Technical Ice tools, Help me choose

No worries Tom. It is fun both ways and thank you!.

Green?...just being a smart ass with a poor sense of humor.

DMM makes great tools equal to anyone. Cale? I think we only differ on our terms of "alpine". None of these tools are good for moderate terrian or self arrest including your Cobras. Symatics rather than a difference of opinion I suspect.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!

Very true Dane. I don't disagree with that at all. I meant when you use them in those positions (holding in the self-arrest or self-belay positions) not necessarily in those activities. If I was going up very moderate ice in between pitches, I might switch to the self-belay position (pick pointing forward, hand around the head) for a time is all. :-)
Yep, none of these tools are good for self arrest for sure - not that kind of tool. If you were going to integrate that for long amounts of short terrain, I'd throw out one of the techy tools and end up with a Venom, Sum'tek or other. I guess I was describing the situation where I might have one Sum'tek and a Cobra to do Liberty Ridge (which in alpiney terms isn't incredibly alpiney). On the Cobra, the grip is inline so if I drive it down into the snow it's not that awkward. I can remove the thumb rest as well. On the Nomic, the handle is formed back from the shaft to act as a proper leashless tool and if I drove that into snow, it's kinda awkward IMHO. Anyhow, just thought I'd explain myself. Dane, these are mostly my opinions from my limited experience... I defer to your experience to clear it up :-)

Oh and sexy black diamond green goes great with the Patagucci Nano Puff: patagonia.com/us/product/me…