UKC

User of these crews should inspect their kit as there have been a number of instances in which the screws have split along the length of the screw due to cold temperatures and the expansion differentials caused by a tight manufacturing tolerance.

Here is a post from an italian facebook group I'm part of from someone who says he's from Petzl:

"I’m Petzl’s Community Manager.

We have already seen this sort of crack. These cracks were due to a manufacturing tolerance between the tube and the teeth.
We have modified the manufacturing parameters and improved the mounting of the teeth in the tube.

The safety of the end user is not concerned as the resistance of the product remains within standard requirements (EN568).

However, the screwing performance may be affected.

We thank you very much for your feed back and ask you to return your product to your local distributor for replacement under warranty and analysis.

We're sorry for any inconvenience and stay at your disposal for any further information.

All the best
Baptiste - Community Manager - Petzl"

Here's a link to the facebook post complete with pictures:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/489385181118747/permalink/1295843177139606/

In reply to beardy mike:

Thanks. That's a bit alarming, but it's good Petzl are on top of it.

If one were feeling uncharitable and smug, one might quietly mutter a small 'serves them right' while reflecting on whether this has happened with the e-Climb screws from whom Petzl sto- sorry, borrowed the idea...

In reply to nufkin:

I think you mean they were "inspired"

In reply to beardy mike:

It's just a shame they won't admit fault over their axes

In reply to 3leggeddog:

What fault?

In reply to Timmd:

They're absolutely useless for chopping down trees with.

In reply to Timmd:


Probably something related to wobbly handles on Nomics.

In reply to nufkin:

Ah, sounds like the "R"and "D"department have been busy again....
Rip off and Duplicate.....

In reply to beardy mike:
That's interesting. I've found in use that these screws stick in cold conditions making you think you've hit rock but if you wind them out, tap and blow out the ice core and try again they go in fine, so the ice core is obviously packing so hard inside the screw that it stops the screw going in. All rather worrying if you are on a particularly steep section and annoying the rest of the time.

We think this is due to aluminium sticking to ice much more than steel does and the logical improvement would be to make the internal diameter of the alloy tube wider that that of the steel tip.

We emailed Petzl about this problem after last winter but have not really had any feedback other than an acknowlegement.

We have emailed Petzl/Lyon Equipment to see if they are doing a product recall.

In reply to beardy mike:

Mike,
Following a trip last Feb I noticed a crack in one of my Laser Ice screw virtually identical to that in the photograph. I emailed a photo to Petzl customer care who told me to return it to the supplier. However, given it was end of season I never got round to it about which I now feel bad.

Sounds as though mine was not an isolated problem.

In reply to Stephen Reid - Needle Sports:


Stephen, I bought a couple of Lasers and I noticed this last year as well. You start screwing them in and they just stop.

However, I don't do a lot of ice climbing so wasn't sure whether I was just doing something wrong!

In reply to Stephen Reid - Needle Sports:


The old Chouinard screw were built like that (ie a widening bore) - wouldn't be suprised to find that a patent was held by Chouinard/Black Diamond, which might presentt an obstacle to Petzl doing something similar

In reply to nniff:

I think all screws are like that aren't they?

On sticky aluminium in cold weather I had a couple of Camp alu screws a long time ago. They were quite good in warmer conditions and a huge diametre, but much harder to get in on cold dense, new ice - I know that stickyness described above. But then again when its -20 I find getting any screw in desperate!

In reply to beardy mike:
Just found a recent thread on a US forum about same issue. Cracks identical to the one I found in my screw.
http://www.gravsports-ice.com/icethreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/18898/Re:_Cr...

I finally sent my own screw to the retailer who hopefully will send it off to Petzl and maybe I will get an update.

As Mike says, if you have these screws do check them!

In reply to Slarti B:


I have just received a replacement ice screw in the post from Petzl. Thanks.

In reply to TobyA:



It doesn't solve the cracking problem with the other screws but I wonder if smearing the insides of screws with something with similar properties to Vaseline might help, some kind of lubricant?