UKC

So basically as the title suggests. I have recently bought a pair of old orange black diamond vipers to replace my vintage glencoe vertiges.  the vipers are fitted with picks with the following markings: 

CE0333 Lazer 3181 

I have a brand new set of picks withe the following markings: 

CE0639 "T" 2347 

I understand T and B rated picks and shafts but could somone explain the difference here and maybe shine a light on the various picks available and what they are bestsuited to? 

Sorry if this is a daft question. 

In reply to Yohan:

In general: B rated for general waking and mountaineering, and also ice climbing. Thinner and/or tapered points make placement and removal easier. 

T rated for mixed climb, torquing in cracks, drytooling, steinpulls etc. Generally thicker metal, often not tapered at the point so more metal and less bend. 

You can of course climb either medium with either pick knowing the limitations and downsides. E.g hard ice with a thick T rated mixed pick and aggressive top teeth shatters the ice and is a pain to remove so you get way more tired. Thin B picks on Scottish mixed will wear out really quickly and feel less secure when torquing as the thinner metal has more give.

In reply to Yohan:

AFAIK the CE number is irrelevant. I'm pretty sure that it just indicates who did the independent testing.

The other info and numbers are likely to just be a BD product name/code so again doesn't really tell you anything unless there is info on their website. 

The only useful info is probably the T rating which you already know about. 

In reply to Yohan:

Cheers folks. Both picks are identical in thickness and shape? Ive not bothered to stick them on the scales to weigh them. It won't make any difference anyway iam crap at winter climbing aha

In reply to Yohan: The old BD Vipers originally had 'Laser Picks' which were a B rated pick (nearest is now  the Natural Ice Pick ) . They were often replaced with T rated Titan Picks (now called the Alpine Pick) for Scottish climbing

All you need is here for BD picks

https://www.needlesports.com/catalogue/department.aspx?axe+accessories.type...

In reply to Yohan:

Diagram on this page shows the different loads that are applied in the pick deformation test. 'B' picks only have to pass a lower applied load. ( ...which makes sense if you want a thinner pick for pure ice, say).

https://furnace-industries.com/news-blog/2015/12/23/what-the-heck-is-a-t-ra...

If two picks are identical size and shape it's still possible to heat treat them differently to achieve different mechanical properties. Cost, hardness, toughness can then be tailored to your application.

In reply to Basemetal:

Thats exactly what i was after. Brilliant cheers