I never did update this, but I still like these poles a lot. I've beaten the crap out of them over the past month or so and haven't had any issues so far. Been using them without the straps or boots, like a weight weenie, and don't see any reason to put those components back on at this point. Actually, I've found that I really like not having the boots on because I can stop and jab them into the ground while I'm using my binos or screwing around with OnX on my phone.
The flick locks are just like the ones on CMT's other poles - meaning they need to be snugged up fairly often if you don't want your poles collapsing on you. Not a gripe, just an observation.
I'm not a huge fan of the grip, but it's the shape I dislike, not the material.
The packed length is a bit of a pain, but I've been stowing them in the side pockets on my Exo so I can reach up and pull them out if needed while I'm hiking. I can't put them back in with the pack on, but they're light enough that I don't notice them much just carrying them around when not in use. I'd love to have the packed length of the LT5s or CP3s, but for the lower price on these CMTs they are a very good deal in my book.