Well, the loudest fans I've ever had are from the House of Rice (www.houserice.com). You could buy a set from them and change the fabric, but you would need a sturdier fabric (i.e.- You would not be able to replace the fabric with silk). My favorite fans are from www.waydragon.com. They are pretty loud, have extra flowy material on the ends, and the staves are made from nylon and will not break.
If you want to make your own fans, you can buy fan staves at www.beledi.com (I'm pretty sure....). I haven't bought staves from her, so I cannot attest to the weight or quality. I'm ordering some, so I can tell you in a few weeks. The staves I used were from a an old pair of bamboo fans. Hope this helps!