UKC

Has anybody got any thoughts on, or experience of using (trialling), the new DMM Supefly axes?

See: http://www.theoutdoorshop.com/Outdoor/ProductDetails.aspx?language=en-GB&am...

Thanks.

In reply to bollweevil: It's just a Fly with the same pommel thing as the Xeno isn't it? Can't be that different...

In reply to bollweevil: looks as though DMM couldn't be arsed to re-design an axe between Fly and rebal etc and have gone down the dress it up with some bling for no good reason other than marketing.

In reply to Anonymous: A bit of a harsh comment considering the amount of work gone into the Rebel and Anarchist. I suspect it is a hybrid for people who wanted something a bit more traditional than the Rebel but with an improvement on the Fly grip - or maybe as you suspect, DMM for once are just into dressing it up with some bling for no good reason other than marketing. After all, they never break any new ground with their products, it's all marketing...bent back biners, fully curved axes, asymetric crampons, revolvers, etc.

In reply to bollweevil:
Actually we haven't even marketed the Superfly other than to put it in our catalog, and allow shop staff to use it during staff Training sessions we organised in London and Leeds. In fact I think it's fair to say we don't market our products enough.

As for not being arsed. The Superfly is NOT merely a Fly with the Xeno finger rest added, although this has been a version which quite a few folk have asked us for and we have done as specials. The Superfly is as Rob has mentioned a Hybrid, bridging the gap between the Rebel , and the Standard Fly which continues to sell in good numbers. The Superfly has the comfortable handle of the Rebel (minus the triggerfinger/matching rest). It has a new clipper leash wire attachment which addresses the downside of the previous version.So far from not being arsed we have actually put some thought into presenting a coherent range of tools to suit most peoples needs.
Obviously from the tone of Mr Anonymous you can't please everybody.
Chris Rowlands
DMM Brand Manager

In reply to Chris Rowlands:

You must get sick of answering these cheeky bastards.

Davie

In reply to Chris Rowlands: They're still not better than quarks though.

In reply to styman: But DMM Xenos are at least as good and a more like for like comparison.

In reply to Rob at V12 Outdoor: No they're not, the bicycle inner tube handgrips last about 10 minutes.

In reply to styman:
Have to say I prefer the rubber grips on the older (and new?) dmm tools to the plastic ones on charlet tools, which i find slippy. That was one of two reasons I went for flys over aztars when I got mine. And theyve not worn down at all yet.

In reply to Si dH: I knew someone would bite

In reply to styman: quarks are pish, xenos are far superior, ive had my xenos 2 seasons and the handle grip is fine. we dont seem to agree on much do we?

In reply to styman: I almost bit about 20 minutes ago, but bit my tongue instead - good mini troll

In reply to Erik B: please exslpain you bollocks theory.


Quarks:

pros

light weight (same as rebels and vipers)
excellent cliper leashes inclueded in the price as well as grip rest

cheapest (overall) top end tool on the market

excellent, ergonomic, supergripply grips. much better than the vipers and xenos ones. (can't comment on rebels though.)

cons

Small adze

shite unuseable hammer

picks arn't as easy to remove as vipers

when grip rests are on qd cant be clipped on to the bottom

Xenos

Pros

made in uk

fully currved shaft

good adze and hammer

cons

crap at plunging

crap leashes

no bolt for fitting clippers

no hand rests

all in one removable head (see previous rant)

crap tyre in tube grip, which doesn't last 2 minutes.

In reply to The Great Pretender: You say on your profile that you climb grade III. Is this a joke? How come you've managed to try out so many tools?

In reply to The Great Pretender: because I am completely and utterly biased towards scottish buttress climbing and in this terrain the xenos beat everything else I have tried, I look forward to trying the new generation of DMM tools.

also I am not "a bit of a gear freak" and on a good day climb harder than grade III

In reply to bollweevil:
can,t beleieve the cheek of some folk who find it okay to insult people because they have different prefference in climbing tools! use what you will

p.s fl,y absolutely rock get yourself down the hardware and modify your own like my babies don,t but any other tool as they are all just inferior

In reply to jas wood: oops fly,s

In reply to jas wood:

flys are the only axes I've ever climbed with (for about 6 years now) and I'd never bother getting others until they break. the grips do get torn up from smacking the snow off your crampons though.

thought my french mate's quarks were good for ice when I tried them a few years back mind.

In reply to The Great Pretender:

The Xeno is not much heavier


The Charlet clipper is worse than either the new DMM or the BD Android. If you don't want it (and not many sane folk would, you're paying over the odds).

No. The Grivel's have it beat (though I don't like them). And it's only cheaper if you want a clipper leash and like the one it comes with.


The handle is really good, yes.

big deal.



small it may be and while it's not great, it's hardly unuseable.



true. But then only BD tools have user friendly pick systems.

which is cheating anyway.



Most of the axe is UK made. I'm not so sure about the handle. This is only a pro from a sentimental point of view (not necessarily a bad thing, but just sentiment).

All top end tools have 'fully curved shafts'. What's your point caller?

They are adequate, yes.

nonsense.

true. But leashes are so last Tuesday. And you'd be buying Androids anyway so no big deal.

true. But you'd be fitting Androids anyway so no big deal.

there is. It is small though.

I agree, this is irritating but only BD axes have user friendly picks.

It does last pretty well. Unless you are in the habit of trying to sharpen your crampons with the handles of course...


Didn't you used to be called Chewbacca by the way?

In reply to The Icicle Faerie: Fair ponit.

yes. why you ask.