UKC

So far this winter I've tried pretty much every mainstream screw and whilst I've found BD express screws to be the fastest to screw in because of the handle, I found that the DMM revolutions had the best bite and cleanest screwing despite not having a handle.

Will there ever be one with a winding handle... or has anyone tried the revolutions with the Petzl turbine handle?

In reply to GrendeI:

I have my own homemade winding handle - a bit of fencing wire, a bit of plastic tubing and a bit of trial and error to get a universal shape that fits BD and DMM screws.

End result, a full hand winder (instead of finger and thumb). It's dead easy to put screws in - probably easier than a handled screw ( certainly less strain on pumped thumbs) but of course naff all use for taking them out as it's confgured one-way only.

Put it this way, when it comes to placing screws, I don't care much now whether it has it's own wee handle or not.

But, I wouldn't pay the ridiculous price Petzl want for a bit of wire, a blob of plastic and some string. I think mine cost £1 for some shock cord.

In reply to nniff:

But of course it's not you taking them out, so it doesn't matter!

In reply to GrendeI:What I want is something that allows a ratchet motion as you try to get the teeth to bite. i.e Head of screw in palm, twist clockwise, twist back on ratchet, twist again - it would mean you didn't have to remove your hand but could keep the pressure on and keep going until the screw was seated. It would save that scary 'has it or hasn't it' moment.

As to taking them out - who cares how long it takes, you arent wobbling on one axe 10m above your last screw cr*pping yourself!

In reply to GrendeI: A while back they said they were trying to produce them but had real difficulty sourcing the steel tubing for them. They are indeed lovely screws but the lack of a winder is a deal breaker for me at least

In reply to philhilo: like this;http://www.zerogclimbing.com/product/ct_revolve_ice_screw_19cm

In reply to GrendeI:

It could be that the DB handle is patented and so DMM can't do something too similar.

There used to be a ratchet for ice screws but I can't remember who made it now. The problem of course is that any mechanical device is prone to icing. I don't remember anyone having or using one.

ALC

In reply to a lakeland climber:


I have some screws from the late 90s which were bought in the States - but I think were made by DMM - I think they were called DMM/Excalibur and at least at the time Excalibur were the US distributors for DMM. Anyway they have a hanger that if you push it in a little it sits fixed on the screw body, but if you pull it out it can spin freely. So it's sort of a very fiddly ratchet arrangement. Doesn't work that well really, I only use them now if I'm climbing with someone who has no screws and we need a 22 cm.

In reply to TobyA: Do you have a photo or a link?

This is a wild looking screw, bloody expensive one too!

http://www.climbers-shop.com/9920160/products/climbing_technology_revolve_i...

In reply to GrendeI: I think BD produced a basic rachet a few years back. Lightly sprung loaded, when you pushed on the hanger with palm of hand it located on a large hex shape and turned the screw, when hand pressure releases ,the hanger srpings forwaard to smooth part of tube where it caan rotate as normal.

In reply to philhilo:

http://home.comcast.net/~e.hartouni/img/CE85-055a.jpg

http://www.ipo.gov.uk/p-find-publication-getPDF.pdf?PatentNo=GB2462836&...

http://www.climbubu.com/Equipmnt/bb_owl01_e.htm

In reply to GrendeI: I've got a photo of an excalibur as Toby describes somewhere, i'll post it when i find it!

In reply to conorcussell: http://www.flickr.com/photos/16205085@N06/6708761245/

The right hand one of these three.

In reply to conorcussell: Yep, that's the ratchet thingy - but yours looks like its made of some different metal to mine? My ones look pretty much like modern steel ones, although the metal is I think slightly thicker than say a modern BD screw. As a result they are slightly harder to get in.

In reply to GrendeI:

My mate was chatting to Rob Greenwood (DMM Rep) about seeing a picure of the revolution ice screws with a handle in an old DMM Product catalogue and wanted to know if and when they were coming out.

He was told the the handle which was very similar to the BD one was patented and DMM are having to redesign or scrap the handle idea.

Also Rob was testing the new axes at the moment.

In reply to Chi Cheng:


I hope they figure something out soon!

In reply to TobyA: I wouldn't know, i never used it! But yeh it was dark (painted maybe?) metal but the inner and the cutting edge was steel. Much wider diameter as screw than anything else i have as well.

Yep, that patent is exactly what I had in mind - but who makes one, are the BD ones mentioned like that? We all place ordinary screws however this just seems like an obvious improvement - but could be expensive.