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Would you retire these tool picks?

Original Post
Jfaub · · Ottawa, On · Joined Jun 2014 · Points: 795

Hi everyone,

I've been climbing ice since last winter and I am heading into my second season. I was out a few days ago climbing on thin ice and some mixed climbing too, and I realized one of my tool picks is getting pretty blunt at the tip, to the point where just filing won't do much good... The tools I have were bought used and the picks had seen some use, but I just kept filing them down and they were still sharp. General use / filing / accidentally hitting rocks got me to where they are now. Would you replace them at this point or have a trick to make them last longer?

Pick 1

Pick 2

Thanks!

Joel

eyesonice2014 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2014 · Points: 140

File the first 2 teeth to a sharp and smooth out the beak then file at the top point and ....buy a file. Noobs...

Jfaub · · Ottawa, On · Joined Jun 2014 · Points: 795
eyesonice2014 wrote:File the first 2 teeth to a sharp and smooth out the beak then file at the top point and ....buy a file. Noobs...
Well, um, thanks for the advice. I do have a file, and I have been filing the picks (mind you, I might have been doing it wrong the whole time). Just wondering if people think they are too far gone now (especially number 1). Yes, I might be a relatively noob, but we all have to start somwhere, don't we? Just trying to get some opinions/ideas...
eyesonice2014 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2014 · Points: 140

OK filing first 2 teeth out and smoothing out the beak not only make them last longer but help a lot with removing your tool placements thus preventing a stuck tool. Which is a huge PIA as you may have already found out. Get one of them big ass files too. I can easily tell by just looking at them that the front 2 teeth never been touched. So you got another season in them.

Yes take them out completely and file the beak to a smoother angle. You will see the difference.

highaltitudeflatulentexpulsion · · Colorado · Joined Oct 2012 · Points: 35

Do you have a brand new pick to compare them against? I retire mine at 3/8" to 1/2" shorter than new. I also keep mine a whole (WHOLE) lot sharper than you've got pictured. Looks like spoons to me.

Sunny-D · · SLC, Utah · Joined Aug 2006 · Points: 700

You have a lot of life left in those picks. I would find someone in your area that has been climbing awhile and ask them to show you how to file for best effect. A local shop would be a good place to start. You can restructure picks for a long time depending how much work you want to put into them and how long you want to keep using the same picks.

Jfaub · · Ottawa, On · Joined Jun 2014 · Points: 795

eyesonice2014 :

Just to make sure, when you say filing the first 2 teeth out you mean taking them out completely? I've definitely noticed when I get bomber sticks getting the tool out can be a little... problematic. Leads to more pump than I would like.

nicelegs :

I don't have spare picks to compare by, but I have friends that have newer picks, i'll have to compare. Also, like you say, all i've read on sharpening tools says to make them as 'sharp as a razor', but i've never been able to get them THAT sharp. I suspect i'm doing something wrong...

Sunny D :

I'll definitely have to do that. Unfortunately no climbing shops where I live, only MEC (canadian REI basically) and the employees' expertise in ice climbing is pretty lacking... i'll have to talk to someone more experienced I guess.

Thanks everyone!

Any more suggestions are welcome.

Bill Kirby · · Keene New York · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 480

What tools are those? They look to me like Petzl Nomics. What picks are those? They look like the mixed pick but the top of the picks have no teeth... Hmmm..

I would 100% retire them and buy brand new ones. I would detune the new Petzl picks. Use the new picks for leading ice or mixed. You can use the old ones when you're drytooling at your limit on a TR. PM me if you wanna learn how i used to detune my Petzl picks.

BTW.. listen to Nicelegs

Ray Pinpillage · · West Egg · Joined Jul 2010 · Points: 180

Quarks with Cascades. Sharpen them, if you need room remove a tooth. I think Petzl said they were good until you hit the second tooth.

highaltitudeflatulentexpulsion · · Colorado · Joined Oct 2012 · Points: 35
Bill Kirby wrote: BTW.. listen to Nicelegs
It's like that motherfucker actually knows a fucking thing about fucking stuff. He's not very diplomatic though.
Bill Kirby · · Keene New York · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 480
nicelegs wrote: It's like that motherfucker actually knows a fucking thing about fucking stuff. He's not very diplomatic though.
Hey man, when you're right you're right.. even if you are a dick about it. Hell, I'ld rather get the right advice from you than from nice dumb ass.
Bill Kirby · · Keene New York · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 480
Ray Pinpillage wrote:Quarks with Cascades. Sharpen them, if you need room remove a tooth. I think Petzl said they were good until you hit the second tooth.
I thought Petzl shows to replace the picks when they look like the OPs. I saw that in the Petzl literature "How to maintain your equipment". It's been awhile since I checked out the Petzl stuff.

It looks to me like there's not enough metal left to file the edge of the pick to be the same length as the first tooth. I guess everyone has their own idea of what works for them.
Zac St Jules · · New Hampshire · Joined Dec 2013 · Points: 1,188

Yeah... just go over to ontarioclimbing.com and ask the same question. They're friendlier. Probably can even find someone willing to show you how they tune their picks for that Ontario ice. You definitely have a good bit of life left in those picks though.

Bryan Vernetson · · Fort Collins, CO · Joined Nov 2008 · Points: 130

These are old, but you should get the point. Up to 3 seasons with "regular" use should be doable, depending on what you are climbing exactly.

youtube.com/watch?v=IJEaTtf…
youtube.com/watch?v=KrF4rTt…

J. Serpico · · Saratoga County, NY · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 140
Jfaub wrote:eyesonice2014 : Just to make sure, when you say filing the first 2 teeth out you mean taking them out completely? I've definitely noticed when I get bomber sticks getting the tool out can be a little... problematic.
Yes, the idea is to remake the pick. When it was new you probably had about a 1/4in of no teeth (maybe a bit less) before the teeth began, especially true on Grivel picks which clean very well, IMO. Next, bevel the next set of teeth to also improve cleaning.

There are much more advanced and specialized ways to file picks (as someone noted, it's called detuning). YouTube them. But to get another season out of your picks, you definitely need to remove those first 2 teeth and reform the front as well.

At the very least you can use these for early season and mixed, and then buy a new set for mid season ice. I'm a poor cheap bastard, so I try to squeeze every day I can from my picks and front points. Others may have more money to drop and be able to replace them more often.

And, the videos above my post were actually the videos I was recommending you YouTube. Problem solved!
Just Solo · · Colorado Springs · Joined Nov 2003 · Points: 80

I would buy a set of new picks. Use them as reference to learn how to file your old picks, then stash the new ones for next season. Then, never let your picks show up on MP like that again.

Also, you want pointy, but not razor sharp. If you make your picks razor sharp the edge will flatten even thinking about hitting rock. Make it sharp, then slightly detune the front and top edge. They will last longer. Pick tuning is a mix of ju-ju, alcohol, personal preference, and trial and error. Few picks are perfect out of the box (petzl's are close) and you can f-up a perfectly good pick with a shitty tune. Practice, practice, practice.

Just Solo · · Colorado Springs · Joined Nov 2003 · Points: 80
Bill Kirby wrote: What tools are those? They look to me like Petzl Nomics. What picks are those? They look like the mixed pick but the top of the picks have no teeth... Hmmm.. I would 100% retire them and buy brand new ones. I would detune the new Petzl picks. Use the new picks for leading ice or mixed. You can use the old ones when you're drytooling at your limit on a TR. PM me if you wanna learn how i used to detune my Petzl picks. BTW.. listen to Nicelegs
Don't think those are nomics... Definitaly not nomic picks. Lacking the head weight holes. Kind of an odd looking shape. Might be the camera angle.
beccs · · Ontario Canada · Joined Mar 2012 · Points: 200
Just Solo wrote:I would buy a set of new picks. Use them as reference to learn how to file your old picks, then stash the new ones for next season. Then, never let your picks show up on MP like that again.
This.

A couple of things of note - you should have filed off the first tooth a while ago, at this point I'd file off both. I've seen someone pop out of an ice hook because they were rocking on the front teeth. You'll get better sticks, period.

When reshaping your picks make sure to hook the front nose (the Petzl picks have a good hook to them out of the box, so if you do what Just Solo suggests with buying a new set of picks you'll have a good reference). This will help with shallow sticks and hooks.

You can likely get another season, or half a season from those picks, but be careful to not let them get too short. This can effect your swings and your sticks too. Certain ice conditions/styles are more lenient to short picks than others.
Mikey Seaman · · Boise, ID · Joined Sep 2010 · Points: 5

Sorry if this was asked above...I didn't read it all...but are the ice tools made of wood? If they are, they would be melt

Ray Pinpillage · · West Egg · Joined Jul 2010 · Points: 180
Just Solo wrote: Don't think those are nomics... Definitaly not nomic picks. Lacking the head weight holes. Kind of an odd looking shape. Might be the camera angle.
Quarks with cascade picks.

Just Solo · · Colorado Springs · Joined Nov 2003 · Points: 80
Maurice Chaunders wrote:Sorry if this was asked above...I didn't read it all...but are the ice tools made of wood? If they are, they would be melt
Huh??
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Ice Climbing
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