hikerfast
Active member
since another #@#$# stole my ice axe, im on the market. wonder if i can find a used one anywhere. ones with a long handle are best for shoving in the snow up ahead of you in steep places.
I need an ice axe
- Thread starter hikerfast
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bruno
New member
"I need an ice axe"
if yer just goin' to the whites--no ya don't. but as many have pointed out previously here "chicks dig 'em"! so maybe ya do!
if yer just goin' to the whites--no ya don't. but as many have pointed out previously here "chicks dig 'em"! so maybe ya do!
hikerfast
Active member
yes i do. on steep places and icy trails its nice to have something to self arrest with, and i use it on steep trails with snow to shove into the snow ahead of me and pull myself up. today on sandwich i turned around because i didnt have it. going up to noon peak was a sheet of ice
Bluethroatedone
New member
The good news is that you have here something pretty easy to buy online/over the phone
Try ebay...check craigslist in Seattle and Denver... Or the consignment sections of IME, Ragged Mountain (North Conway). There's also a HUGE consignment store in Seattle which will sell it to you and ship it...
Try ebay...check craigslist in Seattle and Denver... Or the consignment sections of IME, Ragged Mountain (North Conway). There's also a HUGE consignment store in Seattle which will sell it to you and ship it...
hikerfast
Active member
found a 49 dollar one, 90 cm at campmore for 49 so far. thanks for the input. what consignment store is it?
NH_Mtn_Hiker
New member
I'll sell you one just like the one you had for 48 dollars...even has the same scratches on it.hikerfast said:
hikerfast
Active member
2 gone in 3 weeks..my life is expensive. in 92 an ex took off with one to seattle. maybe i can get one in the consignment store there. last year somebody stole my best one. i wish they had taken the car and left the axe behind
giggy
New member
FWIW - this will be my next axe
http://www.whittakermountaineering....ce+Axes&cat=2&rootid=undefined&root=undefined
http://www.whittakermountaineering....ce+Axes&cat=2&rootid=undefined&root=undefined
sleeping bear
New member
Be patient and watch ebay. I scored mine (SMC) for $35 including shipping coming from Alaska.
Woody
New member
Giggy,
I have an axe just like that one you posted the link to. I think it is heavy. I prefer my BD Raven (with rubber grip). It's not quite as light as the Raven but still has a good feel.
I have an axe just like that one you posted the link to. I think it is heavy. I prefer my BD Raven (with rubber grip). It's not quite as light as the Raven but still has a good feel.
cbcbd
Well-known member
At 1lb 8oz it does seem a little bit on the heavy side.Woody48 said:
I tried my friend's Raven with a grip. I liked that axe, it had a good swinging weight.
FYI, my 60cm BD Raven Pro with leash is 15oz, my 70cm Grivel Air Tech with leash is 1lb 2oz.
But wow, a 90cm axe?
That's meatnormous!
Jay H
New member
I have a BD Raven Pro I got on sale a bit ago...
If you're willing to buy site unseen, I have seen some relatively inexpensive Cassin ice axes on SierraTradingPost recently... I'm sure you can search STP for ice axe.
Jay
If you're willing to buy site unseen, I have seen some relatively inexpensive Cassin ice axes on SierraTradingPost recently... I'm sure you can search STP for ice axe.
Jay
giggy
New member
Woody48 said:
yes it is - right now, I have an old black diamond that is also heavy (about the same as this one) - kind of like the weight to help plunge into the snow nice and deep - but light is good too. While out west last year, I was playing with it a bit - the new raven and raven pro's - seem too light! I am sure they are fine, - just a personal opinion
I aslo like the moser ones
DougPaul
Well-known member
I suspect the light-weights might be a bit light if one has a lot of step cutting to do or if one tries to ice climb with them.giggy said:
Another issue is that some of the lightweights have a smaller diameter shaft (eg the BD Raven and Raven Pro) than normal weight axes. This makes them a bit harder to hold (unless you have a small hand) and reduces the resistance to horizontal forces when the shaft is plunged into snow.
But light is nicer to carry.
You pays your money and you takes your choice...
Doug
Kevin Rooney
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I bought a BD Raven Pro shortly after they came out, and they're a thing of beauty as well as light. Sometimes it's a little too light. More often than not, I find I still reach for my old Grivel Pamir when heading out on trip. It's beat up, scratched and been repainted. But, they're sturdy, reasonably light (much more so than REI's Mountain Axe) and last forever.
When I know I'll need the axe, I carry the Grivel. When I'm carrying an axe for security, I carry the Raven Pro.
When I know I'll need the axe, I carry the Grivel. When I'm carrying an axe for security, I carry the Raven Pro.
DougPaul
Well-known member
Same here, except I got the Raven because the Raven Pro seemed to be a little too light and the head seemed rather small. I had also read a report of someone damaging the shaft on a Raven Pro while knocking snow off his crampons.Kevin Rooney said:
Same here, except my regular axe is an old 70cm carbon fiber handle Chouinard. (A great axe--also useful for up to ~70 deg ice climbing.)
I put some cloth tape at the balance point of the shaft of my Raven to keep my hand warmer when carrying. Also a bit down near the spike to improve handling. I'm tempted to add a bit on the center of the head for insulation as well.
Doug
Kevin Rooney
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DougPaul said:
Doug - I didn't notice the head being too small, and the report of shaft damage is probably a defect because in general it's an exceedingly strong axe. One of my reservations about it is the head is too strong, and it's tough to dull either end. Having them too sharp is a liability - on a long glissade down the headwall below Shasta's Red Rocks a few years ago, the head grazed my lip as I was braking and left a nasty gash, marring an otherwise great slide. I purposely dulled both ends a bit with a file, and was impressed with how hard the steel was. For my alpine purposes, having too sharp an axe is a bit of a liability.
GNR
Member
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Check this one out...
http://www.ula-equipment.com/helix.htm
Not rated as an ice axe, as you can read, but funny!
http://www.ula-equipment.com/helix.htm
Not rated as an ice axe, as you can read, but funny!
DougPaul
Well-known member
Compare them next time you are in a store--the head on the Raven Pro is noticably smaller than the head on the Raven. I just compared my Chouinard axe with the Raven: the Raven pick is about 3/8 inch shorter, the adz is about 1/8 inch shorter and 1/2 inch narrower.Kevin Rooney said:
IIRC, the shaft damage was reported by a Ranier climber who evidently spent a good bit of the hike knocking snow off his crampons. Lightweight aluminum tubing vs (presumed) steel crampon. No mention of defects. (The axe still worked adequately to get him off the mountain.)
From my ice climbing days, there are times when you want your tools to be sharp. (You particularly need sharp tools when dealing with hard-water ice.) A dull pick might make self-arrest more difficult on a hard surface. Sharp tools are a trade-off of perfomance vs risk of direct injury. I don't plan to purposely dull my Raven, but probably won't keep it as sharp as I would a technical axe.
Doug
alistair
Member
So other than the raven does anyone have a suggestion/recommendation?
