No, spacetime doesn’t expand faster than light at any point. Its just that as you accumulate the new growth over a long distance, the farther objects appear to move away faster than light from our position.

For me, the fact that your thumbs can touch when pressing the sticks to the middle is unfortunately enough for me to pass on this. Plus I hear the ergonomics of it doesn’t feel nice, pulling your elbows in to your body so you can hold it properly.