UKC

I've got a bit of rubber grip to repair on one axe and I'd like to cover the shafts on my old quarks with grippy stuff - suggestions for suitable tape please! Ta!

I was told that bicycle tyre inner tube works well. 

I haven’t tried it myself, but I can imagine the grippiness is true. 

JRJG 

tried bike inner tube, was fine for 1 season but as perished badly whilst in storage over the summer, Self amalgamating tape seems better.

Self amalgamating tape seems to be what most people use. I used to use inner tube on my alp wings but it's hard to get it tight enough without glue, when it gets cold it loses it's stretch and comes loose. Mine often did anyway but that was wrapping it.

Another option is shrink tube. Decent fishing rod manufacturers use stuff known as 'Japanese shrink tube' which is matt and grippy. It is hard and thin though, so perhaps best suited for upper shafts?

youtube.com/watch?v=SMHbmn-l1t4&

Here you go: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Self-Amalgamating-Waterproofing-Connections/...

It gets pretty chewed up if you climb a lot of mixed, but it's cheap enough that I just replace mine every season. Though, as one of my climbing partners once pointed out before an expedition, "you know that stuff adds like 100g to each axe, right?"

Bike bar tape might be a solution for you. 

Or you could use DMM grippy grip tape, might be same stuff!

 https://www.climbers-shop.com/10320875/products/dmm-grippy-grip-tape.aspx?c...

Used inner tyres, lasted half a season of mainly ice -> less on mixed.

Self vulcanizing tape lasts a few mixed outings, as in it’ll have a lot of gashes etc. 

Best solution I’ve found is heat resistant silicon. You dab it on the shaft and it looks a lot like the stuff Grivel had on their shafts a few seasons ago. 

Looks like this

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp2SDeShVT_/

and thus far they’ve lasted a full season, with only small retouches needed (no need to do the whole shaft, only where there is a lot of gashes... unlike with tapes etc.).

its half the price at screwfix

https://www.screwfix.com/p/self-amalgamating-rubber-tape-black-25mm-x-3m/21...

Some people swear by spray on plastic/rubber stuff. Can't remember what it's cold. Haven't used myself.

https://www.plastidip.co.uk/ 

And from what I've tried, it doesn't really work that well. Not sticky enough and even more prone to getting gashes than vulcanizing tape.

personally i have always found the bare metal shaft of my axes incredibly sticky when sufficiently cold. am i just the only one?

And incredibly cold?

What about spray on polyurethane? Like Rhino linings for pickup truck beds? Dunno where you'd get it though.

Typo par excellence.

Horses for courses really, but It depends of what axes. If nomics, buy self-amalgamating tape from screwfix. You will need a first coat of normal finger tape to achieve better stick and last longer. For other axes like Grivels perhaps is better to plasti-dip them, which will also stick better with an undercoat of finger tape.

Tennis racket handle tape

Another option which I've just come across - 'cold shrink' tube - it's like a thick-walled bike inner tube which is held 'open' by a plastic coil. You feed it over the item then pull the coil out.

youtube.com/watch?v=KzEx6Pry2fY&

I use self-amalgamating tape on my Nomics, but have 'stippled' grab adhesive on my Flys.