UKC

Hey, I'm maybe in the market for some new axes. Currently I have a pair of DMM Apex's which have been my main axe for waterfall ice for years now. I use them because I have them, not because I enjoy using them. I've tried to like them but I just don't. So I'm going to pass them on to someone who does want them and move on. I've previously had BD axes so have plenty of picks and spare parts for those but conveniently all the heads have changed, so to get them to match I'd need a pair of orange vipers which are scarce on the second hand market at the moment, or something similar. I've also used a pair of Grivel North Machine Carbons for a week which I loved, but I'm pretty used to having an upper trigger rest which these don't really have (unless I'm missing something?) 

What other axes are worth a shout? Nomics of course, although they seem to always have issues with the heads or handles. Quarks... I've always had more traditional axes, but these will stay out in Italy and be used almost exclusively for waterfall ice. 

Since you already have BD picks, the new Reactor would be the way to go. Picks are still the same (no need for the adze/hammer/blanc head parts though).

from What a lot of people have said, basically it’s a more robust Cassin/Camp X-Dream.

I thought the BD spares fit everything going back to late 80s X-15s and so on?

Anyway - have you seen https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/ice-axe-for-ice-climbing-mamba/_/R-p-304800?m... they look pretty cool eh? And it's not like Simond doesn't have a fine pedigree...

Petzl's grip rest fit on them, which is far superior to Grivel's aftermarket offering IMO. Still not as good as an OEM one would have been though. God knows what Grivel were thinking by not fitting them with one

Either their marketing department hasn't come to grips with how an ice axe works or these axes have a hell of a spike https://contents.mediadecathlon.com/p2431377/k$56a4fe0e9b076d0aefcc1b4adc49...

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That's super interesting as I really enjoyed using the Grivels, basically enough to think that that would be my go to tool for everything I do. I honestly can't see me getting heavily into hard Mixed climbing, and an all round, light weight tool will do me proud I reckon. So do you mean this trigrest?

https://www.bananafingers.co.uk/ice-axes-piolets/petzl/trigrest?gclid=CjwKC...

Hey, just wondering if you've used the North Machine as well as the carbon version. I know the carbon ones are a few grams lighter but there's really very little in it, maybe 50 for a pair. Of course an aluminium shaft will be more robust, although I do know that the Carbon is actually only an alu shaft wrapped in carbon. So I've wondering where the advantage of the carbon lies? Maybe vibration damping? I've not used the alu version...

I have the quark trig rest on them (with the index hook removed) but any of them should work as Petzl's shafts are all about the same diameter/shape, which is very slightly larger than the one on the NM's. A little bit of tape, or some people use bike inner tube, is enough to match the diameter and get a secure fit.

I also ground down a little of the inside plastic to place the rest over the little nipple in the axes as it seemed a better position, but other people place it just above with the nipple doing a bottom stop sort of thing.

Haven't tried the standard ones. I only got these because they were stupidly cheap, and i ordered them half expecting an email saying "sorry, there was a mistake with the pricing". Guess ideally you need a shop stocking both and swing them side by side see if you feel any difference in the swing or weight balance. Any apparent weight saving off a few grams will probably be offset by the ice/snow compacting and sticking to the grooves in the shaft anyway, 

Probably be people comparing them both in the internet somewhere if you do a search

Thanjs for the info about how you modded the trigrest. Pretty simple. 

Surprisingly there isn't. I mean I've found the Carbon without "shovel" and hammer for 178 quid or the alu for 160 with. I would probably buy the shovel and hammer anyway which are 28 quid a piece. So I'm wondering if the 80quid is worth it for 40-50 grams of weight and some vibration damping - probably not...

If that's a deal breaker i should have the hammer and adze (somewhere) that i removed from them. Definitely came across the adze a few times and so i suppose the hammer must be around. You can have them if you want. 

Just message me if it comes to that, and if i don't reply keep messaging until i see your email as i'm a disaster with regards communication. Haha

Ha thanks man! Not so much a question of whether I have the dough, more a question of whether it's worth the extra... as I say, I suspect its not. 

Just got a pair of Grivel Light Machines over Christmas. Wow. Just wow!

I have a pair of black BD vipers in good nick - DM me if you’re interested & I’ll send you some photos.

So I went for the North Machine with a hammer and shovel, the blanking plates are only a few quid each, and got the petzl Trigrest for Sumtec which works perfectly more or less straight out of the box, no need for tape it seems. Slides down to the bump and the bump virtually disappears. Light as he'll... loving the swing... I have a good feeling about this!