UKC

I've been climbing with 4 rather old second hand cams (reslung and oiled though) and they work fine but they're fairly heavy and there are some gaps and also all quite small, so I think it's time I invested in some new cams.

I'm on a quite a tight budget, and these are by far the cheapest cams I've found:

https://www.alpinetrek.co.uk/rock-empire-comet-cam/

or even their slightly less basic Axel cams.

However, I can't seem to find any reviews for these, and no mention of Rock Empire cams on UKC in the last 10 years, but I assume they're standards-compliant.

Should I buy these, or should I invest a bit more in a better known brand? What would be the downsides of using these? Has anyone tried them?

they’re cheap and work well. But I do prefer double axel stuff (e.g. BD) in mid sizes.

but If you’re in a budget, then they work.

I've got some of the axel cams. Perfectly functional and work well. They don't feel as good in the hand as dmm but they certainly work. Mine are several years old and have taken a few falls. I'd recommend them as a budget option. They are fully CE certified. 

Needle Sports have a small range of the DMM Demons in at £35 each, if you'd prefer a known brand. I think it is only 3 or 4 different ones, mind.

Rock Empire kit, made in the Czech Republic, is well known in Europe and complies with CE Certification. I have one of their well made harnesses which I like.

As the others wrote. Rock Empire is a brand of Czech outdoor chain HUDY. All their equipment is safe and complies with CE Certification.

However, the cams wear out faster so if you plan to climb a lot, DMM or other well established brand might be a better choice

I've come across mention of Rock Empire cams walking relatively easily due to the tension of the springs, it might be worth seeing if you can get to feel some in a shop and compare them with other camming devices and seeing what you think?

https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/107369374/rock-empire-axel-cam-...

''Many people do give Rock Empire a bad reputation. I hate to make assumptions but many of these people have the extra money to afford the high end cams (Black Diamond, DMM, Wild Country, Metolius, etc.), and Rock Empire equipment just might not be what they're looking for, which is understandable. If you are a college student, or just a climber with little money, these are a wonderful alternative to the bank breaking alternatives. I see the argument that the smaller sizes do not have equivalent strength ratings to the Camalot, but for someone looking to save money, we realize in retrospect, how many times are we actually going to need more than 9kN to save us on that whipper? All I can say is, that is one hell of a factor 2 fall one has to take in order to snap a 9kN rated piece of gear. 

Also, some of these skeptics may have used the old versions of RE gear (circa 2007). Some of the old RE cams felt like they were going to rattle apart in your hand. A friend of mine who knew I was a Rock Empire enthusiast showed me a set of RE cams that he purchased around 2006, and I had to laugh. They flopped around so much when you shook the flex stem back and forth, the lobes did a 360. I can attest to the fact that they have improved a lot since they first came on the market and feel as secure, well built, and well engineered as the top models of today.''

I've used a test set from work (axle) cams. These are the ones I'd go for. They're well built, easy to place and are solid enough to inspire confidence. Far better than the old WC tech friends that I started out with (and they were great!). 

Obviously dragons etc are nice but these are very comparable for far less money.