2 of them in with my vintage gear. Great sticks if you could handle the weight. I am to old for that kind of thumping now. besides that is what FOH is for.
These days when I sit behind a kit it is usually 7a's or something very close to that which I will be slinging.
Very strong, very heavy. Great to give to another person who is going to hit the cow bell or something. Horrible (these days at least) for anything really intricate, to much momentum.
BTW those sticks are the toughest thing this side of a quarter steak. I am sure they stopped making them because they lasted way to well. At the time I was breaking a pair of sticks a set using ProMark 707's and 747's with nylon tips. I loved those sticks back in the day too but again these days they are also to heavy and still way lighter than the Gretsch DuraSticks. yeah I still have maybe 15 or 20 pairs of the 747's stashed to the side. Those were the days of ordering sticks 144 pair at a time. Always ended up with 10 or 15 paair that were not straight enough or the weights were to far out and those ya give to audience members who seem to get a jolt out of it, or ya toss em off the stage after the show.
humbly,
mb