Ice Tool Mod Idea

I have a pair of the latest generation BD Cobras. I hate carrying a spare pick and tool to change it out. But hey, it's a BD and well... picks bend. Even the Titan picks. Here it is: after seeing the new Camp X-dream picks (the rad bird's head ones), is there any reason BD couldn't incorporate the hex head wrench into the body of the pick? Or even make the clip in point a hex wrench? I'm way to chicken shit to mod my own, so does anyone know if there enough material in the pick to support a hex wrench hole?

Or... is there something else super light that people use to tighten/change out picks besides the BD tool. That things stupid heavy! Thanks!

Just use the pick from your other tool. They are built to be used like a screw driver. Try it. you don't need to carry the hex tool at all...

Wow. Thanks!

EUREKA! he says

I think the Petzl's have the BD's beat big time. I had 2 BD's and sold them in lieu of the Petzl's - which I liked a lot better! But hey - that's just ME!

The BD pick attachment system is hands down, the best on the market. Every time I have to loosen the bolts for the first time on a new Petzl tool, I nearly sell the damn thing to buy any BD tool I can find.

Jon H wrote:The BD pick attachment system is hands down, the best on the market. Every time I have to loosen the bolts for the first time on a new Petzl tool, I nearly sell the damn thing to buy any BD tool I can find.

No kidding! WOW! I am shocked! Ueli Steck uses them so I figured they'd be good - tho he prob gets ALL his Petzl gear for FREE I am sure - so shy wouldn't anyone use some FREE gear? LOL.

Michael Urban wrote: No kidding! WOW! I am shocked! Ueli Steck uses them so I figured they'd be good - tho he prob gets ALL his Petzl gear for FREE I am sure - so shy wouldn't anyone use some FREE gear? LOL.

Carry a Petzl tool and don't worry about breaking picks. BD picks are notorious for breaking.

No trolling.....I don't have time or patience for that!

No one is trolling. I'm climbing on Nomics and Quarks this season but the Petzl pick attachment system is infuriating. Every time I go to change a Petzl pick (or more common, swap the adze for a hammer, or just a spacer) I'm tempted to sell them and go back to BD tools.

Thanks guys for all the good feedback.

Right now I am considering the Cassin's or the BD Viper's.

I have to say tho - the Trango Raptor's look identical to the Cassin's!

Hmm, lots of nice tools out there it seems.

I have decided that I won't go with Petzl's tho...

Jon H wrote:No one is trolling. I'm climbing on Nomics and Quarks this season but the Petzl pick attachment system is infuriating. Every time I go to change a Petzl pick (or more common, swap the adze for a hammer, or just a spacer) I'm tempted to sell them and go back to BD tools.

What's your issue with the attachment system? Just how hard much the bolts and nuts lock down and it takes some real effort to take a pick off and put them back on? Or putting the hammer on and aligning the holes ETC? I recently changed my picks for the first time on my Quarks and it was kind of an ass chapping procedure, but it wasn't too bad. Took maybe 25 minutes to do both of them.

I sharpened the picks on my Nomics yesterday and it took less than two minutes to disassemble and reassemble the picks and pick weights.

BD tools have a head blank and 2 bolts. That's it.

Petzl tools have 2 bolts, 2 nuts, 2 washers, and a spacer. The first time I tried swapping out the picks on my Quarks I was at the crag at the base of the cliff. Breaking the factory tension on the head bolts (torqued to 15nm for the engineers out there) took 10+ minutes, some skin off my knuckle, and gouges out of the hammer on my other Quark as I used it to beat on the little included allen key to freedom.

BD's head design is 25 years old, unchanged, and still hands down the most simple and elegant on the market.

I prefer to climb on Petzl tools and with Petzl's picks, I'm simply recognizing quality design and engineering when I see it.

Jon H wrote:The first time I tried swapping out the picks on my Quarks I was at the crag at the base of the cliff.

I assumed. It really only takes a couple of minutes unless you do all of your gear set up on route...in which case you could drop the bolts from your BD head also.

I think I will be happy with my BD Viper's. I have always had good luck with BD products.