New Black Diamond Ice Axes

look like carbon nomics

Looks like Ines Papert,at the Bozeman Ice Fest, working Black Diamond Fusions in reverse color. Could be carbon, could be a fashion statement.
If you go to the live stream for tonight's comp she might use them there.

First impression - just another Nomic wannabe!

They're metal. The Fuel. Basically an ice-focused Fusion.

Is this a prototype of a new tool or something?

Danomcq wrote:Is this a prototype of a new tool or something?

The BD fella I talked to said they were testing them this year. Probably go on sale in 2014.

BigM wrote:First impression - just another Nomic wannabe!

You don't sound like a gagging fanboy at all.

Always fan of an innovation but never of an imitation.

climberism.com/new-black-di…

^^^ Your link is basically a rehash of this thread. Which is sad and ironic, just as the subject of this thread - nothing original. Sigh!

doligo wrote:^^^ Your link is basically a rehash of this thread. Which is sad and ironic, just as the subject of this thread - nothing original. Sigh!

Just like your post; nothing original, sad and ironic...

I overhead last weekend (in regards to their WI3 performance), "Better than Fusions, but still no Cobra".

The Climberism link:

"It’s hard to compare these to another tool without actually having them in my hand or give any kind of opinion at this point. Nonetheless, they look fun . . ."

If Will Gadd is holding one they must be awesome!

Looks like the pick on the Fuel is smaller than other BD tools.

It's the BD Fusion Ice pick.

The head is really small. Basically just enough to hold a pick. It has a plate that bolts through the pick into the head. The plate is no larger than the end of the pick. Compare this to an old (orange) Fusion head that had two bolts and covered the entire site of the head.

Dobson wrote:It's the BD Fusion Ice pick. The head is really small. Basically just enough to hold a pick. It has a plate that bolts through the pick into the head. The plate is no larger than the end of the pick. Compare this to an old (orange) Fusion head that had two bolts and covered the entire site of the head.

Thanks for the explanation! That's disappointing. I was hoping for a thinner BD pick. I like that the Fuel has a big ol spike. Sometimes I find myself caning below the alpine. Wonder what the swing feels like?

Orange Fusions?? Reminds me of my crack head friend I've known since high school. Fun on rock but worthless for anything else.

Dobson wrote:It's the BD Fusion Ice pick. The head is really small. Basically just enough to hold a pick. It has a plate that bolts through the pick into the head. The plate is no larger than the end of the pick. Compare this to an old (orange) Fusion head that had two bolts and covered the entire site of the head.

Interesting. It's more suited for sticking into thin cracks then? From what I gathered from your earlier WI3 performance comment and someone else's comment, these tools are more geared for climbing ice. I'm curious what makes them better than Fusions on low angle ice - from a glance it looks like the same angle on the shaft, maybe the picks are positioned in less aggressive angle? Maybe someone with Photoshop magic can overlay that Will Gadd photo with a Fusion stock photo to see what's up?

Dolgio, have you climbed ice with the Fusion (with Fusion ice pick)? I got a pair of Fusion, debating whether I should keep them or not. I don't really care which tools I use for low angle ice, mostly for steep ice.

They are great mixed tools, on ice two words: not nomics. I thought you hated BD picks?

Garret Nuzzo-Jones wrote:They're metal. The Fuel. Basically an ice-focused Fusion.

Why would you assume it will be any thing than marginally better on ice than a Fusion? Slight mods like a better balanced head sans hammer and a more open pommel do mimic the Nomic design. But you are still left with th BD picks and head angle.